Painting Plastic Models with Enamel?
Discussion
Just purchased a few Revell Kits in the Modelzone sale (v. cheap!) and a load of Revell enamel paints, which cost more than the kits...!
Anyway, I don't want to use an airbrush and would prefer to paint with a brush. I have the 'official' thinners, so if I thin the paint 2:1 paint/thinner, would this eliminate the brush stroke effect?
A couple of the model cars have large flat surfaces so I anticipate any strokes showing qute obviously.
I'm not experienced, so appreciative of any advice you can give.
Thanks in advance!!
Anyway, I don't want to use an airbrush and would prefer to paint with a brush. I have the 'official' thinners, so if I thin the paint 2:1 paint/thinner, would this eliminate the brush stroke effect?
A couple of the model cars have large flat surfaces so I anticipate any strokes showing qute obviously.
I'm not experienced, so appreciative of any advice you can give.
Thanks in advance!!
Preparation is the key whether you are airbrushing or paintbrushing.
However your level of skill and experience will need to be much higher to get a good finish with a brush.
Is there a reason you are against an airbrush? Most modellers agree it does add an extra level of finish to most models, especially large areas like car bodies.
You can get a basic compressor and 2 airbrushes for about 70 quid on ebay from established sellers.
I bought one 2 years ago and wished I had bought one when I was younger when I first started modelling.
However your level of skill and experience will need to be much higher to get a good finish with a brush.
Is there a reason you are against an airbrush? Most modellers agree it does add an extra level of finish to most models, especially large areas like car bodies.
You can get a basic compressor and 2 airbrushes for about 70 quid on ebay from established sellers.
I bought one 2 years ago and wished I had bought one when I was younger when I first started modelling.
mozza42 said:
Just purchased a few Revell Kits in the Modelzone sale (v. cheap!) and a load of Revell enamel paints, which cost more than the kits...!
Anyway, I don't want to use an airbrush and would prefer to paint with a brush. I have the 'official' thinners, so if I thin the paint 2:1 paint/thinner, would this eliminate the brush stroke effect?
A couple of the model cars have large flat surfaces so I anticipate any strokes showing qute obviously.
I'm not experienced, so appreciative of any advice you can give.
Thanks in advance!!
For the cars, use Halfords spray cans (primer and top coat). It's not great for small cars, but better than a brush. You'll always get brush marks to some degree, and gloss enamels are not fast drying, so the chances of getting dust on the surface before drying are high unless you cover them (probably a good idea irrespective of how you paint them). With the spray cans, use a hairdryer to flash the paint off before leaving for a few days to fully harden.Anyway, I don't want to use an airbrush and would prefer to paint with a brush. I have the 'official' thinners, so if I thin the paint 2:1 paint/thinner, would this eliminate the brush stroke effect?
A couple of the model cars have large flat surfaces so I anticipate any strokes showing qute obviously.
I'm not experienced, so appreciative of any advice you can give.
Thanks in advance!!
I used ordinary paint brushes for years (decades even) and only switched properly to airbrushes in the past two or tree years (after a number of abortive attempts going back many years).
Airbrushes these days are amazingly cheap (thanks to China).
After trying a number of established airbrush types - Badger 250, Aztek 470, Humbrol something or other), I finally settled on a cheap Chinese dual action model which I bought from my local model shop last year for under £30.00. It is great. These Chinese brushes are imported as part of the Expo tool range.
Some day I may splash out on a nice expensive airbrush - such as an Iwata, but I am getting on fine with my cheapo.
Compressors are also much cheaper in real terms than they used to be. I use a fairly large capacity one which was being sold in Aldis (no sniggering please) for £58.00.
Airbrushes these days are amazingly cheap (thanks to China).
After trying a number of established airbrush types - Badger 250, Aztek 470, Humbrol something or other), I finally settled on a cheap Chinese dual action model which I bought from my local model shop last year for under £30.00. It is great. These Chinese brushes are imported as part of the Expo tool range.
Some day I may splash out on a nice expensive airbrush - such as an Iwata, but I am getting on fine with my cheapo.
Compressors are also much cheaper in real terms than they used to be. I use a fairly large capacity one which was being sold in Aldis (no sniggering please) for £58.00.
Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 26th February 08:04
dr_gn said:
mozza42 said:
Just purchased a few Revell Kits in the Modelzone sale (v. cheap!) and a load of Revell enamel paints, which cost more than the kits...!
