Problems Mission Models Paints

My reply is generic to acrylic paints, not MM specific. But in all acrylics I have used thus far I use Liquitex Slow dry, which is an acrylic retarder I use for tip dry. Generally speaking less is more. I also make a generic thinner that works in many acrylic paints and part of the formula is that retarder, that way it's right in the thinner and I don't have to think about it. I know many here are devoted to name brand product additives and was slow to respond thinking someone might address your paint brand specifically. But well anyway, seems not so far but that's what I use in acrylic paints to address tip dry and I essentially experience none when using it.

I've gotten Vallejo Model Air and Hataka to spray great using Vallejo's recent recommendation of 10 drops Vallejo Airbrush thinner, 3 drops Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver and 10 drops paint.

Mission Models Paint says to use only their products to prepare their paint for airbrushing.   

May give Liquitex a try with Missions...

HighDesertmodeler

I've gotten Vallejo Model Air and Hataka to spray great using Vallejo's recent recommendation of 10 drops Vallejo Airbrush thinner, 3 drops Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver and 10 drops paint.

Mission Models Paint says to use only their products to prepare their paint for airbrushing.   

May give Liquitex a try with Missions...

 

If I had some Missions Models here I'd be glad to shoot some with the retarder as an experiment for ya but unfortunately I don't. And yes, the recommendation for Vallejo is flow improver, their retarder is for brush painting. But I've used the Liquitex retarder in Vallejo Model Air and gotten no tip dry fwiw. I know that doesn't help much.

Also fwiw, Liquitex retarder is thin as water, some are thick but this one is not. That's partly why I use it. When I buy it I do so on a coupon for Micheal, I think this batch I have now I got 40% off on it, with their own coupon so no guilt there lol.

I tried the Liquitex, adding two drops to 10 Missions...no go...tip drying within 20 seconds.  I'm waiting Missions to reply to my message for their advice.

Thanks again.

HighDesertmodeler

I tried the Liquitex, adding two drops to 10 Missions...no go...tip drying within 20 seconds.  I'm waiting Missions to reply to my message for their advice.

Thanks again.

Wow, I'm really surprised ! Course I don't live in the desert dryness either. Well by now I've seen your other post on the flow improver and glad to hear that is working for you ! Great news there.

Thank you...I have a 1/35 Tamiya Panther G and Revell 1/72 King Tiger earmarked for painting this month!  If I can figure out how to post pics I'll send but it seems that I have to put them on a host site first and then post here...which I prefer not to do...I just want to download pics directly.

HighDesertmodeler

Thank you...I have a 1/35 Tamiya Panther G and Revell 1/72 King Tiger earmarked for painting this month!  If I can figure out how to post pics I'll send but it seems that I have to put them on a host site first and then post here...which I prefer not to do...I just want to download pics directly.

 

I can't even remember what site I used for posting from it's been so long now. I can't be bothered with the whole gig honestly .

No sweat, thanks again!

...it's funny, I used Mission Models Instructions from one of their videos where they used more paint (30 drops) with thinner (7 drops)...instead of using this same ratio with less paint and thinner which resulted in tip dry, I mixed 30 drops of paint to 7 drops of thinner and it sprayed wonderfully!!!

bottom line, I have to use more paint while using the same ratio of paint to thinner.   Guess the formula is not linear in its reaction with the same ratio used with less paint and thinner.

HighDesertmodeler

...it's funny, I used Mission Models Instructions from one of their videos where they used more paint (30 drops) with thinner (7 drops)...instead of using this same ratio with less paint and thinner which resulted in tip dry, I mixed 30 drops of paint to 7 drops of thinner and it sprayed wonderfully!!!

bottom line, I have to use more paint while using the same ratio of paint to thinner.   Guess the formula is not linear in its reaction with the same ratio used with less paint and thinner.

 

 And once you know the consistency of the thinned paint you can probably eye ball it off the mixing stick. Soon it will become routine.

I had ordered some of this paint earlier in the day when you posted this. It came in Wednesday and worked with it some Thursday and Friday. I read through their Product Information and FAQ Tips and Tricks pages. On one page they recommend 10% thinner and the other page 20% or 30% thinner. Different %'s on Poly as well. They also say their paints can be sprayed right from the bottle with .15mm and .2mm airbrushes. I had a Mr Hobby .3mm airbrush plugged in so that's what I went with. I shot on plastic spoons with no primer.

