Question For Tamiya Acrylic Paint Users

spiralcity

Member since
April 2008
From: Fox Lake, Il., USA

Posted by spiralcity on Sunday, February 21, 2016 1:15 PM

modelmaker66

that is dependant in the air pressuer, airbrush, climate. etc. You kind of need to experiment. 40% thinner, 60% vpaint is a good staring point though.

This thread is from 2003!!!!! Why are you digging up this stuff? You are wasting forum members time every time you do this. I feel you know this, and continue to do this for whatever twisted reason you may have. I am asking you to stop.

Reply

modelmaker66

Member since
July 2013
From: Chicago area

Posted by modelmaker66 on Thursday, February 18, 2016 3:40 PM

that is dependant in the air pressuer, airbrush, climate. etc. You kind of need to experiment. 40% thinner, 60% vpaint is a good staring point though.

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 29, 2003 12:43 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by kdog8

I am having a harder time getting (I am using Tamiya acrylic) acrylic paints to thin out evenly. I am using water at a 4:1 ratio and still the paint is coming out of my airbrush clumpy. What am I doing wrong? Is there an alternative thinner that I can buy for acrylic paint?

Definately try the Tamiya Thinner. They add a flow agent that really helps in the airbrushing department. Using alcohol sometimes leaves you with a grainy (orange peel) texture, becuase some of the paint drys up in mid-air before it hits the surface of your model.
I use a 3:1 paint:thinner ratio most of the time. (I try to acheive a milky consistency when thinning Tamiya paints for the airbrush)

Reply
Edit

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 27, 2003 3:05 AM

QUOTE: Originally posted by kdog8

This looks like the right place to get help....recently I have been experimenting with acrylic based paints over enamel. While it is true that acrylic paints are an easier clean up than oil based I am having a harder time getting (I am using Tamiya acrylic) acrylic paints to thin out evenly. I am using water at a 4:1 ratio and still the paint is coming out of my airbrush clumpy. What am I doing wrong? Is there an alternative thinner that I can buy for acrylic paint?

Your replys will be greatly appreciated!

Try thinning more and use isopropol alcohol or Tamiya thinner to thin your paints. Wink [;)]

Reply
Edit

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, December 27, 2003 12:54 AM

You can get the Tamiya thinner or maybe you you have hard water at your location. Try using distilled water. The Tamiya thinner works very well but is expensive. I would try to thin it out a little more. Make sure you stir the paint up.

Reply
Edit

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, December 26, 2003 8:21 PM

This looks like the right place to get help....recently I have been experimenting with acrylic based paints over enamel. While it is true that acrylic paints are an easier clean up than oil based I am having a harder time getting (I am using Tamiya acrylic) acrylic paints to thin out evenly. I am using water at a 4:1 ratio and still the paint is coming out of my airbrush clumpy. What am I doing wrong? Is there an alternative thinner that I can buy for acrylic paint?

Your replys will be greatly appreciated!

Reply
Edit

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 25, 2003 4:16 AM

I thin mine 1:1 and sometimes with Mr. Color thinner to good effect. Wink [;)]

Reply
Edit

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, December 25, 2003 4:13 AM

QUOTE: Originally posted by plasticmod992

Hungfarlow,

My (2:1) ratio is 2 full eyedroppers of paint to 1 eye-dropper of thinner where as the (1:1/2) is 1 eye dropper of paint to one half an eye dropper of thinner. Hope that helps you visualize the ratios, I don't know if they are the same mathematicaly. But anyway what I typed is what I do when measuring my paint-to-thinner ratios, works for me great!

That is the same ratio, just a lesser amount of paint mix.

Reply
Edit

plasticmod992

Member since
January 2003
From: The Hoosier State

Posted by plasticmod992 on Tuesday, December 23, 2003 9:55 AM

Hungfarlow,

My (2:1) ratio is 2 full eyedroppers of paint to 1 eye-dropper of thinner where as the (1:1/2) is 1 eye dropper of paint to one half an eye dropper of thinner. Hope that helps you visualize the ratios, I don't know if they are the same mathematicaly. But anyway what I typed is what I do when measuring my paint-to-thinner ratios, works for me great!

Greg Williams Owner/ Manager Modern Hobbies LLC Indianapolis, IN. IPMS #44084

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 21, 2003 7:12 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by plasticmod992

For Tamiya I use a 2:1 ratio for general spraying and 1:1/2 for fine lines and detail.

That's the same ratio! 67% + 33%. Did you mean to say something else?

