Model Boat Mayhem
Technical, Techniques, Hints, and Tips => Painting, Finishing and Care. => Topic started by: Koldness on December 05, 2006, 03:45:56 am
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What types of paint is evrone using? Will testors marine acryl work? how about Tamiya paints? Im new s go ez on me...lol.
thanks Kris
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I am still using Humbrol or Halfords spray cans.
Bob
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I'm using Halfords Plasticote at the moment.
I used Tamiya acrylics on my Flower Class Corvette applied by brush because I didn't want to good a finish.
Richard :)
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I use Humbrol and Halford products.
chromedome
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Hi i use humbrol and tamiya, humbrol in my opinion is the best for both airbrushing and hand brushing,
tamiya is ok but because its acrylic it discolours in water, so you will have to put an enamel clear cote over it (ive done it on my tamiya conversions using tamiya paint)
enamel can go over acrylic, but acrylic can't go over enamel ( ???dont ask me why 'cos if enamel "eats" acrylic it should do it either way its put on, but thats how it is ???)
Grant :)
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On re reading the announcement in MMI October issue of the new Humbrol Acrylic range, (since sadly postponed), it clearly states that they are completely compatible with the existing Humbrol enamels for both colour match and overcoating. I'm confused! ::)
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A lot of Acrylic paints have changed their formulae and are now compatible with enamel, the paints I use in Aussie are made in the same factory and you can put enamel over acrylic or vice versa with no problems, so paints are becoming more compatible...
Roy
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I prefer the Acryl colours from the spray-cans and use to seal them with satin varnish. For small fittings and items Humbrol is my first choice. The experiences I have made with Tamiya-colours are not the best as you need to buy a special thinner for them as well as their amount of pigments inside makes it necessary to spray a several times to get a good-looking colour. The more you spray, the more you will loose details, doing scale 1:100 nothing to be left out of mind.
There is also a manufacturer similar to Humbrol which does a very interesting range of special colours, it`s called "Modelmaster". Very good quality at a reasonable price.
Anyway- all colours need to be sealed with varnish.
Jörg
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What brand of varnish do you use,Jorg?
chromedome
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I use Ronseel Matcote.
Does exactly what it says on the tin, lol.
Bob
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I always use Wattyl Marine Varnish, works ok in the Aussie Sun...........
Roy
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I always use Wattyl Marine Varnish, works ok in the Aussie Sun...........
Roy
We don't have Aussie sun Roy and who on earth is Watty ?? ???
Richard 8)
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I thought you would have had WATTYL brand paints over there........
Roy
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How do you airbrush with Humbrol paint tincans ? do you have to thin it out? or just put the paint in your brush and spray?
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Patrik
Humbrol enamel is too thick to spray straight from the tin. You need to thin it, I use enamel thinners 50:50, sometimes a little more. You are best, in my experience to use fresh paint, so make sure its not been lying around the retailer/workshop too long.
HTH
Cheers
Doug
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Make sure you stir the paint extremely well as the dryers settle on the bottom and it may take for ever to dry....
Roy
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My experience with airbrushing Humbrol is that it varies a helluvalot with the colour. For example, I've found that Coal Black is like tar and needs at least 50/50 thinning whereas Satin White is like milk and sprays straight from the can - in fact it's so thin that brushing it was a waste of time because it wouldn't cover properly.
I think the best advice I can offer is to try it with different amounts of thinners before you point it at anything important. 70/30 paint/thinners is as good a place to start as any 'cos you can always dilute it a bit more if necessary.
Roy is right about stirring it thoroughly; also follow the little diagram on the tin and shake it for 30 seconds as well.
BTW I use Badger airbrushes (150, 250-1 and 250-4) and a Machine Mart "Clarke Bronco" compressor, and I always clean the airbrush immediately after every spraying - I find it almost therapeutic.........but suit yourself ;)
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My experience with airbrushing Humbrol is that it varies a helluvalot with the colour.
Quite agree there! However, in order to airbrush I assume you need to have the liquid in a certain viscosity range (degree of runniness!). Is there any easy way to measure this or does it just come with experience?
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Admiral B
My own method is trial and error, but there was some mention on the old MB forum of spraying a little paint onto a hand-mirror to judge the degree of runniness. I can't remember who posted it or what the rules were, although "single cream" seems to rattle a few brain cells (that's in the rules, not the name of the guy!).
