AK Interactive Paint....BAD?

NervusTwitch

Ive recently gotten back into modeling after a 6-7 yr break. Learned MM isnt around anymore plus I was mostly a car builder for years but returned to military aircraft and my military colors were very lacking so I set out buying new paints.

Now Ive used so far Tamiya,Mr Color and Ammo Mig and those 3 have been great so far.

But I had trouble finding a couple colors so I tried the AK Interactive and this paint is just awful trying to AB. Everytime I tried it, it did weird things to my AB.

It would either make it shoot chunks, spit, or even most often my AB would work for about 3-4 seconds then nothing...no air or paint spraying.

Full tear down and clean and try any of my other paints and sprayed normal with no issue. Try AK again and in less than 10 secs right back to the above.

I used their thinner,Tamiya thinner,my own thinner and anything else and same result everytime. Colors I tried to use were Light Gull Grey and Dark Gull Grey. Also they are the 3rd Gen AK paints.

 

So is this paint just not very good or am I missing something here?

Anyone else have similar experience?

 

According to Genesis Hobbies Bobby Waldren you want to thin this stuff 60% thinner to 40% paint. Here is the link to his review on Gen 3: https://youtu.be/cCyMXXNpZbc

Thats about what I was doing, prob more 50/50.

I tried thinning more but was actually making the issues worse. I went as far as 70/30 since I was needing the paint thin.

Im thinking I may have gotten a bad batch, only thing I can think of since everything else I have sprays perfectly fine.

Thanks.

Could be that.If not then It sounds like some kind of incompatability between paint and thinner.

Im getting same results with their own thinner brand, its why Im confused.

Ive gotten tired of the paint making me have to tear down the AB everytime I try it and removed what look like splinters,Im moving on from this paint for AB use since none of the several brands I normally use give me any trouble.

You mentioned Tamiya and Mr Color. Have you considered AK's Real Color line? Lacquer based. Lays down nicely at 30/70 or 40/60, paint/thinner. Never a spray issue and clean up is easy. 

Of course I really like Tamiya thinned with Lacquer thinner,AK-Real looks and acts the same as Tamiya,and many here mention MRP which are lacquer based.No sense getting frustrated,some of those newer acrylics have a steep learning curve.

I havent tried the lacquer based in tamiya but i do use the Mr Color laq for primer and clears. I tend to prefer acrylics mostly casue of the low odor.

As far as learning curve... maybe, but in my near 40 yrs of modeling,HVLP and other sprays I have never had these sort of problems to this extent with AK so far.

Ive read,watched vids and looked on AK's site, followed all directions and no matter what I get the same awfull results. This leads to me to believe I may have just got a couple bad bottles...?

For now I ordered and used the Mr Color Gull Grey and went on very nice, just smells bad so choosing my times to spray out doors right now with the TX heat is frustrating.

NervusTwitch

I havent tried the lacquer based in tamiya but i do use the Mr Color laq for primer and clears. I tend to prefer acrylics mostly casue of the low odor.

As far as learning curve... maybe, but in my near 40 yrs of modeling,HVLP and other sprays I have never had these sort of problems to this extent with AK so far.

Ive read,watched vids and looked on AK's site, followed all directions and no matter what I get the same awfull results. This leads to me to believe I may have just got a couple bad bottles...?

For now I ordered and used the Mr Color Gull Grey and went on very nice, just smells bad so choosing my times to spray out doors right now with the TX heat is frustrating.

 

Maybe  contact AK directly and see what customer support has to say.

As to the Tamiya LP Lacquers, to me ya they're lacquer but as lacquer goes they don't smell all that bad. And dry quickly so then the smell is really gone. I thin mine with Mr Levelling Thinner though, so maybe that plays into it.

Thanks.

I have the leveling thinner and yes it does have an odor.

Ive never used the Tamiya laq but may give them a go. Ive just gotten to the age now where strong odors just kill me.

MRP lacquers are great too, and they have most of the FS colors like Dark Gull Grey and Light Gull Grey.  They're a little smelly, but they too cure very quickly (less than an hour for a full cure), so the smell dissipates almost instantly after painting.  They're airbrush-ready right out of the bottle, so no thinners needed.

Hey Twich,

I had similar issues with the AK Gen 3 paints, I didn't have their thinner and tried vallejo and tamiya acrylic thinners with the same results as you. What made the diffference for me was adding Vallejo's airbrush flow improver, somehow that sorted it out.

How much flow inprover did you add?

I used the same stuff but I put very little in it,didnt seem to help.

The AK stuff seems very sensitive to anything you add to them.

Thanks.