Tamiya Metallics: Don't try this at home

Yes........I have recently used Tamiya Gold Leaf on my Revell Int Space Station Large solar arrays. I got some dust on a couple and tried to hand touch up and ruined the job (only on one array) had to strip it with easy off and re-airbrush to get it right!!!!!!  You cannot hand brush these Tamiya metal like paints. I previously tried the Tamiya Bronze (great color) on one of the smaller arrays and that was a hand brush disater as well. THEY MUST BE AIRBRUSHED.


Funny thing is when they are applied correctly they look fantastic. Learn something new everyday no matter how experienced a modeler one is.

The reason for this (in all the metallic paint—not lacquer) that I've ever used has to do with the nature of metallic pigments and the viscosity of the paint. The technical explanation would fill a few chapters in a textbook, so I won't even try to give you the bare bones.

However, small touch-ups can sometimes be blended in using the following, labor intensive, procedure:

1. Dilute the paint you are brushing on as much as possible, and apply multiple coats.
2. Polish the paint (1000 grit and up) after every three touch up coats.
3. Repeat until blended in.

For very small areas on intricate parts, sometimes just dilution is enough.

Sorry about your bad experience .I found out also that any metalic paint cannot be brushed on and look the same as a air brushed paint job , the metalic just does not disperse on the surface the same .Good luck next time .

Shell