Maybe someone else can help?
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Try to get some Revell Airbrush Enamel - I find it very good in itself, but it gives you a good idea of the consistency required for an airbrush. It seems completely different to the tins of brushing enamel from Revell, which I find have the consistency of treacle!
Barrie
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Colin,
Most of the books on the subject that I've read talk about the consistency of milk (no mention of full, semi or skimmed ;D ) however, I think/find that it needs to be a little thinner than that. I think FLJ is right about trial and error, I have several surfaces in the workshop sprayed a variety of colours as a result of various attempts to get the right mix (always said I was and ageing hippy 8) ).
Doug
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I bought an airbrush some years ago but have never used it having been content to rely on a combination of spray cans and various brushing paints. The cleaning out process puts me off. FLJ's comments on the thickness of paint as supplied struck a chord as you never seem to quite know when you open a tin how thick it will be or the degree of covering power. This seems to apply to acrylics as well as enamels. Presumably it's something to do with the nature of the pigments?
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FLJ's comments on the thickness of paint as supplied struck a chord as you never seem to quite know when you open a tin how thick it will be or the degree of covering power. This seems to apply to acrylics as well as enamels. Presumably it's something to do with the nature of the pigments?
Yes, I've found red and white (acrylic and enamel, the latter less so) to be capable of a certain amount of colour but seem to have no effect after 3-4 coats. I thought it was me being picky. ???
Doug
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Tamiya acrylic gloss has far less covering power than the acrylic matt whereas the silk finish is somewhere between the two.
Richard ;)
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Having just about finished a prolonged episode of domestic painting I've twigged that undercoat (matt) is mainly pigment and not much resin whereas gloss is the other way around. I imagine Satin is halfway in between - logically. Probably the same rule applies to all paints.
BTW If it's of any use to fellow decorating sufferers, Dulux Trade is brilliant stuff to use; expensive compared with DIY store stuff but what a difference to apply!
Colin
Cleaning an airbrush is dead easy. Spray mucky thinners through until it clears, then spray clean thinners, inverting the airbrush to clear the pickup tube. If it's a brush with external mix, then unscrew the nozzle and spring and chuck the whole lot into a jar of clean thinnners. Swirl it around, then take it out and dry it. Takes longer to describe than do. Once in a while, strip down the brush and run a pipe cleaner soaked in thinners through it. If it has a needle, take that out carefully and clean it with an ink-eraser rubber. One thing you MUST NOT DO is leave any part to soak in thinners. It can (and probably will) swell the rubber O ring seal and b****r up your brush.
Suit yourself...........but you knew I'd say that anyway.
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FLJ's comments on the thickness of paint as supplied struck a chord as you never seem to quite know when you open a tin how thick it will be or the degree of covering power. This seems to apply to acrylics as well as enamels. Presumably it's something to do with the nature of the pigments?
Yes, I've found red and white (acrylic and enamel, the latter less so) to be capable of a certain amount of colour but seem to have no effect after 3-4 coats. I thought it was me being picky. ???
Doug
Doug
The you mentioned red and white. These two colours are effected by the coulur of the primer that is used, big style.
I think that for both you need white primer to be effective.
But I am sure womeone will correct me. ;)
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Tigertiger
you are probably right but I would expect any colour to get a little more solid with each coat regardless of the undercoat colour (the final colour would depend on the undercoat I'm sure). Maybe it's me ... ;D
Doug
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Doug
From my own experience I'm with TT on this one i.e. final colour is seriously affected by primer colour. If you're still glueing that Sentinel kit together then please use grey plastic primer for the upper works when you get to that stage. It's fine for both the grey superstructure and the green deck, whereas red oxide is the obvious choice for below the W/L. I've built two of these and it worked for me, but suit yourself, matey - nowt's written in stone.
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...you are probably right but I would expect any colour to get a little more solid with each coat regardless of the undercoat colour (the final colour would depend on the undercoat I'm sure).
I thought so too, but when I was patching my car i found that a dark primer caused an ugly shadowing ???that did not disapear quickly as I added may coats of paint :-[
I think maybe some paints are slightly transluscent. Red especailly so. Maybe more than white.
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I've always understood grey to be the primer for use under red. Can't remember the company I used now, but they wouldn't guarantee the lasting quality of the paint (it was for exterior use - window sills and such!) unless I used their grey undercoat for the red (which did look extremely translucent too!) But it worked a treat.
