Hand brushing MM Acryl

Don't know about the airbrushing(since I only paint with brushes) but I do agree that even when hand-brushing the MM finish is better then the Tamiya anyday.

mg.mikael, that sounds about right.  It dries very fast, but I was able to put a second coat on with no problems.  With Tamiya, it would lift the paint if I put on another coat.  Plus, do you agree that MM Acryl leaves a much smoother finish that Tamiya when it comes to airbrushing?  Tamiya for me always leaves this fuzzy kinda of coat.  MM Acryl was hard and smooth. 

Hand-brushing MM acryl does take some getting used to, but that's all I use(after I got used to it.) First mix up the paint well, I use a small screwdriver but you can use anything you want. Just don't shake the paint, stir. As for primer, nope you don't need any and it won't make any difference. So this is your choice if you feel you still want to use it.

Finally, yes MM acryl is very thin out of the bottle, that is why you'll need multiple coats of paint. It has nothing to do with the pigments or etc.) MM acryl is a very light and thin paint, thus multiple coats are the only solution. You can throw on a second coat a few minutes after the first without any problems. As for how many coats, ranges from about 3-5 and sometimes more depending on the surface.

Guys, thanks for the advice.  You were right, I did not clean the surface.  I was the part with soap and water.  I also shook the paint and mixed it up extremely well.  It went on smooth and covered well.  Thanks.

Phil_H, Tamiya does not bother me, but again, my wife complains about its smell.  What to do . . .  Thanks though.

I haven't used MM acrylics either, but from the experiences of many people here, I'd be thinking that a primer would be recommended and a well cleaned surface essential. I also concur with the others here - make sure that your pant is well stirred. (Unlike 007, stirred, noyt shaken)

Levon

With Tamiya, once I dip my brush in the bottle, I then dip  it in their thinner, and it has worked well for handbrushing.  However, the smell of their acrylic paint can be overpowering inside the home.  I like enamels,but again, the smell is too toxic inside our home because of my son and wife.  Any tips would be great for MM Acryl.  Thanks.

I don't find the smell of Tamiya acrylics too offensive. If you want an acrylic paint with no smell at all, try Vallejo - Their Model Color line brush-paints far better than Tamiya acrylics.

Try mixing well.  Take an old sprue tree, cut out a good length and use that as a stir stick..works MUCH better than toothpicks. I also like to heat the end of my sprue "stir stick" and squash it with pliers to make a sort of paddle.  I then file or sand the bottom part flat to make a nice big surface area for scraping the bottom of sediment.  Give it a good stir for about 20 or 30 seconds or until you stop feeling resistance on the bottom from the pigment that settles down there.  How much it settles depends on how long it has sat on the shelf.  I have bought both Tamiya and MM jars where the pigment was all settled on the bottom leaving the clear(ish) carrier floating on the upper half.

Brian

I never used it either but it sounds like you are not getting any pigments mixed in there. I like to take ball bearings (clean of course ) and drop them into my bottles to make it easier to mix. I would take a toothpick and stick it in there and see if it is hard in the bottom.

Good luck - sorry I couldn't help more

Ive never dealt with MM acrylics but are you sure youve mixed them properly? Alot of paints arent like Tamiya in that a quick shake will mix then nicley. you need to mix with a stiring stick then shake to blend. Just a thought.