MM enamel brushed on - dries streaky

Might be your brushes that your useing maybe????  I use MM and dont have any issues with it.  Some of the lighter colors i just have to put on a couple of coats when brushing but thats about it really.

It's brand-new ultra soft brushes ($7-$9 at Michaels before coupon). I use Klean Strip Paint Thinner "Made with Mineral Spirits" to wet the brush before picking up paint.

Vivian

A couple of possibilities.

1- There is a new kind of paint thinner sold at hardware stores. It has white, milky appearance. It is junk.  Personally I thin only with Testors enamel airbrush thinner. I clean up with hardware store paint thinner. I buy the Testors stuff in a half-pint can and if you use it ONLY for thinning it isn't all that expensive.

2- You didn't say what you are painting over.  What did you prime area with?  Was the primer completely dry?  Compatible primer?  What color is the base/primer/whatever?  Brush painting does tend to create such streaks, especially if going over a drastically different color.  Sand it down smooth and apply another coat.  Many colors do require more than one coat.  Wait till thoroughly dry before recoating, though.

Enamel are usually pretty good at self-leveling, could be that the thinner is too "hot" and evaporates before the paint can self-level.

Try maybe applying a slighty thicker coat of paint.

Adding and extender/retarder will slow down the drying time and also allow the paint to level better.

Of course choice of paint-brushes (size, shape, hair source(preferably natural ie horse/sable), etc) will also affect streaking, etc as will how the paint-strokes are applied(over-lapping, etc).

Don, thanks.

I use the hardware store paint thinner (mineral spirits but stinky) for cleanup and for getting the brush moist. It's a 1/48 AT6 cockpit's parts and I didn't prime. Should I? It's hard to sand due to the intricacy and shape of the small parts. It's the Revell AT6 kit.

Is there anything wrong with using odorless mineral spirits for moistening a brush before dipping it into enamel? I notice that, after 24hrs the enamel paint surface is still a little tacky and still smells.

vaw1975

. I use Klean Strip Paint Thinner "Made with Mineral Spirits" to wet the brush before picking up paint.

Vivian

Don't do this.  You are basically thinning the paint before you are brushing it on, causing it not to cover, or to pull up the layer of paint underneath it.

I remember reading in articles in various publications that it is a good idea as it helps the paint flow better. Or were they only talking acrylics?

I never dip my brush in thiner before painting, i allways go right for the paint and never have had an issue.  I use the three bottle thinning method after.  I have 3 bottles of thinner set up, when im done painting i get most of the paint off with the first bottle then wipe the brush till its dry then go to the 2nd bottle, and repeat these steps till i get done with the third and pretty much every time doing this by the time i hit the 3rd bottle their is hardlly any paint still in the brush.  It works very well i read about it somewere on here. 

The other method is the marble tip.  Which i have not tryed yet, but the idea was that you buy some marbles or small hard balls like that and put them in a container, fill it with thinner and when you put your brush in the marbles act like scrubbers.  But again i read that in the Tip section on this website so i am by no means taking credit for either idea!!!!

vaw1975

I remember reading in articles in various publications that it is a good idea as it helps the paint flow better. Or were they only talking acrylics?

It does help particularly with alcohol-based acrylics, as they tend to dry a lot faster than enamels. Pre-moistening the brush with thinner lubricates (for want of a better word) the bristles and prevents premature drying of the paint on the brush.

Enamels are somewhat "oilier" than acrylics and the thinner takes much longer to evaporate and pre-moistening is less important, but it doesn't hurt anything unless the brush is too wet with thinner.

If you're pre-moistening your brush, you should just use enough thinner to dampen it.  You don't want it wet. Dip your brush in clean thinner and wick off the excess onto a rag or paper towel. When done, your brush should appear damp but not have a wet sheen. With enamels you should only need to do this when you start painting, with alcohol based acrylics, repeat every few brush strokes when picking up paint.

If you use too much thinner when pre-moistening your brush, particularly if you repeat this before re-loading your brush, it makes it difficult to maintian a good paint consistency and will give variable results.

vaw1975

Don, thanks.

I use the hardware store paint thinner (mineral spirits but stinky) for cleanup and for getting the brush moist. It's a 1/48 AT6 cockpit's parts and I didn't prime. Should I? It's hard to sand due to the intricacy and shape of the small parts. It's the Revell AT6 kit.

I always prime.  There are some primers that go on smoother than others, though cockpit area is usually a matt or semi-matt finish anyway, so a flat primer would be okay.