It may not however be a strict rule across the painting world, but then again, a lot of us use Halfords acrylic grey primer and then slap red hull paint over that - can't remember ever having a problem doing that before! So maybe grey it is then! ;)
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Admiral Ambernblu
Yeah - maybe grey is the best colour for primer under red......in which case I wonder what the heck red primer is for ??? . Anyroad up, me duck, lazy types like me use Halfords red oxide primer below the boot topping and just spray it afterwards with clear satin. It looks enough like anti-fouling red to fool most punters.............suit yourself ;).
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Admiral Ambernblu
Yeah - maybe grey is the best colour for primer under red......in which case I wonder what the heck red primer is for ??? . Anyroad up, me duck, lazy types like me use Halfords red oxide primer below the boot topping and just spray it afterwards with clear satin. Less work; less paint, and it looks enough like anti-fouling red to fool most punters.............suit yourself ;).
Sounds almost like a Mansfield 'eh-yup me duck!' there FLJ?? Yep, you are right, have got red oxide primer currently on my Cossack lower hull and I'm probably going to just give her another coat of that before the varnish goes on - its an excellent alternative and will do fine, just as you say! ;) I'm planning on doing the same on my Manxman too!
What I mentioned about that primer was something that I had not given any thought to previously, just that that particular paint manufacturer (as I think some others actually do) specified their grey primer under their red and made it quite a guarantee of longevity of the paint finish too!
Cheers, Brian
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Admiral
Not quite Mansfield, but go 14 miles south and you've got me bang to rights.
BTW all of the GRP hulls I use are finished in white gelcoat. Maybe this makes a difference, too. I gave Humbrol Hull Red enamel a try once but I thought it looked horrible, so off it came and back to Rattle Can Red.
I'm surprised any paint manufacturer would guarantee the longevity of their product, given the appalling examples of surface preparation that I've come across over the years of decorating houses. You know, newspaper stuffed into cracks in window frames, putty used as wood filler, Polyfilla an inch thick etc etc.
Being a modeller somehow makes me take greater care over decorating...............but I'm going way off thread. Sorry!
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......in which case I wonder what the heck red primer is for ???
I think it is an oxide primer suitable for bare metal. The colour is incidental and is not designed as a primer for red paint.
It was the red oxide primer that was giving me such awful shadowing with the red paint I mentioned above.
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If you were using car type acrylics on say a tug, what would be the best primer be for the wooden bulwarks and deck ?
cheers rats
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If you were using car type acrylics on say a tug, what would be the best primer be for the wooden bulwarks and deck ?
cheers rats
Again, I am no expert, but I will be using wood primer on my woodwork. I have yet to decied on the best topcoat.
I will use acrylics on my plastic hull.
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Not quite Mansfield, but go 14 miles south and you've got me bang to rights.
I'm surprised any paint manufacturer would guarantee the longevity of their product, given the appalling examples of surface preparation that I've come across over the years of decorating houses.
FLJ... You will have understood the 'mighty Stags' reference then(!!) - although (unfortunately) not-so-mighty is much more appropriate at the moment - but then the same could be said for the rest of Nottinghamshire's footy teams too eh?
It was Akzo's Sandtex red that needed the special attention - not that it was much better for the said attention! ;D Their black however was superb and went on anyhow, anywhere - and its still there well after the 6 years guaranteed protection period the company offered!
As for painting model boats, I often wonder if anyone takes into account the weight they are applying to their model as they are happily brushing, spraying, airbrushing away?? When you carry the full tin of paint out of the shop, I trust we are all aware that its the paint inside that weighs so much, not just the packaging (the tin!)
Rats - Priming wood, yes, I would say use a decent weatherproof wood undercoat/primer - I use it especially for any bare plywood, balsa areas - particularly inside the hull - well, you never know do you? :)
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Thanks for your answers : the reason I ask is that I bought some "Unibond Adhesive and Sealer" for just such a purpose but when I got it home and read the tin ! it says it should not be overpainted with water based paints - I am not sure if Halfords Acrylic range (or any other for that matter) contains water ?
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From the Oxford English Dictionary and I quote
acrylic
• adjective of or relating to polymers of acrylic acid, an organic acid used in making synthetic resins.
• noun acrylic paint or textile fabric.
— ORIGIN from Latin acer ‘pungent’ + oleum ‘oil’.
