oh for the simpler days of modelling...paint question !

[r4_rick]

Hello
So as a 56 yr old guy, like many others on here back as a teenager i used to build models with my dad, great fun. very simple glue it all together and bosh on some humbrol enamel, brush strokes an all !

Over the years I've ventured back in and here i am again with the Tamiya Bf109 1:48

Bought an air brush a few years ago and have got okay with it........but the standards achieved by some people are just unreal and i chose a bit of a complicated paint scheme with the 109e

So last night i was doing a bit of air brushing with tamiya and brush painting with a few of my 40 year old humbrol's LOL

Brushing with the Tamiya acrylic often is a nightmare, airbrushing i find ok, brush painting with the humbrol enamels vs the tamiya is a dream.
My head keeps getting turned by the Valejo acylics. So enough of my rambling some questions

1. Should i ditch the tamiya paints and go Valejo ?
2. Which is the best paint for airbrushing
3 Which is the best paint for detailed brush painting

Looking forward to your replies

[goldbazinga]

I've started moving away from enamels and onto Acrylics, and can agree that brush painting Tamiya can be difficult.

I've never used Vallejo, but assume that they will behave similar to Tamiya. One option is to buy a couple of bottles of Vallejo and experiment?

Anyway, others more experienced will be along soon to help.

[r4_rick]

I found a US youtube clip of a guy saying the tamiya paint retardent was essential for brush painting
Asked in my local model shop
"not heard of it" "isn't imported by the main tamiya importers"

thanks for the reply, lets see what others have to say

[dr_gn]

Vallejo Model Colour is excellent for brush painting. Thin it a bit with Vallejo thinners and do a couple of coats with a soft, wide brush on large areas. It's excellent. Forget Tamiya acrylics for brush painting anything but tiny parts.

[Smoggy XJR]

Sorry to hijack the thread but can anyone point me in the direction of an accurate Airfix to Vallejo (sp?) Conversion chart?

TIA

[dr_gn]

Smoggy XJR said:

Sorry to hijack the thread but can anyone point me in the direction of an accurate Airfix to Vallejo (sp?) Conversion chart?

TIA

Airfix usually give Humbrol numbers. You could try this:

http://www.creativemodels.co.uk/paint_conversion.p...

...or any number of other conversion charts. No idea how accurate they are.

[Smoggy XJR]

Many thanks dr_gn.

[Explorer1959]

There’s an equivalence chart here though it doesn’t reference Humbrol.

https://acrylicosvallejo.com/wp-content/uploads/20...

I returned to modelling last year, bought a new airbrush and decided to try Vallejo Model Air paints.

Most spray with or without thinning. I struggled with their white - splattered everywhere so need to go back and try a few different solutions. Some like black cover quickly. Others like hull red took several coats. Their matt varnish dries quickly so I needed to work quickly before clogging up my airbrush.

I bought Vallejo’s own thinner but found tap water worked equally well.

I previously used Tamiya acrylics which worked well but always required thinning with proprietary thinner.

Edited by Explorer1959 on Wednesday 12th January 19:39

[dr_gn]

Explorer1959 said:

There’s an equivalence chart here though it doesn’t reference Humbrol.

https://acrylicosvallejo.com/wp-content/uploads/20...

I returned to modelling last year, bought a new airbrush and decided to try Vallejo Model Air paints.

Most spray with or without thinning. I struggled with their white - splattered everywhere so need to go back and try a few different solutions. Some like black cover quickly. Others like hull red took several coats. Their matt varnish dries quickly so I needed to work quickly before clogging up my airbrush.

I bought Vallejo’s own thinner but found tap water worked equally well.

I previously used Tamiya acrylics which worked well but always required thinning with proprietary thinner.

Edited by Explorer1959 on Wednesday 12th January 19:39

I use Tamiya white surface primer for light or white areas - it covers really well, so you often only need a misting of top white to do the job. I spray it through a straw, straight into the airbrush pot. Let it de-gas for a couple of minutes and you've got perfectly thinned, high coverage white. I'm currenty using Vallejo Model Colour Off-White, thinned with Vallejo airbrush thinners - it sprays OK.

After a lot of grief with matt varnishes, I now only use Windsor & Newton Galeria, It's water based, so takes a while to dry, but covers well and never fails to dry absolutely flat, and without the dreaded white residue you can get with matt varnishes.

[Explorer1959]

That’s much appreciated - many thanks for the info

[Stealthracer]

dr_gn, what would you use to thin Galeria for airbrushing?

[dr_gn]

Stealthracer said:

dr_gn, what would you use to thin Galeria for airbrushing?

Water - if you need to. These days I airbrush it neat using a 0.2 mm (standard for my airbrush) nozzle. You only need a thin coat, with the surface just visibly wetted.

As ever - test it on scrap before committing it to a model.

I usually flash it dry with a hairdryer, but have found it can take a couple of days in an airing cupboard for it to fully set. May be more if diluted I suppose.

[Stealthracer]

Have you thought of using Tamiya thinner or isopropyl alcohol?

[dr_gn]

Stealthracer said:

Have you thought of using Tamiya thinner or isopropyl alcohol?

No, it says wash brushes with water, so that’s the solvent I use. I can’t see the point in complicating it and risking disaster.

If you’re thinking the drying time is too long, small parts can be handled after a few hours in a warm place. It’s the final finish on a model that I leave to harden for a couple of days. Then again I tend to build slowly, so the drying time isn’t a concern for me.

[r159]

I’ve started using the Vallejo airbrush flow improver with both Tamiya and Vallejo paint when spraying, works well for me and stopped dry tip issues.

I keep meaning to see if it will help brush painting.

You can buy Tamiya retarder but it’s not cheap.

I’ve been happy with Vallejo Matt varnish which unlike using Humbrol stuff in a can, does not result in using very bad language…

Edited by r159 on Tuesday 18th January 20:37

[dr_gn]

r159 said:

I’ve started using the Vallejo airbrush flow improver with both Tamiya and Vallejo paint when spraying, works well for me and stopped dry tip issues.

I keep meaning to see if it will help brush painting.

You can buy Tamiya retarder but it’s not cheap.

I’ve been happy with Vallejo Matt varnish which unlike using Humbrol stuff in a can, does not result in using very bad language…

Edited by r159 on Tuesday 18th January 20:37

I used Humbrol Spray Matt for years with no issue. Then one day it turned on me. Same with Xtracolour Matt, Tamiya Matt…all sorts. Some say theyre all sensitive to humidity, which might be right. If so, Galeria should never be sensitive to that because water is the solvent. I’d think it’s pretty much immune to reaction with any paint.

[Starfighter]

Tamiya goes on better with a brush if you add a drop of thinner.

Edited for speeeeeling

Edited by Starfighter on Wednesday 19th January 08:48

[r4_rick]

thanks for all the replies, going to try the varnish recommendation and will post up a picture of my 109 when finished, nearly there, but messed up one side of the mottled camoflauge in grey so hoping i can cover/correct with the green splodges