Anyway, I don't want to use an airbrush and would prefer to paint with a brush. I have the 'official' thinners, so if I thin the paint 2:1 paint/thinner, would this eliminate the brush stroke effect?
A couple of the model cars have large flat surfaces so I anticipate any strokes showing qute obviously.
I'm not experienced, so appreciative of any advice you can give.
Thanks in advance!!
For the cars, use Halfords spray cans (primer and top coat). It's not great for small cars, but better than a brush. You'll always get brush marks to some degree, and gloss enamels are not fast drying, so the chances of getting dust on the surface before drying are high unless you cover them (probably a good idea irrespective of how you paint them). With the spray cans, use a hairdryer to flash the paint off before leaving for a few days to fully harden.Anyway, I don't want to use an airbrush and would prefer to paint with a brush. I have the 'official' thinners, so if I thin the paint 2:1 paint/thinner, would this eliminate the brush stroke effect?
A couple of the model cars have large flat surfaces so I anticipate any strokes showing qute obviously.
I'm not experienced, so appreciative of any advice you can give.
Thanks in advance!!
Would avoid brush painting model cars unles you've got a Delorean!
If you are going to making models as part of a hobby and not just making them as a one off for something to do then I highly recommend that you invest in an airbrush and compressor.
Dont though as someone else suggested get a £30 chinese one as these are crap. I had one bought for me from Ebay and it was useless. I invested in a Harder & Steenback airbrush which at £120 sounds expensive is beautifully engineered and works like a dream. It will last for years as well.
Dont though as someone else suggested get a £30 chinese one as these are crap. I had one bought for me from Ebay and it was useless. I invested in a Harder & Steenback airbrush which at £120 sounds expensive is beautifully engineered and works like a dream. It will last for years as well.
Anthony Micallef said:
If you are going to making models as part of a hobby and not just making them as a one off for something to do then I highly recommend that you invest in an airbrush and compressor.
Dont though as someone else suggested get a £30 chinese one as these are crap. I had one bought for me from Ebay and it was useless. I invested in a Harder & Steenback airbrush which at £120 sounds expensive is beautifully engineered and works like a dream. It will last for years as well.
My Chinese brush works fine and I am getting on much better with it than I ever did with the four other brushes (from well known names) that I tried using in the past. I am absolutely sure that airbrushes in the £100 to £200 price range would all be very good. However, this query is posed by a beginner who appears to have no experience building plastic kits. I certainl;y would not recommend that a beginner rush out and spend over £100 on an airbrush to paint their first model.Dont though as someone else suggested get a £30 chinese one as these are crap. I had one bought for me from Ebay and it was useless. I invested in a Harder & Steenback airbrush which at £120 sounds expensive is beautifully engineered and works like a dream. It will last for years as well.
My advice would be to not bother with an airbrush for the first few models. Use old fashioned airbrushes or spray cans until one is satisfied that the hobby is for them.
If the bug bites, then PREVENTING oneself from splashing out on "gear" becomes the issue
Eric Mc said:
Anthony Micallef said:
If you are going to making models as part of a hobby and not just making them as a one off for something to do then I highly recommend that you invest in an airbrush and compressor.
Dont though as someone else suggested get a £30 chinese one as these are crap. I had one bought for me from Ebay and it was useless. I invested in a Harder & Steenback airbrush which at £120 sounds expensive is beautifully engineered and works like a dream. It will last for years as well.
My Chinese brush works fine and I am getting on much better with it than I ever did with the four other brushes (from well known names) that I tried using in the past. I am absolutely sure that airbrushes in the £100 to £200 price range would all be very good. However, this query is posed by a beginner who appears to have no experience building plastic kits. I certainl;y would not recommend that a beginner rush out and spend over £100 on an airbrush to paint their first model.Dont though as someone else suggested get a £30 chinese one as these are crap. I had one bought for me from Ebay and it was useless. I invested in a Harder & Steenback airbrush which at £120 sounds expensive is beautifully engineered and works like a dream. It will last for years as well.
My advice would be to not bother with an airbrush for the first few models. Use old fashioned airbrushes or spray cans until one is satisfied that the hobby is for them.
If the bug bites, then PREVENTING oneself from splashing out on "gear" becomes the issue
There are so many on there and its impossible to separate the wheat from the chaff without a recommendation.
However, working out how to use the airbrush may take up as much time as assembling the model
The OP mentions brush painting specifically, shame really as he will get better results with well thinned paint from an airbrush, but let's get him happily modelmaking first...
