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Humbrol Metallic enamels ruins my brushes

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  • Member since
    August 2008
Posted by tankerbuilder on Friday, January 16, 2015 9:24 AM

  I have found that this can happen to Humbrol that has been exposed to extreme high heat . If you try this it might work .Take some paint out of the can and put it in a bottle-top .A metal one .

   Put one drop of Lacquer thinner to three drops of paint .See what happens .If it's usable it will smooth out and lay down fine .You can never paint this mix over anything else though !

  • Member since
    December 2014
Posted by rsm.gbg on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 2:35 PM

Finally I got some lacquer thinner and that is working just fine!

But my pot of Bronze Metallic (Humbrol 55) must be bad.

I try to thin it but I can't, I'm up to 30% thinner and it's still gooey, like glue.

That one was the reason I posted in the first place, it's still applicable and lacquer thinner cleans it.

Thanks for your expertise.

- Roland

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Sunday, December 28, 2014 10:36 AM

rsm.gbg

Ah, I was thinking that but syntethics are supposed to be working with enamel, maybe not metallics.

Can't say if any natural got ruined though, got to test that.

- Roland

I use Testors enamel.  I have never found any differences between cleaning metallic colors and non-metallic colors.  I use turpentine or mineral spirits on them, and the only time I ruin brushes is when I wait too long to clean them.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Central Florida
Posted by plasticjunkie on Sunday, December 28, 2014 7:37 AM

I always use lacquer thinner to clean the brushes as it removes stuff that turpentine or regular thinner leaves behind. I have used some Humbrol metallic paints without any issues.

 GIFMaker.org_jy_Ayj_O

 

 

Too many models to build, not enough time in a lifetime!!

  • Member since
    December 2014
Posted by rsm.gbg on Tuesday, December 23, 2014 7:51 AM

Ah, I was thinking that but syntethics are supposed to be working with enamel, maybe not metallics.

Can't say if any natural got ruined though, got to test that.

- Roland

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Posted by Don Stauffer on Monday, December 22, 2014 8:55 AM

One thing to watch is the type of bristle in the brushes.  Brushes used with turpentine or lacquer thinner should be natural bristle.  The synthetic fibers can dissolve or get gooey in strong solvents.

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    December 2014
Posted by rsm.gbg on Monday, December 22, 2014 6:39 AM

After having it in the  Testors Enamel Thinners for 3 days the paint finally got off.

The same turps clean everything else just fine!

I need to get some lacquer thinner and test that.

- Roland

cml
  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: Brisbane, Australia
Posted by cml on Sunday, December 21, 2014 9:40 PM

Hi Roland,

Welcome to the Forums.

Not sure what the issue could be, i use Humbrols a lot for brush painting, and turps always cleans them up nicely, including the metallics.

As Jay Jay mentioned above, maybe try some lacquer thinner - you can get it from Bunnings. Another option might be to see how it reacts with some hobby paint thinner - i thin mine for airbrushing with Tamiya thinner, and this works just a well to clean brushes.

If that works, then the only suggestion is there could be something wrong with the turps (though i don't know how) or something wrong with the brush itself causing the reaction.

If that all fails - i'm stumped.

Chris

  • Member since
    December 2014
Posted by rsm.gbg on Friday, December 19, 2014 3:49 PM

Unless the paint in the store was old it's brand new.

I tested Testors Enamel Thinner 1156 with the same result.

Which I use to thin my paint.

  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Friday, December 19, 2014 11:58 AM

I think it's the turpentine.  try cleaning your brushes with laquer thinner or acetone.

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

  • Member since
    January 2013
Posted by BlackSheepTwoOneFour on Friday, December 19, 2014 9:22 AM

Old paint maybe? Try adding a little thinner on the brush when brushing.

  • Member since
    December 2014
Humbrol Metallic enamels ruins my brushes
Posted by rsm.gbg on Friday, December 19, 2014 7:23 AM

Hi,

I'm just taking up modelling again, I was a keen modeller in my teens.

Working on aRevell  B-17G Memphis Belle right now.

Got a question about Humbrols metallic enamels, it seems using the metallics ruins my brushes.

It is like someone added glue to it, painting is just fine and with a great result.

But to clean the brush in turpentine doesn't work it's like gluey sticky paint and the brush is ruined.

Same thing with 3 different metallics so it's not just one pot.

Using same brush on Humbrol matt/gloss enamels works just fine.

What could be the problem?

Roland Soderstrom

Melbourne

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