Problems with Tamiya Fine Surface Primer and Tamiya Acrylics

Way back when Tamiya acrylics first hit the market in the early 80's, they brush-painted beautifully straight out of the bottle. With the right brushes, they went down silky smooth and brush streaks simply laid down flat and levelled out on their own. You had to look closely to see it was brush painted and not sprayed - this is no exaggeration.

Then some years later, IIRC some time in the late 80's, they changed the formula and we have the Tamiya acrylics we know now...

White Snake wrote:

... I have noticed that when hand painting the smaller pieces, such as accessories that are primed, when applying the Acrylics the paint doesnt apply very well to the pieces. Can anyone advise if I am doing something wrong, or should not have primed the pieces that I am hand painting with Acrylics?  The pieces that I hand paint are being painted straight from the bottle.  I was under the impression that no thinner needed to be used when hand painting.  Airbrushing the Acrylics is going great.  No problems there.  But, hand painting with Tamiya Acrylics on primed parts is giving me a fit!   Advise will be most appreciated!

White Snake

Can you give us any more information about what is happening when you brush paint?

The single worst thing about brush painting Tamiya acrylics is the paint's tendency to skin over too quickly. This results in the brush dragging up previously applied paint in lumps (we call this "roll-up") when you brush back over a just-covered area. This thread may shed some light on how to reduce this. /forums/989749/ShowPost.aspx

NiKe wrote:

I primed my model with the Tamiya Liquid Surface Primer too, and Tamiya acrylics too. Well, I am working on my first model, I'm waiting for the paint to dry. I don't airbrush, but I was told that the acrylic paint will work better if thinned, I use Tamiya Acrylic Thinner. I also had the same problem, the paint dosen't seem to adhere well, a bit "slippery". I'll see the results, and update you.

NiKe,

If you are following the instructions in the abovementioned thread and your paint appears to be going on too thinly and not adhering, you may be picking up too much thinner before dipping your brush in the paint. Your brush should be moist, but not waterlogged with thinner. If it is, soak up some of the excess by touching your brush to a paper towel before dipping in the paint.

White Snake wrote:

Also, is it ok to use Testor's Lacquer based Dullcote in the end, even thought I used Tamiya Acrylics?

Yes, you can. It''s recommended to start off by applying a few light mist coats, allowing to dry in between before applying heavier coats. It may attack the underlying paint if you go too heavy too soon.

any pictures ?

maybe the primer is soaking up a bit of the first coat you are putting on ..??