tamiya paints and airbrushing questions
Discussion
planning to try airbrushing a model for the first time soon and got a couple of questions
i plan to use tamiya paints , looking for a gun metal/silver finish with a satin look , do the tamiya metalic paints dry matt /gloss or what ? or would i need to clear coat it to get the desired effect?
do the paints need any thinning to use ?
ive got a large diy compressor with ajustable pressure air reg and water trap etc , what do i need to couple it to a air brush?
i plan to use tamiya paints , looking for a gun metal/silver finish with a satin look , do the tamiya metalic paints dry matt /gloss or what ? or would i need to clear coat it to get the desired effect?
do the paints need any thinning to use ?
ive got a large diy compressor with ajustable pressure air reg and water trap etc , what do i need to couple it to a air brush?
steveo3002 said:
so by that you mean a meduim sheen /low gloss ?
Yes.I actually don't use them for covering large areas. I use Tamiya or Citadel metallics for small details, like aircraft undercarriage legs, wheel centres and stuff like that.
I have started using Alclad for large metal areas such as all metal aircraft fuselages. Alclad comes in various shades and is pre-thinned for airbrush use. It is NOT acrylic or enamel so must be sprayed onto a pre-primed surface. Alclads can give a massive variety of metallic effects.
Another one to consider, especially if you want a specific car colour, are Zero Paints as sold by Hiroboy. They require clear coating (Hiroboy also sell the clear coat) and dry very quickly. They are prethinned for airbrush use, but as per Eric, I do tend to thin a bit more with some colours.
steveo3002 said:
on the tamiya paints ..sinse it cleans up with water how come you cant thin it with water?
#You can - but there are other substances out there that are often better - such as ispropyl alcohol, Tamiya's own thinners, Xtracrylic thinner etc. Even distilled water is better than simple tap water.
Some people add a drop of screenwash to tap water to make it "wetter" but it's not something I've tried.
steveo3002 said:
planning to try airbrushing a model for the first time soon and got a couple of questions
i plan to use tamiya paints , looking for a gun metal/silver finish with a satin look , do the tamiya metalic paints dry matt /gloss or what ? or would i need to clear coat it to get the desired effect?
do the paints need any thinning to use ?
ive got a large diy compressor with ajustable pressure air reg and water trap etc , what do i need to couple it to a air brush?
The last time I used Tamiya silver (X-11). It did dry satin IIRC, but I found it had a very coarse grain in the pigment, the metallic flakes looked far too big for a small model.i plan to use tamiya paints , looking for a gun metal/silver finish with a satin look , do the tamiya metalic paints dry matt /gloss or what ? or would i need to clear coat it to get the desired effect?
do the paints need any thinning to use ?
ive got a large diy compressor with ajustable pressure air reg and water trap etc , what do i need to couple it to a air brush?
I've recently used Citadel Mithril Silver, which has a finer pigment, and also Vallejo Air Copper, which again had a fine pigment for a metallic.
Regarding thinners with Tamiya paints, I've used Tamiya thinners and also IPA, but on balance I'd go for the Tamiya stuff (or indeed whatever any manufacturer reccomends for their paint). It's false economy to use anythig other than the right stuff IMO. I use IPA at 70% to clean brushes and the airbrush, but no longer use it to thin acrylics. BTW, IPA with Vallejo turns it to mush.
Re. the connection from compressor to airbrush, youll need a hose with the right fittings, and you might need a smaller regulator to deal with the small volumes of air you're dealing with, and also an oil trap might be a good idea unless you have an oil-free compressor.
The best advice on all of the above is to simply experiment by painting an old CD case or someththing, before going anywhere near your model!
Good Luck!
steveo3002 said:
what about rules for recoating , do i have to wait a certain amount of time after drying before i can mask and apply other colours
i take it if i louse up the job it can be sanded and re done with no issues?
Acrylics usually dry very quickly and can be masked with a low-tack tape after about an hour of drying in a warm place. I reccommend Tamiya masking tape, cut with a scalpel along the dege you want to paint.i take it if i louse up the job it can be sanded and re done with no issues?
ETA: Don't forget to degrease the surface first by washing with detergent. Some acrylics will peel off quite easily if there is any trace of grease on the surface.
If you want to flat it down, I'd leave it a day or so to cure before using wet and dry. Some acrylics clog paper very quickly and don't respond well to flatting.
Again, practice on scrap first with all these techniques, then you'll be fine.
BTW, be sure to use very thin coats, flashed off between coats and built up gradualy to the final finish. Metallics dont respond well to thick coats.
Edited by dr_gn on Sunday 26th December 11:37
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