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acrylic wash

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  • Member since
    July 2019
  • From: Northern IL.
acrylic wash
Posted by Bob D on Friday, June 5, 2020 10:42 AM

Will it hurt the acrylic base coat if i put a acrylic wash over the top?

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Sydney, Australia
Posted by Phil_H on Friday, June 5, 2020 11:10 AM

If you use the same acrylic thinner as your paint to thin your wash, almost certainly.

You could try thinning with water and a little dishwashing detergent as a surfactant, but go easy to prevent foaming/bubbling. If you do try this, try it on a paint hulk first to make sure it works satisfactorily before doing it on a live build. 

The most reliable way to avoid prooblems is to wash over a dissimilar paint or clearcoat. eg. if your base paint is acrylic, use an enamel/oil based wash directly over the acrylic base pain or vice versa.

  • Member since
    November 2018
Posted by oldermodelguy on Friday, June 5, 2020 11:22 AM

I agree with Phil.  I get away with it on a general wash where you don't do much wiping but maybe just blot up the excess. It can be problematic depending on the exact paint and exact wash ( I make my own but I also use an oil stain) or effect wanted to put acrylic wash down on acrylic finish.. You shouldn't have trouble with an oil wash over acrylic. And you also can do a couple light coats of clear lacquer over your acrylic paint, then the acrylic wash on that. So there are ways around this.

  • Member since
    June 2017
Posted by UnwaryPaladin on Friday, June 5, 2020 11:55 AM

I always use an acrylic wash in the cockpit and gear wells. Oil wash on the outside for weathering. 

Oil washes need a glossy finish to flow into recesses, and need a couple days to dry. The advantage is that they give you a lot more control over the effect. 

 

For the acrylic wash, I thin acrylic paint then just run a wet brush across a bar of soap and use it to mix the wash. Paint it on then immediatly soak up the excess with a dry brush. For the wash color, I prefer a color that is just a bit darker than the surface. Black can darken it too much for my tastes. The advantage with an acrylic wash is the ease and time. 

  • Member since
    July 2019
  • From: Northern IL.
Posted by Bob D on Friday, June 5, 2020 4:02 PM

I have several coats of Future over the base coat, so if i use a acrylic wash over the future clear coat it should be ok?

  • Member since
    November 2018
Posted by oldermodelguy on Friday, June 5, 2020 4:45 PM

Bob D

I have several coats of Future over the base coat, so if i use a acrylic wash over the future clear coat it should be ok?

 

If I was going to try that I'd conduct a test first ( I'm big on conducting tests ) but I don't use Future/Pledge for much of anything . So I guess I'm saying IDK. There are guys here who use Future a lot though so maybe one of them will chime in.

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: Mansfield, TX
Posted by EdGrune on Friday, June 5, 2020 5:24 PM

Bob D

I have several coats of Future over the base coat, so if i use a acrylic wash over the future clear coat it should be ok?

So let me ask,  what happens to the base coat when you screw up the wash coat Future and you attempt to clean it off with ammonia?   

You are always safe in mixing your media;  acrylic paint, acrylic sealer, wash coat using mineral spirits, solvent topcoat.   

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