Additives for Acrylics, tip drying - Need Suggestions

Too small of a airbrush needle/nozzle can make dry tip worse with acrylics too.

I do my mottling with a .4 or .5mm tip. As Patrick said, thinning and light coats are key. I don't agree with the idea that we need superfine needles in this hobby. Those are desinged for inks.

I don't know if everyone will agree, but IMO, mottling with acrylics takes pleny of patience, regardless of what steps are taken to minimize dry-tip.

I havnt been able to log in for a week now but things are working again. 

I have no problems with putting down a regular coat but is only when I try to do fine stuff like pre and post shading, exhaust or mottling.

GT

I'm an enamel user and since Testors has dropped most of their enamel FS line I have been looking for replacements, even acrylics that I do not like.

I highly recommend you use each company's particular thinner and flow improver to avoid any surprises. Vallejo Air needs to be thinned a tad and they have their own flow improver that helps. Tamiya sprays really nice specially when using their thinner. Mr. Color and their Self Leveling Thinner is fantastic.

I finally tried out some MMP paints yesterday using their thinner with no flow improver and I simply loved how it sprayed, just like enamel. The flow improver is reported to make it even better out of the airbrush. I do believe I will be getting more MMP bottles very soon.

68GT

What are people doing with acylics to get the motteling on German WWII aircraft?

In addition to proper thinning and flow improvers already mentioned, for mottling I think it is absolutely necessary to have a q-tip sitting near a pallet cup full of whatever thinner you are using, swabbing the tip every once in a while with the wet q-tip. It's tedious.

I understand why you are asking, mottling is a special sort of airbrushing.

BlackSheep, that looks pretty good.

BlackSheepTwoOneFour

 

 

68GT

 

What are people doing with acylics to get the motteling on German WWII aircraft?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did come across a YouTube video on how to do mottling without using an airbrush. I’ll post later when I get a chance.

 

Here it is!!  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfSAqw6Kx0

68GT

 

What are people doing with acylics to get the motteling on German WWII aircraft?

 

I did come across a YouTube video on how to do mottling without using an airbrush. I’ll post later when I get a chance.

The names are self explanitory: Flow aid helps flow ( also leveling). Retarder slows dry time.

I also agree with proper thinning, many problems can be avoided by having the paint at the proper viscosity. I never had a viscosity cup for airbrushes but we learned using a Ford visosity cup for 1:1 painting, it was x amount of time to empty the metered cup for x amount of paint  and then it was properly thinned for spraying from a Devilbiss siphon gun. over time you learn to match that jsut by a drip test off a stirring stick lol. But you can do a simple test to get your paints right for air brushing too ( it will be much thinner than for 1:1 guns) and this will sound odd or funny. Get your hands on a small amount of fat free or 2% milk. Put that in your paint cup or jar to your airbrush. Notice  how it swishes around in the cup and how it clings to the sides of the cup and drips off a stirring stick. Now spray it into a sink or where ever and notice how controlled it is to set your airbrush, how soft that spray is coming off the gun. Dump it out and clean your ab. Now mix your acrylic paints to match what you saw and paint a practice piece with it. And if you still get tip dry then my choice is a drop of retarder. If I have flow out problems then it's Flow Aid.

I'll have to look for those videos.

What are people doing with acylics to get the motteling on German WWII aircraft?

For some time, using either enamel or acrylic was a pain due to clogging/tip dry. Flow aids and such helped, but what really put it over the top for me was greater thinning ratio. Now for enamels I generally start at 40% to 50% thinner, using several thin coats. No clogging and some very smooth finishes.

Acrylics, I use Tamiya and generally thin at 50%, sometimes as high as 70%. Most often use X-20A, sometimes IPA 91%. For camo outlines I use 91% IPA, sometimes at a ratio of as high as 80%. Haven't used flow aids or retarders in years. The paint jobs do take longer with higher thinning ratios, requiring more coats, but for me the results are well worth it.

I learned these methods from you tube videos by Scale a ton, Plasmo and Scale model aircraft, worth a look if you find time.

Patrick

I use Testors Universal Acrylic Thinner in green bottle. I never had issues spraying Model Master acrylics or any other brand acrylics using this product.

I've had issues with the acrylic thinners making those gum up and making the gun spit and a pain to clean.  Especially the Model Master paint.  The Tamiya lacquer thinner works great otherwise and makes the surface very durable.

whats the differance between flow aid and retarder?  What types have you had good success with and what paints?

I dont dare try to get a mottled effect with acrylics right now.

68GT

With the Tamiya and MM I use the Tamiya Lacquer thiner with the yellow cap.

I dont use a flow inmprover or retarder cause to be honest I just dont know what to use.  I dont have a local hobby shop anymore to ask either.

 

Well you can use the lacquer thinner in the Tamiya acrylics but that doesn't mean it's the best answer for you, probably not since you are having trouble. You might do better with X20 and some flow aid or retarder in overcoming your situation..

And not to be a pain but Model Master also has it's own acrylic thinner.

With the Tamiya and MM I use the Tamiya Lacquer thiner with the yellow cap.

I dont use a flow inmprover or retarder cause to be honest I just dont know what to use.  I dont have a local hobby shop anymore to ask either.

If you are spraying Vallejo,use their thinner and flow improver.

Never had any problems with Tamiya,I use their thinner,the acrylic thiiner is good and you can also use their Lacquer thinner with their acrylics.

What are you using for thinner ? Do you use any retarder ?