Reply
Edit

plasticmod992

Member since
January 2003
From: The Hoosier State

Posted by plasticmod992 on Sunday, December 21, 2003 5:18 PM

For Tamiya I use a 2:1 ratio for general spraying and 1:1/2 for fine lines and detail. My thinner is 91% Isoprophol Alcohol. Some of my best freehand camo work was possible with these paint to thinner ratios. My modeling subjects are 1/72nd scale modern and some WWII warbirds with intricate camo.

Greg Williams Owner/ Manager Modern Hobbies LLC Indianapolis, IN. IPMS #44084

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, December 21, 2003 1:27 PM

I use the milk rule...but i try to use the thinner thats made for that paint !!!! Superglue

Reply
Edit

MikeV

Member since
April 2003
From: Hayward, CA

Posted by MikeV on Thursday, December 18, 2003 2:16 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by Davrukr

Couple of questions. Do you want to spray at as low a PSI as possible? If so, what is the benefit?

Lower PSI allows for finer detail painting and less overspray, although paint atomization is better at higher pressures. Most use somewhere between 10-25 PSI depending on the paint medium.

QUOTE: Also, for the inexperienced modeller, is there a difference between enamels and acrylics for airbrushing other than the health issues? I have heard that enamels go on better, but is that just something a really experienced modeler would notice?

Enamels have better adhesion than acrylics but they are more toxic than water based acrylics. Acrylics normally cure faster though.

Mike

“Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom. " Charles Spurgeon

Reply

TryintoModel

Member since
November 2003

Posted by TryintoModel on Thursday, December 18, 2003 12:24 PM

Couple of questions. Do you want to spray at as low a PSI as possible? If so, what is the benefit? Also, for the inexperienced modeller, is there a difference between enamels and acrylics for airbrushing other than the health issues? I have heard that enamels go on better, but is that just something a really experienced modeler would notice?

Reply

SNOOPY

Member since
December 2002

Posted by SNOOPY on Thursday, December 18, 2003 11:53 AM

I heard of that milk rule, is it 2% milk, skim milk, or homogenized milk?:) There was an article in FSM about one or two years ago where many modelers interview only used acrylics. Most of them using Tamiyas said it was a 1:1 mixture. I use that and get some pretty good results. Doing this helps me spray at about 8 psi.

Reply

J-Hulk

Member since
February 2003
From: Tochigi, Japan

Posted by J-Hulk on Thursday, December 18, 2003 8:33 AM

I've never paid attention to the ratio. I've always just used the "milk rule."
That is, I just thin it a bit until it is about the consistancy of milk. Works great for me!

~Brian

Reply

TryintoModel

Member since
November 2003

Posted by TryintoModel on Wednesday, December 17, 2003 9:13 AM

QUOTE: Originally posted by shermanfreak

Rarely if ever have I found a need to thin Tamiya Acrylics.
99% of the time straight from the bottle.

Does a Tamiya paint jar fit the screw cap of a airbrush paint jar on a Badger?

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 11:12 PM

Straight out the bottle and some drops of badger airbrush cleaner mixed. It works great for me. It does'nt clog up the airbrush as much as straight out the bottle does, but I guess adding a bit of thinner would work fine for me as well.

Reply
Edit

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 8:44 PM

i mostly use tamiya acrylics.
i usually put at least 1 to 3 ratio. 1 thinner 3 paint.
but somtimes i feel like it doesn't come out smoothly. so i put a little bit more each time i test shoot the airbrush. so it might be 1 to 2. or even 1 to 1.
whatever comes out smooth is good enough for me.

if it comes out too bumpy and a little bubblily, then i put more thinner and alcohol in.

and it also depends on the pressure of the airbrush i guess. the less pressure you have, then the slower the paint comes out. so if the paint has too much thinner, it still has a good chance of good use. if the pressure is low, and if u press the trigger down just a slight bit, then the paint will come out smooth.

alclad paints are pretty thin. and it still comes out pretty smooth. so i guess more thinner won't be a bad thing.

Reply
Edit

South Aussie

Member since
August 2003
From: South Australia

Posted by South Aussie on Tuesday, December 16, 2003 4:36 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by shermanfreak

Rarely if ever have I found a need to thin Tamiya Acrylics.
99% of the time straight from the bottle.

If I do thin it, it is usually 1 part thinner to 3 parts paint.

Wayne I enjoy getting older, especially when I consider the alternative.

Reply

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, December 15, 2003 7:23 PM

If you give me till tomorrow I will check what the japanese modelers recommend, but 1:1 seems to too high a ratio maybe 1 part thinner to 4 or 5 parts colour.

I have heard a ratio of 1:1 for Tamiya but no specifics if it was enamel or acrylics.