No water?
Richard ;)
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Cheers ! but Humbrol / Tamiya acrylic paints are water based as far as I know ?
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For the record, acrylic paint is composed of pigments in a polymer emulsion. The pigments (non-water-soluble coloured powders) are incorporated into a liquid plastic substance (polymer resin) that's dissolved and mixed with water. When the paint is applied to a surface, the solvent (water) evaporates, and the binder (polymer) forms a transparent film that holds the pigments. The drying time, or water evaporation rate, varies according to the surrounding temperature and humidity. Once dry, polymer resins are waterproof and flexible and are of a type of plastic developed not to break down, so a high-quality polymer combined with a high enough concentration of pigments will ensure a long-lived paint film.
Acrylic colours and mediums should not be mixed with turpentine or oil; however, you can use oil paint to paint over acrylics once they are dry. It is possible to begin your work by applying a base coat of acrylic and then continue using oil based materials, but remember not to make the base too smooth - and also that the reverse won't work... i.e. acrylic cannot be used to paint over an oil base.
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Rats
I think Unibond is intended mainly for the building trade who use it for all manner of things e.g. sizing newly-plastered walls, stabilizing old plaster before a new skimming coat, plasticising mortar. It looks and smells very much like PVA adhesive - i.e. wood glue. I don't know how it would react to being painted with a water-based paint but I'd go with the manufacturer's warning if the decision were mine.
For priming bare wood I've always used a solvent-based thingy of one sort or another. I've found that cellulose dope or sanding sealer is great if you don't need the grain to show through; thinned polyurethane varnish or proper coating epoxy/polyester resins are better if you want a final wood-grained finish. I have seen some stunning results using thinned polyurethane but the one which springs to mind had about twenty coats of the stuff, all rubbed down in between. It's a slipper launch which won Best of Show at Warwick a couple of years ago; I'm sure there's a few pictures of it on the main Mayhem site. Gorgeous but a lot of elbow grease involved.
I've heard that some of the quick-drying undercoats are also suitable as they set up quickly, sand easily and clean up with water. I don't know if they'd stand up to constant immersion but how long do you leave your model in the water anyway?
The thorny topic of acrylics won't go away. From my experience Tamiya and Humbrol "acrylics" thin and clean up with water, whereas Halfords "acrylic" aerosols are quite definitely solvent-based; just spray one and sniff if you're unsure which you have. It seems from what Admiral Ambernblu says that we've just got sloppy when referring to the Halfords stuff as "acrylic".
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The thorny topic of acrylics won't go away. From my experience Tamiya and Humbrol "acrylics" thin and clean up with water, whereas Halfords "acrylic" aerosols are quite definitely solvent-based; just spray one and sniff if you're unsure which you have. It seems from what Admiral Ambernblu says that we've just got sloppy when referring to the Halfords stuff as "acrylic".
FLJ... I think we would need to obtain a statement from Halfords with regard to the paint's chemistry - I've just checked one of their primer cans and it clearly states it is an 'advanced acrylic' - but yet that by definition of the hazard warnings, it is a highly flammable (UN1950) solvent based paint!
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Thanks for your answers .I wont be using the Unibond - as FLJ suggests solvent based seems the better option. Ambernblu that is the best explanation of acrylic paints - even I could understand it !
cheers rats
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Uni Bond is a PVA solution and can be used as a wood glue, it is also used as a sealer and bonding agent by plasterers and screeders. It is not meant to be used as a primer for paint. 8)
I wont suggest what to use as a primer in your case but I tend to use Halfords myself.
All other types of paint I left behind when I retired from the building industry after 40 years.
Richard :)
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Hi Brian
What is this thing you have about paint ?? ???
Richard ;)
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Hi Brian
What is this thing you have about paint ?? ???
Richard ;)
Probably a lot of years in the chemical waste industry? :D
Rats, thank you sir!
FLJ, I think I'll have to try and get hold of an MSDS on Halfords acrylic spray cans - see what's what! ;)
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Richard, Rats, Brian And TT,
There is now an acrylic paint available which can be painted over with enamel, or the acrylic can be painted over enamel with no problems, as for the undercoat for red, white undercoat is the preferred colour as all other colours will make the red go darker, which is fine if you want a dark red....
Roy
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When it is all done,
Is plasticote suitable to finish?
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Thats what I use. From Halfords.
Richard :)