Craft acrylic folkart thining - possible error?

HI!

Do not use craft acrylics to learn as regular model paints behave differently. Get som black ink ot taniya flat black. thin them with 50/50 alcohol to water thinners or tamiya x-20 thinners in a ratio  approx 50/50 thinner to paint/ink and use that. It should not be over complicated when you are a beginner. Learning is a steep road at times, make it easier on yourself.

Your choice of materials to practice with may be 'penny wise but pound foolish'.    

The pigments in craft paints are not ground as finely as hobby paints.   The thickness of the paint requires a great deal of thinning to get it to pass through the airbrush.    The thinning ratio will be different than what is will be used on model paints.   The results may be thinner and more transparent than similarly thinned hobby paints.    The knowledge learned is not transferred as well as using the hobby paints you will be using.

Canned air is perhaps the least desireable method of powering an airbrush.   Pressure is inconsistent and not controllable.    Canned air is expensive (in the long run) and tends to run out at the least convenient time.    Once you pierce the seal yoou can't really put the can aside for a week or two without a leak.   Airbrush valves are not perfect.  An inexpensive hardware store compressor may be a more long-term cost effective tool.     I startedwith canned air but was not able to effectively airbrush until I bought a compressor to go with it.    Airbrushing takes practice.    Practice takes air.

Other than the paint being more transparent (I assume means extra coats) would the majority of the remaining aspects of painting be similar.

This was my experience thus far.

The paint did work with the air brush.  Atmosphere wise it was very warm and the can was kept in warm water.  The pressure appeared to remain uniform throughout the experience. 

I washed the doll house furniture with soap and water and let dry.  The paint sort of adhered to the plastic. There were areas that the paint seemed to avoid.  This was remedied after repeat application of the paint.  I thought that it had something to do with the type of plastic (it doesn’t have the same feel and sheen models do) and that the experience would be different on an actual model.  Reading other posts I learned that this has to do with the acrylic paint and not the plastic (never used acrylics before).  Shortening the story up – I was successful for the most part using tap water.  I did apply 5-6 coats - don’t really have any brush strokes visible – gained some experience using an air brush.  The negative mainly is that the paint easily chips off.  I will coat them with a matte rustoleum spray hopefully this will give some extra protection so my neice can play with this furniture.

The reason why I chose the craft paint was all the videos I watched of modelers using them with success.  I have a large assortment of testors enamels, stains and acrylics but I am saving those for the models I really want to put a lot effort into.  I have many practice models to get through I was hoping to be able to formulate a mix that would for the most part reproduce the general experience of model paints.

If I can’t I can’t but want to try.   

About the compressed air -  I have seen a regulator nut that could be screwed on to the can – has anyone had any experience with this nut? Does it help with pressure? -  I understand the can is not a good way to go but i have 10 of these to go through and dont want to junk them

Craft paint? Oh boy, not only it's an error but a huge mistake. Never, ever use craft paint for airbrushing! It doesn't pay to go cheap. Try using Model Master acrylics.

I have used craft acrylics without problems- at least no problems compared to model acrylics.  One of the reasons I do not use acrylics more is the fast drying problem, which can be a disaster in both airbrushes and regular brushes.  You must be very diligent about cleaning immediately, with either.  Folks tell me to use retarder, but I often cannot find it.  Only some hobby shops in area carry it, and I don't even know what to look for at the craft stores.  It seems some model acrylics use different solvents/thinners than others, so it wouldn't surprise me if craft acrylics are the same way.

My understanding is that when we say acrylic paint, we are talking about the vehicle, and that vehicle can be mixed with different solvents.  I have heard of acrylic lacquers, acrylic enamels, etc.

Craft acrylics can be air brushed but it takes a lot of experimentation to get the right ratio. They also do not adhere very well to bare plastic so a solvent type primer is best to use so the craft acrylic can get a bite and stay put specially when removing masking tape.

As previously mentioned, not the best paint to use when learning and experimenting with an air brush. I for one stay away from acrylics and use enamels and lacquers because I can get better better control down to 3-5 PSI for fine mottling, something I cannot do with acrylics.

Canned air is a waste of money cause you will not be able to complete one model with a single can. Get yourself a compressor from Harbor Freight, when on sale sometimes under $70, and a regulator/moisture trap for $10. This will give you an unlimited air supply to clean and play with the air brush.

Don Stauffer

I have used craft acrylics without problems- at least no problems compared to model acrylics.  One of the reasons I do not use acrylics more is the fast drying problem, which can be a disaster in both airbrushes and regular brushes.  You must be very diligent about cleaning immediately, with either.  Folks tell me to use retarder, but I often cannot find it.  Only some hobby shops in area carry it, and I don't even know what to look for at the craft stores.  It seems some model acrylics use different solvents/thinners than others, so it wouldn't surprise me if craft acrylics are the same way.

My understanding is that when we say acrylic paint, we are talking about the vehicle, and that vehicle can be mixed with different solvents.  I have heard of acrylic lacquers, acrylic enamels, etc.

 

 

But after reading member Bick's post about his positive results with craft acrylics, I tried some. Many were not very useful in the AB, too grainy I thought, and the finish was so-so. But once I tried Craft Smart from Michael's for both brushing small parts and airbrushing, I found it to be quite satisfactory although I did have to make several experiments, to find the right thinner type and ratio.

As you say, the thinning mediums for the different brands are critical, one brands thinner type can make a serious mess in another brand. While I seldom use Craft Smart acrylics, preferring Tamiya, it does have some uses and works well for me, as in bases and backgrounds. DIRT CHEAP as well.

Patrick 

Patrick

Next time use some Future mixed in with the craft paint which will thin it a little but will add a nice sheen and ready for oil washes.

Nice tip, thanks, Ernie, I have tried the Future trick. But for whatever reason, I have not been able to get on top of the fight I'm having with Future. It works great for clear parts dipping and small parts brush coating, but I end up with inconsistent spray results. Sometimes a bit of a "pebbly" texture, I'm sure it's me, not the product.

What I have come to find luck with, is adding Micro Scale clear to the Craft Smart acrylic, in either flat or gloss, depending on the finish I want. If thinning is required I use either water, (mostly,) or alcohol. It's a real home brew Frankenstein I know, but works pretty well.

Still, I find the Tamiya is the most consistent and user friendly for me. My LHS carries only Tamiya acrylics or MM enamels, I'd like to try some of the others that guys like Lawdog use with great reviews, but mail order only is available for them.

Thanks again for the tip, Ernie.

Patrick  

You are welcome Patrick and I have the same issue when spraying Future by itself. I also get a pebbly finish so I use a wide soft brush to apply multiple coats that look as smooth as glass when dry.

Not long ago FSM had an article about a car model builder who brushes Future on his cars for award winnig finishes. However, I do get smooth finishes when I mix Future with acrylic paint.

Thanks for the tips on future/clear with craft and other acrylic paints guys! The great advice we all recieve is wonderful!

modelmaker66

Thanks for the tips on future/clear with craft and other acrylic paints guys! The great advice we all recieve is wonderful!

 

It is a shame that more FSM users do not get down to the tools, techniques and reference materials section.  To me, some of the best forums and posts are down here. I do not know if it is really that the forums are down too far in the list, or what, but I find many users do not even know they exist- they never go below the model subjects area.