First time using Tamiya with lacquer thinner, I have a question

Compressorman

This problem was never suppossed to be a problem. My plan was to use Mission model gull gray to paint the plane but it performed terribly. This was my first time using gull from Mission models (other colors have historically done quite well) but even my Patriot with the big old primer spraying needle/nozzle kept gooping up on me and it didnt matter how much I thinned it. Had to go back to my trusty tim of Humbrol and now I have this lacquer thinner worry. I think I will try thinning the clear with some alcohol and see how it does, sigh.

 

Did you contaminate the MMP with solvent residue? Did you over thin the MMP? I'm an enamel user and for the first time yesterday  I used MMP cammo grey on a 105G I'm working on and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth the MMP sprays.

This problem was never suppossed to be a problem. My plan was to use Mission model gull gray to paint the plane but it performed terribly. This was my first time using gull from Mission models (other colors have historically done quite well) but even my Patriot with the big old primer spraying needle/nozzle kept gooping up on me and it didnt matter how much I thinned it. Had to go back to my trusty tim of Humbrol and now I have this lacquer thinner worry. I think I will try thinning the clear with some alcohol and see how it does, sigh.

Years ago, actual paint store lacquer thinner over enamel meant you painted the project all over again, after removing the mess that was made. Now it seems that what the hobby paint companies call lacquer thinner, isn't the same as long ago. The modern clear coats and thinners are much more compatible with each other.

Spray a patch of plastic with your enamel, let it dry for a couple of days, then spray light coats of your Tamiya clear thinned with the Mr.Color stuff and see if it reacts at all. My thought is it will work OK, I've used it with good results.

Lawdog is a fan of it, hopefully he'll stop by and give some real input about it's use. If you're still in doubt, Tamiya does thin very well with alcohol.

Patrick

I dont Tamiya lacquer directly over enamel is a good idea. 

 I've only done what you're asking once and it was over months old enamel ( and it was Model Master enamel) with a couple of coats of Pledge on it. It went well fwiw. But with fresh enamel and no barrier all bets are off from my view. You would be best off to conduct a test first. Maybe someone with more experience using that specific combo will chime in. I use a pretty fair amount of X22 clear thinned with lacquer thinner but it's a rare day I clear enamel at all fwiw. If I'm headed towards a clear coated finish it's likely I'm using lacquer or acrylic color coats.