Acrylic or Enamel???

Justin,
It is more a matter of preference I suppose. But here is why I use acrylics.
- Fast. I can spray a whole 3 color camo job in one day (less the weathering). It can be masked fairly quickly after spraying. I used silly putty to mask, it has little or no tack so there isn't much chance of lifting the paint.

-Clean. Thin with water/alcohol/flow aid mix and your ready to go. I can flush out my airbrush between colors with tap water and be ready to go again.

-I can use oil washes over it without any chance of damaging the base colors. Also I can scratch up paint coats (weathering) easily because it isn't as hard as enamel.

There is some concern that acrylics don't airbrush as well, but using flow aid really helps this a lot. One thing to watch out for though is this.... Testors Dullcoat and Glosscoat react badly with Tamiya paints. I haven't had this problem with other acrylic paints. This is also outlined in an article in FSM from several years ago.

God Bless
Kenneth

I use acrylics (Tamiya) because of the kind of 'clear' I use. I use a lacquer 'clear-coat' that I started using while building car kits. Anyway, Tamiya acrylics are not bothered by the lacquer 'clear-coat'. The two are compatible! Enamels would be another story. I also find acrylics seem to dry faster. Use whatever works for you.

Glenn

Speaking very relatively, acrylics (depending on manufacturer and thinners used) can be safer to use than enamels. The solvents aren't quite as volatile; therefore, the potential for overexposures to solvent vapors via inhalation is reduced. However, the use of isopropyl or methy alcohol-based thinners raises the risk substantially. Acrylics may also potentially reduce the risk of fire. Once again, the choice of thinner material may increase that risk as well.

Gip Winecoff

After being a DIE HARD enamel user for years, I made the switch to acrylics. (Tamiya to be specific) I can get better flow and results with them, in my airbrush. Not to mention, cleanup is sooooo much easier.

The only thing is, with the tendency acrylics have to dry rather quickly, I still use Testor's Model Master enamels for weathering and drybrushing. Enamels give me a longer working time.

Not much to add except that I prefer airbrushing Acrylics and brushing on enamels. my

I've been a diehard Tamiya Acrylic fan for a number of years. Mostly because I don't like the clean-up of enamels.

I use both, but I tend to use Model Master acrylics more. I'm a little lazy and clean up is much easier. LIke Eric said though, brushing with enamels is easier.

As I have nowhere to use an airbrush I tend to stick to Humbrol enamels as I've never had any success brushing Tamiya acrylics.
Regards
Pete

jmixon as you can see it is realy a matter of personal choice whether you use acrylics or enamels. I have used both for airbrushing but usually use enamels for brushing but I am in the process of converting to using Vallejo Acrylics.

One big advantage of acrylics is the after painting clean up. On thing I did learn about brushing with Tamiya Acrylics is that you have to let then not only to dry between coats but allow the acrylic to cure - this can take up to 72 hours failure to do this will cause the previous coat to disovle as you are brushing.

Thanks for everyones input.
I did use some MM acrylics this weekend and had great results considering its my first time using them. I didn't have to thin and cleanup was a snap. I did have a little spatter or overspray with them but nothing to be worried about. I believe if I thinned them out a little bit that would help quite a bit. I was actually using a wide spray needle in my brush so that could have contributed a little.
Needless to say I think Im hooked. Another good thing I noticed at least here locally is that they are a little cheaper than enamel paints. Not much but any savings is better than none!.

Thanks for the input South Aussie...I did notice that happen this weekend. I preshaded with black then waited about 15 min then sprayed a base color and it all blended together on the particular piece I was painting. Actually I got lucky and it made the color more what I wanted but this is very good information.

I think acrylic paints win for most applications . However, they may take a few weeks to cure 100%. They're fine to the touch and recoating in less than an hour but don't touch with bare hands! Put on thin white cotton gloves, fingers will leave nasty greasy prints, esp. visible on matte surfaces.

QUOTE: Originally posted by kurlannaiskos

(<-the only artifact I still need for the Unlimited Set btw.)
Hello fellow trekkie did we scare you off or did another one of your inter voices gain control and back out? We're all crazy and all are wecomed.The Chase is probably one of the funiest episodes of TNG. "It could just be a recipe for biscuits for all we know,"Gul Macet. Naduq" In that case I'll send you my mother's" Just jump in.

It sems that all the airbrush users prefer acrylics but if you are brush painting you will find that enamels give much better coverage, especially the lighter shades.

I almost made the switch to acrylic today, but while I was at the hobby store looking at paint I noticed that it seemed sickly compared to the same brand enamel. The color was model master medium green. I didnt stir the paint but opened the lid on both and it didnt seem like they were the same color. I showed the employee and asking him to verify, and his response seemed to be thats the way it is. Anyone else seem to notice this or just bad batch/mismarked?

Replying to 9x19mm - comparing enamels to acrylics, unshaken, in the bottle, is like comparing apples to oranges. The chemistry of the two is different. The pigment in acrylic paint will almost entirely settle out after sitting. If you look at the pigment in the bottom of an acrylic paint, medium green, for instance, the pigment is a very dark green and the diluent or liquid, is a blue color. So you cannot compare the two until a coat of the paint has been laid and completely dried. You are better off comparing the color chips on the paint racks in the store.

