Tamiya acrylic problem

Hi guys, just a quick update on Tamiya acrylic on large surface hand painting.

I try the tamiya sky grey on a 1/700 scale warship which does not has a lot of surface area and the result is quite good.

But when I try on my new project which is a 1/48 F-16 and has a bigger surface area, result is no good. Massive color variation and surface finishing not smooth enough my expectation. Even thought I added enough thinner.

I have to strip off the paint and wait for my Gunze light grey when I go downtown. I will still keep the paint for small surface painting but never again I will go for Tamiya for main color selection.

This serves as a warning to those who attempt to do large surface hand paint using Tamiya acrylic. Don't waste yr time.

For me, GUNZE SANGYO Rules for everything in hobby.

I paint details by hand, especially on my toy soldiers, and I use Tamiya acrylics, among other brands.  I've found that some colors are easier to use than others.  The flat black, for example, tends to coagulate right away, and I can only do small areas with it.  The flat white tends to have a short shelf-life, once it's opened, and yes, the jar is sealed.  The flat gray dries in clumps, but I've had the same jar now for about 15 years, thinning the remaining pigment with isopropyl.  I used to it as a brush-on primer for old Stadden or Imrie-Risley figures, but I switched long ago to generic automotive primers to prime everything, from figures to scale models.

Other makers' brands have similar issues.  Testor enamels in the little square bottles, for example, have some colors that brush better or last longer than other colors.  Gloss white enamel, for example, turns to cheese not long after breaking the factory seal.  On the other hand, I have a 35-year-old bottle of Copper from the same series, that is thick as maple syrup in January, but is still good.

All of this reminds me that you need to be aware of the formula for each brand that you use, from the solution/carrier fluid, to the pigments used for the color.  And you need to be aware of manufacturer's purpose in formulating a particular line of paints.  As we've noted, Tamiya states that their paints are formulated for airbrushing.  Does that mean that we can't brush them on?  Of course not.  It just means that they're not formulated for hand brushing.

Upshot is, I use what has worked best for me.  I do also tend to buy based on specific color, to keep mixing colors to a minimum.

Best regards,

Brad

Harshman II

I think I just need to add more thinner or alcohol and keep stirring everytime I dip in for paint.

For brush painting I would stick to the X-20A thinner as it contains a retarder which helps the paint level. Though I use alcohol (denatured) for airbrushing, you may get variable results when using it for brush painting.

As mentioned earlier, one part thinner to three parts paint is about the sweet spot. Not so thin that it doesn't cover, but thin enough to flow smoothly.

I don''t want to waste the whole bottle of Tamiya paint. Thanks guy for yr replies. I know Tamiya paint sucks for hand paint(Gunze rules for both airbrush and hand paint).

I think I just need to add more thinner or alcohol and keep stirring everytime I dip in for paint.

Triarius

Proper thinning and painting to a wet edge will produce results comparable to airbrushing.

Years ago, (up to about 1987) you could get an airbrush comparable finish straight out of the bottle, but not any more,  Now you have to work a bit harder for it.

What Phil and Bill said.

Proper thinning and painting to a wet edge will produce results comparable to airbrushing.

For small areas and touch-ups, dip the brush in thinner before loading it with paint, and periodically thereafter.

Well, I use nothing but Tamiya, and I've hand brushed and airbrushed. It certainly is much better airbrushed, but I have painted entire models with a brush. It can be done!

I suspect that the answer that you were given was the "it's too hard" stand-by cop-out answer.

I've been using Tamiya acrylics, both brushed and airbrushed, since their first appearance on the market some time in the early 80's and am well familiar with how they behave.

This is how the current formula behaves when brushed straight out of the bottle (this was a brand new bottle opened just for this test).

Chunky, lots of "roll-up", very poor finish

And this is how the same paint on the same model with the same paintbrush behaves when you add one part thinner to three parts paint

Much smoother and cleaner, minimal lifting - there would have been no lifting had I been more patient. Ignore the difference in shade between the two pics, the colour is exactly the same, just the lighting was different between the two pics.

PS: My test victim was a 1/72 Hetzer shell, just to give you an idea of the size of the areas painted above.

Yes Phil H, they say it can be brushed.That is what this thread is about! Have you ever tried brushing it? I have; and with crummy results. When I called customer service, this is what I was told:

>>>Dear Tamiya Customer,

Tamiya acrylic paints are designed to be used with an airbrush for large
surfaces.  It is not recommended to apply a second coat by brush, as this
will lift the first coat, even with ample drying time.

Tamiya America
Customer Service<<<

Shipwreck

Harsman II's problem may have something to do with the fact that Tamiya does not recommend hand brushing their acrylics. Tamiya acrylics airbrush very well; they do not brush well because they are not meant to be brushed. Phil H posted a good work-around!

Actually, Tamiya's own website says they can be brushed: http://www.tamiyausa.com/paints/

10 & 20ml Acrylic Paints
Tamiya Acrylic bottled paints can be applied with a brush or airbrushed.

They were much better for brush painting prior to about 1987, but are now much more challenging. However, in patient hands, one can still get great results.

Harsman II's problem may have something to do with the fact that Tamiya does not recommend hand brushing their acrylics. Tamiya acrylics airbrush very well; they do not brush well because they are not meant to be brushed. Phil H posted a good work-around!

double post

Ugh I hate hand brushing Tamiya paints. They are known for being tricky. I use them for small parts only, or colours like flat black.

Can't say much else because Phil nailed it very nicely there.

• Add about 30% (or one drop of thinner to three drops of paint) Tamiya X-20A thinner and mix well - do this on a palette, do not add thinner to the whole jar.
• put a small amount of clean thinner another well on your palette or in a suitable container
• before dipping your brush in the paint, moisten by dipping the tip in the clean thinner and wick off excess on a paper towel. You want the brush just moistened, not wet. Repeat this step periodically, say every third or fourth time you re-load your brush with paint.
• paint in short, even strokes, only as far as the last-applied paint. Do not attempt to brush over previously applied paint which appears to be dry - it isn't. Doing so will pull it up in big lumps.
• If recoating is required, allow the paint to cure at least overnight before recoating.
• Clean the brush periodically - paint drying on the brush will cause brush strokes and the occasional lump of dried paint will flake off

That could be caused by several things actually.  1. the bottle is not stirred enough and you are only getting part of the paint.  2. not cleaning and prepping the model before painting.  What I do so I do not have to use a primer on some models is to use fine sand paper (used) and rub the model real gently so it gives the model small imperfections that allows the paint to adhere to. 

I have this problem alot on figures that are mass produced if you look at them they have a glossy sheen to them,