Don't try thinning fifty/fifty to brush the paint, try a slightly heavier mix first eighty paint twenty thinners to start and don't practise on your model, it's far too easy to get dispirited when it streaks and blobs (at first it will!)
And do make sure the mix (whatever you decide you like) doesn't include any percentage of dust
Car models can die because dust spoils the finish, care is vital
After lots of practise (try painting panes of spare glass for example) you will find the methods that work for you. Curved areas, tops and sides of wings will probably not show streaks like large flatter parts. Bonnets, boots and roofs (rooves?) will attract the critical eye like nobody's business
Next year you will be buying an airbrush if you find you like the hobby
THEN you will start thinning mercilessly
Don't try thinning fifty/fifty to brush the paint, try a slightly heavier mix first eighty paint twenty thinners to start and don't practise on your model, it's far too easy to get dispirited when it streaks and blobs (at first it will!)
And do make sure the mix (whatever you decide you like) doesn't include any percentage of dust
Car models can die because dust spoils the finish, care is vital
After lots of practise (try painting panes of spare glass for example) you will find the methods that work for you. Curved areas, tops and sides of wings will probably not show streaks like large flatter parts. Bonnets, boots and roofs (rooves?) will attract the critical eye like nobody's business
Next year you will be buying an airbrush if you find you like the hobby
THEN you will start thinning mercilessly
perdu said:
After lots of practise (try painting panes of spare glass for example)
I've just rescued a shed load of CD cases for just this purpose: a thin coat of Tamiya primer and they'll make excellent test pieces. Nothing like trying out new techniques on scrap before ruining a model!For initial playing with an airbrush you could pop into B&Q, or whoever, and buy a roll of wallpaper lining paper for a couple of quid. Gives you lots of play space to get the strokes right. Once you've got decent results on paper then you can move on to glass/plastic.
Practise is the only word you need to know.
Practise is the only word you need to know.
OK, can you chaps post details of these Chinese air guns please? I made hundreds of models years ago, planes, railways and cars but always used brushes. I now want to focus on 1:43 cars and build a collection of some of the more interesting cars I have owned so I will need an air brush but where to start?
If you go to Expotools.com you will see their range of airbrushes. The ones prefixed "AB" are from the range where my "cheapo" came from - although mine is not listed in their current catalogue. Mine is an AB722 gravity feed model. The nearest to it in the curent catalgoue is the AB725 at £39.00.
I would always go for gravity feed rather than syphon feed.
I would always go for gravity feed rather than syphon feed.
RichB said:
OK, can you chaps post details of these Chinese air guns please? I made hundreds of models years ago, planes, railways and cars but always used brushes. I now want to focus on 1:43 cars and build a collection of some of the more interesting cars I have owned so I will need an air brush but where to start?
The problem with the cheaper airbrushes is consistency. Manufacturing tolerances for these manufacturers are wide, so it's like Russian Roulette whether you get a good or rubbish version of an identical brush. Airbrushing is a very tricky art at the best of times, with many variables. Even a first rate airbrush will give rubbish results unless everything is within a fairly narrow range of acceptability (paint type, thinning, air pressure, ambient conditions to name but four). I'd strongly advise you buy a brand that is known to be consistently good. A good airbrush is not *that* much more expensive than a cheap one in absolute terms.You'd be better off contacting Paul at Little Cars (www.little-cars.co.uk). He posts frequently on Britmodeller.com and will give you excellent free advice on airbrushes in any price range. I have never read a bad word about his advice or service, and I believe he also gives a bit of discount to Britmodeller members. He will even let you try a prospective purchase if you can get to a model show he is attending. Even if you end up ignoring his advice...it's free, and you'll at least be able to make an informed decision.
RichB said:
Thanks good advice, and what about your thoughts on enamal vs. acrylic?
I always used enamels until recently switching to acrylics. I will be sticking with acrylics because they are so much easier to clean, and they dry so fast. I have tried Tamiya and Revell, thinnned with Isopropyl Alcohol and water respectively. One thing I do find is that unless thinned precisely, they have a tendancy to dry before hitting the surface of the model, leaving a rough finish, which you hardly ever get with enamels. It just takes a bit of experimentation to get right. The Revell acrylics do have a tendancy to lift when removing masking tape if you leave them to harden for too long.All these models were painted with acrylics:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
This thread has all my trials and tribulations of painting for the first time with acrylics:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
HTH! Have fun.
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