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I have yet to try acrylics on plastic models and have only used Model Master enamels thus far. I am going to try acrylics to see if I like them soon as spraying enamels in the garage with no paint booth is a pain.
The only negative about acrylics, at least all of the ones I have used or heard of, is their inability to take masking without an overcoat of clear. Acrylics by nature do not have a chemical that will etch the plastic and provide good adhesion as you get with paints like lacquers, urethanes and enamels. This is why automotive airbrush artists use mainly urethanes as their adhesion is fantastic. They are chosen for durability also which would not be a factor for a plastic model paint job, unless you plan on leaving it out in the rain.

Mike

Depends what I'm doing. Acrylics for figures, landscape etc because they dry fast, are easy to blend, mix and shade.

I use enamels for 'hardware' for exactly the same reason. Enamel colours tend to be stronger an more vivid and don't seem to be as 'organic' as acrylics.

As in south africa tamiiya acrilic is the main brand I have found that the colors do not spray on as even as enamals.I used jap green on a plane and found the tone varied to such a degree that the plane appeared patchy.Same happend on a tank,dispite further coatings.I will stick to enamels.Harry

Wow, my head is swimming. A lot of good information and it seems both paints have pros and cons.
Question:
Should you use a primer like "Poly S Plastic Prep" , which Mike mentioned in another post, before you apply acrylic paints or any paint? Also, has anyone tried the acrylic paints like they use for ceramics or crafts? You know the kind you can pick up at Wal-Mart or are they totally different?
Thanks

Keeg,

The Poly S Plastic Prep I mentioned is NOT a primer, it is a cleaning solution that you wipe the plastic with to remove oils, fingerprints, and static.
You let it air dry and then you can airbrush the model.
A coat of primer after the Plastic prep would be a good idea to reveal any flaws in your work and to give the paint a little more tooth to adhere to.

Those other paints you mentioned I am not familiar with, but I have heard a few people using them with some success. Most water-based acrylics like that were designed for textile and craft uses and usually do not adhere really well to hard surfaces, although some may. If you are not going to mask over them then they may work fine.

Mike

Hey Mike,
Thanks for the reply, and from reading other post in this forum may I say you seem very diligent in helping people like me out and I for one appreciate it. Ok enough of the warm and fuzzy .

So would there be any advantage of using the Poly S Plastic Prep over Dish soap and water? One thing I’m thinking is water contaminate residue like minerals. I feel I’m going a little overboard with the question but to me and other things I do prep is an important thing. “Measure twice, cut once”

Also, after a coat of primer and you do find a flaw, are there any best practices to repair it? I mean do you just put the putty right over the primer? This may be to general of a question and also covered in another location.
If you couldn’t tell I don’t know much about all this and I’m dieing to start working on two models I purchased two weeks ago but I don’t want to rush into them and make it a disaster.
Thanks for the help in advance.

I use Acrylic, primarily, because I live in a small apartment.

If there is a need to handbrush, then I will use enamels.

keeg:I use Walmart Acrylics on ground work but I haven't tried it on a model. Might try to use them to blend my figs. into the ground work.

Thanks cassibill,
I need to check on the brand name, but I'm sure there was an acrylic paint at Wal-Mart that said it was for smooth hard surfaces. I was thinking of giving some of them a try. If they work, they are much cheaper than what you will pick up at the hobby store. Also you may have to blend the colors together to get color you want. And If they don’t work, like you said, they would be good for the ground work.

QUOTE: Originally posted by keeg Hey Mike, Thanks for the reply, and from reading other post in this forum may I say you seem very diligent in helping people like me out and I for one appreciate it. Ok enough of the warm and fuzzy .

I'm glad to be able to help if I can, as are all of the other great modelers here.

QUOTE: So would there be any advantage of using the Poly S Plastic Prep over Dish soap and water?

Probably not. Some people use isopropyl rubbing alcohol also as it does a good job of cleaning oils and dirt and you don't have to risk getting water in somewhere that you don't want it.

QUOTE: Also, after a coat of primer and you do find a flaw, are there any best practices to repair it? I mean do you just put the putty right over the primer? This may be to general of a question and also covered in another location.

I am not positive but I believe you can just put putty right over the primer and it will work.
Correct me if I'm wrong guys.
I have never done any priming and repairing so I am unsure.

Mike

Thanks Mike

I'm a rare enamel paint fan. I've tried to use acrylic paints but I didn't like the coverage that I got out of enamel. My enamel paints seems, after an air brush session, to smooth over and stick better. While I agree it is easier to clean acrylic paints out of an air brush I found that eventually there would be an acrylic paint build up in the brush. I almost cried when I had to do a through cleaning to get the acrylic binder off the air brush parts. There were small acrylic bits that could clog the small and expensive air brush parts. I'm very through about having a clean and well-maintained air brush. With enamel paints I like being able to spray or wipe solvent through the air brush and have it easily come clean.

I've used enamels forever and got used to their painting properties and quirks. They 'stick' better on models and are softer than the hard shell acrylic paints. Softer enamel paint is good for me as the more resilient paint will absorb inevitable bumps that a model gets with out chipping off like hard shell acrylics would.

I think I'm going to be an amateur enamel painter forever.