Paint issue

For thinning Tamiya acrylics with hardware store lacquer thinner works best for me,a tough finish that stands up to weathering,and low odor.

ctruss53

 

 

the Baron

 

 

ctruss53

...I will get bad remarks about this, but you can thin X and XF Tamiya paints with water. People will disagree, but it works... 

 

 

 

I hope my reply doesn't count as a bad remark, but I must disagree with you on using water to thin Tamiya's acrylics.  Or perhaps to note that that is not consistently so.  I tried using water to thin them, early on, because Tamiya's proprietary thinner is relatively expensive.  But the paint had a tendency to clump, or for one coat to lift off the previous coat.  So I decided to toss aside my natural Dutchiness and buy Tamiya's X-20A thinner.  Immediately I got me consistently good results. 

Of course, anyone can try what he wants.  But it's good to bear that caution in mind.

 

It didn't work for you, thats fine.  I use water and it works totally fine. I mix about 4 parts paint to 3 parts water. And it sprays out fine.

 

My experience with at least the gloss or Tamiya X series paints is it likes as pure an alcohol as you can put in it or Lacquer thinner or their X20-A thinner ( which is comprised of 2-3 different alcohols). Soon as I mixed any blend with water it may spray beautifully but gloss hazes when dry. Could be different climates or who knows what but I personally try to keep water out of Tamiya X. Now for the flats it may not matter but I've only ever thinned the flats with hardware store lacquer thinner. And by the way, the only two thinners suggested by Tamiya at their website is Lacquer Thinner if you want a harder finish or their X20-A for the standard result .

I've thinned Tamiya X with straight denatured alcohol with superb flow and leveling but it took 5 coats to come to a knock out high gloss. It passed the test for me so ever onward I tried it on a model. I don't normally do that but when I did it worked great. I was shooting black fenders for a Model A and all I did three days later is a light buffing with Formula 1 Scratch out... I looked up X20-a data sheets, the closest I had to one of the alcohols that is listed is denatured alcohol, which is slightly less pure than the one they use in X20-A, which as mentioned is comprised of alcohols..

Maybe I never noticed a "haze" when using water with Tamiya X series paints because I always clearcoat.

The clearcoat is where I get the protection from.

ctruss53

Maybe I never noticed a "haze" when using water with Tamiya X series paints because I always clearcoat.

The clearcoat is where I get the protection from.

 

That would make a difference.

John3M

Getting back to modeling after many years. I use airbrushing primarily. The question i have is I recently purchased a simple car model 57 Chevrolet Bel Air and cleaned it up to paint the body. I wash parts first. But the problem i seem to have is after putting primer on the car and letting it sit for a week while on a fishing trip. I came home to work on the car. I wanted to paint the car an opaque red over white primer. which I did. now the red paint after sitting for a day or so did not seem to set up as expected. both primer and red were acrylic water base. but the red is not set or hardened. I litely sand the first coat to prepare for the next coat. The paint did not seem quite ready, which i can't figure. It's like it's not hardening. It's not sticky but it's not what i call done. i included pictures of the paint bottles but they wont upload

 

It sounds like you're experiencing issues with the acrylic paint not fully drying or hardening on your model car. There could be a few reasons for this:

1. Humidity and Temperature: Acrylic paints can take longer to dry and cure properly in high humidity or cold temperatures. Make sure you're painting in a well-ventilated area with moderate temperature and humidity levels.

2. Thinning and Mixing: Ensure that you're using the appropriate ratio of paint to thinner. Too much thinner or inconsistent mixing can affect the paint's drying time and curing process.

3. Primer: While you mentioned that you used a white primer, make sure it's compatible with the acrylic paint you're using. Some primers might have a different chemical composition that doesn't interact well with certain acrylic paints.

4. Layer Thickness: Applying too thick a layer of paint can lead to longer drying times. It's generally better to apply multiple thin coats, allowing each coat to dry completely before adding the next.

5. Ventilation: Proper ventilation helps paint dry and cure properly. Make sure you're not painting in an area with poor airflow, which could prolong drying times.

6. Curing Time: Acrylic paints can take a few days to fully cure, depending on the environmental conditions. Even though the paint might not feel sticky, it might not be fully cured yet.

7. Paint Quality: Sometimes, the issue could be with the paint itself. Lower-quality paints might not dry and cure as effectively as higher-quality ones.

8. Surface Preparation: Ensure that the surface was properly cleaned and free of any contaminants before applying the primer and paint. Any residue left on the surface could affect the adhesion and curing of the paint.
   
   I am sharing what I learnt uptil now,

To troubleshoot the issue:

1. Allow more time for the paint to fully cure. Sometimes, acrylic paints can take a few days to reach their maximum hardness.

2. Ensure proper ventilation and moderate temperature and humidity levels.

3. Double-check your mixing ratios for both the paint and primer.

4. Consider using a different primer or acrylic paint brand if the problem persists.

5. Test a small area with a different brand or type of paint to see if you get different results.

ctruss53

(snip)

Another option for low odor acrylic paints is the Createx line. They are available in craft stores, art supply stores, and Hobby Lobby. They are acrylic and low odor and have a nice gloss clear to put over your paint.

What do you use to thin the Createx gloss for airbrushing?

Lightning Pilot

 

 

 

What do you use to thin the Createx gloss for airbrushing?

 

I know you didn't ask me but I'll reply meanwhile. I make my own that works very well, it's an approximate spin off of Createx 4011 reducer, going by their data sheet. 4011 is Createx's  preferred thinner across all their lineup now. So if you want to buy the right Createx thinner for the various clears or even colors they offer, then 4011 is the one.