I have been wasting money on Tamiya paints

Jeff Herne wrote:

I can't say for sure, but waaay back in the day, I used to brush Tamiya acrylics with no troubles. Sometime around the early 90s, that changed and today I refuse to brush Tamiya acrylics. They spray very well, but when I brush them, even thinned, they tend to clump up. I experimented awhile ago trying to find a workaround - adding gel medium, adding more thinner, more pigment (by scooping it from an unshaken second jar), but had no luck. I think it's the carrier itself, it seems to be an aggressive acrylic that skins too quickly when brushed. It 's aggressive because it immediately attacks any coats that are not completely dried underneath. I love the way it sprays, but when it comes to brush painting, I'm stuck on Vallejo for acrylics and Humbrols on the enamel side. Jeff

Thanks Jeff, that's good to know. I have just returned from a long break from the hobby and was going to use up my "old stocks" of mid-80's Tamiya's (some of them never opened before) before buying any more, but now I might hold onto them for detail painting and buy new ones for base colours and wide-area spraying.

MikeV wrote:

What's a "brush?"

Phil_H wrote:

Yep, I have some which date back to the early 80's as well, which are still good. Whilst we're on the subject (well, sort of, anyway, and apologies for hijacking the thread), does anyone know if it's true that Tamiya changed their paint formula at some point since the initial release? From reading the forum, it seems that people have had all sorts of problems with Tamiya acrylics, but my experience of Tamiya's acrylics from the early-mid 80s was that the flat colours went down (by brush) very well, had amazing self-levelling properties and dried to a silky-smooth finish. Has this changed or is it a case of anti-acrylic paranoia?

Yep, I have some which date back to the early 80's as well, which are still good.

Whilst we're on the subject (well, sort of, anyway, and apologies for hijacking the thread), does anyone know if it's true that Tamiya changed their paint formula at some point since the initial release?

From reading the forum, it seems that people have had all sorts of problems with Tamiya acrylics, but my experience of Tamiya's acrylics from the early-mid 80s was that the flat colours went down (by brush) very well, had amazing self-levelling properties and dried to a silky-smooth finish.

Has this changed or is it a case of anti-acrylic paranoia?

J-Hulk wrote:

You know, some of the jumbo jars I have are from when I first moved over here in 1993...and the paint's still fine!

gulfstreamV wrote:

Their website still shows they have them.  in th U.S.

Big American size!

You know, some of the jumbo jars I have are from when I first moved over here in 1993...and the paint's still fine!

If you order online any, you may want to have a look here. I have had nothing but good luck with this place, and for the price it seems like a good deal to me if your ordering quite a few!

http://www.hobbylinc.com/cgi-bin/s6.cgi?cat_s=RHG&age=&mfg_s=tam&str=&sort_i=0&show_i=0

Sad to say that the large bottles have been unavailable here in the land of Oz for several years now too. Some places still have some old stocks, which generally go for the same price s the small bottles.

No, they didn't drop the price when the small bottles were introduced, they just came in at the same price as the large ones...   

gulfstreamV wrote:

Their website still shows they have them.  in th U.S.

styrene wrote:

MikeV wrote: I have been buying the little "Mini" 10 ml bottles of Tamiya acrylics for $1.99 a bottle and noticed the other day while in the LHS that the bigger 23 ml bottles are only $2.90 each. I could be buying many of these colors in more than double the quantity for only $.91 more!   Hey, Mike, I hear the 5 gallon buckets are even more economical! Gip

RadMax8 wrote:

Lucky! The LHS here only carries the minis.... I might have to talk to my buddy about that one...

The minis are all they sell here in Japan anymore. I still have a bunch of the jumbos, but Tamiya doesn't make 'em anymore. Old stock is the only hope!

MikeV wrote:

I have been buying the little "Mini" 10 ml bottles of Tamiya acrylics for $1.99 a bottle and noticed the other day while in the LHS that the bigger 23 ml bottles are only $2.90 each. I could be buying many of these colors in more than double the quantity for only $.91 more!

Hey, Mike,

I hear the 5 gallon buckets are even more economical!

Gip

That's like the 30ml bottle of X-20a thinner being about 4 bucks and lasts maybe one or two paint sessions... the 250ml one??? about 6 bucks and it can last a year or more...(as opposed to forever)... go figure!

Triarius wrote:

RadMax8 wrote: Forever? wow, I guess $2.90 is a great deal! Well, over twenty years with no significant ill effects—properly cared for and stored.

RadMax8 wrote:

Forever? wow, I guess $2.90 is a great deal!