MM enamel (for brushed on parts) Gumming up!

I hate brush painting (both enamels and acrylics from any manufacturer) because of the whole gumming up issue. 

I find that when working from an open container, they tend to skin over way too quickly.  And since you generally only dip the tip of the brush into the paint, it tends to drag a bit of the dried paint with it, which really makes a mes of things.  I find that I have to continously stir the paint in order to give myself some working time.

But besides the stirring, dip your brush in a little bit of thinner, wipe a majority of it off and then dip it in the paint.  Then clean the brush thouroughly every so often, so it's like starting with a new brush.  The little bit of thinner not only keeps the paints from gunking up in the brush, but helps it flow better as well so you don't get brush marks.

As for the coverage with the white, I have the same problem.  I just have to settle for making 3 or 4 passes, allowing each coat to dry first.

-Fred

The gumming may be related to rapid drying. A small amount of retarder or thinner may help, as will raising the relative humidity in the workroom. There are, however, a host of other possible problems, starting with bad paint and including an unfortunate change in formulation. The latter you can do little about, except complain to the manufacturer. If they get enough complaints, they may fix the problem.

Coverage with many whites is often a problem. First, make sure that the paint has been thoroughly mixed. The pigment used in white (titanium dioxide) is relatively heavy, compared to some, and may settle harder than most. Undercoating white with silver will help a great deal. Also, flat whites tend to have better hide than gloss whites.

And I second Jon's endorsement of Polly Scale. I use that and Tamiya almost exclusively. Tamiya is a more difficult paint to work with, at times, but I like the results I get. Polly Scale isn't quite as good a detail paint for brushing, but it produces a wonderful finish and is a joy to use. 

MaxPower wrote:

I have found Pollyscale acrylics to be an excellent brushing paint, but I can't speak first hand on the coverage of their white.

Pollyscale white brushes on as does their other colors- very nice- but like most white paints, it takes a few coats when brushing. A base coat may help to give the paint something to hold on to better. It airbrushes great. I can cover most parts in one coat satisfactorily.