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[badbunny]

Hi, I live in a small flat, so for health, environment, and girlfriend-friendliness it would be good if I could use acrylics to paint my models.
However I am bothered by comments that I've read about acrylics not being tough enough for working models, ie they can become chipped/scratched too easily.

Is this true, or an urban myth?
Is anybody using acrylics for their working models, and what is your experience of them?

Thanks,
Peter.

[rats]

 I always used to use Humbrol enamels until someone ( on this forum I think ) mentioned using Citadel acrylic paints - avaliable from Games Workshop : and I cant praise them highly enough , tough, fast drying and good coverage.
  They do need undercoating in white or black and are a bit more expensive than Humbrol - but I would never go back to enamels plus they have great colour names !

[RipSlider]

I agree with the use of acrylics.

they are FAR easier than enemals, and can be made just as tough.

My general routine is:

Undercoat with a Games workshop undercoat - almost always the black ( black shades itself, with white you have to paint EVERYTHING).

If I'm using a brush, I'll use Games Workshop acrylics. GW do two types - normal and foundation. Foundation is, essentially, undercoat, and much thicker and covers black better, but they are all pastel shades.

If I'm spraying, I use Tamiya paints, which are also in small pots. I thin them with isopropenoyl so they go further.

then varish. GW do three vanishes, a matt, a gloss and a satin. All of them are designed to be painted over if required, so you can piant the base coats, varnish, and then weather afterwards.

Steve

[wombat]

The superstructure on "Sally Anne" (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3469.0) was painted using the Citadel paint, thinned with watter and sprayed using my air-brush. Worked fine - techniques is to "dust" it and build up in many thin layers, especially if there is a bit much water in there (it just dribbles off otherwise).

Once you have got the sealer on top, it seems to be just as tough as anything else.

I can't praise the Games Workshop in Burton highly enough - very helpful to this daft old fart that wants to paint toy boats.  Advice on things like rust effects - if you can decode it from the war games stuff, they have all sorts of helpful information. When you factor this advice in, the paint ain't that expensive at all!

Wom

[RipSlider]

Actully they do a series of books on best painting practises. The guys the 'Eavy Metal studio's are sme of the best in the world at apinting models. Lots of it is dedicated to the smaller models, but there is a good amount of information on weathering, uses of inks, washes, drybrushing, layering etc in there.

Steve

[Ghost in the shell]

rippy, you must use a load of black primer then?

for the hulls i use spray enamel, simply cos its easier, though for superstructure I have recently redone nord icelandia in citadel's white, went down a treat.  has a few more coats to go though

[ahammond]

I would go along with the recommendation for Games Workshop products.  I have also found Tamiya  paints to be as good if not slightly better especially for spraying. In both cases I have found Tamiya thinners used very sparingly  are better than plain water. The  problem is that I can only get Tamiya paints via the net as nobody local stocks them.

[tony52]

A family member suffers ME/CFS and as such I am restricted to the use of paints and varnishes which I can use. The ones which we have found to give the least problems are the Revell Aqua Colour range of paints. For over finishing and deck varnishing domestic Ecos (environmentally friendly) are superb (via google they are located in Heysham Head).
 
Although these are water based, no problems have been encountered.

Tony.

[Shipmate60]

badbunny
Are you painting in your flat?
If you are and you spray be prepared for a thick ear from your girlfriend if you get a tiny overspray on anything!!
For this reason I would recommend brush painting for harmony.
It is surprising how far spray can travel.
I am sure some will say I spray inside without a problem, but for a first attempt is it worth the possible discord.

Bob