First I tried a few drops straight from the bottle. It was pretty thick and I turned the air up from 15psi to 20. It sprayed and covered but was spitting at the end.

Then I put 30 drops of Dark Sea Blue in a clean bottle and added 3 drops of thinner. Not much different than no thinner. Then I added 5 more drops thinner and it was a little better. Then I added 3 drops Poly and again, it was a little better. 

I wasn't adding back paint and was using 5 drops on each spoon so it wasn't linear. So far I've added 8 drops thinner and 3 drops Poly and have used 15 drops of the mix total. It still covers well and is somewhat thinner but is still clinging to the jar and you can't see through it.

Then, I added 10 more drops thinner and it looked more like enamel or lacquer in that was draining back from the side of the bottle and you could see through it. 

I shot another spoon and 5 drops of paint wasn't enough to get full coverage. I used 3 more drops. I've been spraying light wet coats like they recommend. I added 3 more drops of Poly and it thickened a little. I sprayed another spoon and again I had to use a few more drops to get full coverage.

I let the spoons set for a few minutes and checked them. Although I hadn't had any runs the paint had sagged and run toward the edges on the last 2 spoons with the thin mix. The others looked good and you could see when I added the poly by the finish. Without Poly it was dead flat. With Poly it was satin.

So, I did something they strongly recommend against, I sprayed very light mist coats on another spoon with the thin mix. I think it was 7 coats total waiting several minutes between. When done it looked good. Very smooth satin finish.

Then I mixed 5 drops of flat black with 2 drops thinner and it sprayed fairly well. Nice dead flat black when it dried. But right at the end I was getting tip dry.

Next I mixed some of their black primer. 10 drops paint and 3 drops thinner. Light wet coats. It sprayed great and was smooth and shiney. I let it set and worked on something else. I checked it after maybe 10 minutes and it still looked wet. Maybe another 10 minutes and it still looked wet. I thought, this can't be, so I touched it. It was dry and looked like a black mirror. I couldn't believe it but it did.

I checked the spoon I had built up with light mist coats and it looked great. Sooo, I grabbed a piece of Tamiya tape, stuck it on, rubbed it down, and yanked. Lol. Nothing. I went all over the spoon with tape and it never lifted. Until, I ran it over the edge, burnished it down really well, and yanked. Then a little bit lifted and when I stuck the tape again on that spot I pulled up a little more. According to MM, that shouldn't have worked.

Then I put a piece of tape on each of the other spoons without burnishing and all pulled up paint. All of it under the tape. To be fair, it was on bare plastic. However, on the primed spoon the paint would not pull up. No matter how hard I burnished it, no matter if I ran it over the edge. It wouldn't pull up.

So, I shot the thin Dark Sea Blue over the primed spoon and it wouldn't lift. Then I mixed up some of their Clear Gloss using 3 drops thinner to 5 drops clear and let set overnight. It wouldn't lift. I did the same with Clear Matte and it won't lift. And trust me, I've tried to pull it up and it won't budge. I haven't scratched it or anything but even running a fresh piece of tape over the edge and yanking it off none of the paint has budged. 

My conclusions, I really like their primer and, when I use their colors I'm going to thin them to the consistency I like and add a few drops of Poly and see how it goes. I know, I was never spraying for any length of time but once I got the paint thinner it sprayed very well. Drawback is, it takes several coats. Maybe it won't work next time, maybe it was a fluke, but I think a little more thinner could be the answer. Although it does mean more and lighter coats.

So, that's what happened with my little experiment.  

great details and summary!  I'll just stick with Vallejo Flow Improver at this point with Camo and fine lines...Missions works great with the flow improver.

Thanks! I have some Vallejo flow improver and maybe retarder too. Don't remember why I got them but I'll give them a try. I think Mission is good paint and I'll use it on a build soon. I definitely liked that primer. I couldn't believe how glossy and smooth it was or how it stuck. Looks perfect for a bare metal finish. Or, a glossy black car.