Tamiya Acrylics vs. MM Acrylics ???

I have yet to try Pollyscale's colors (I'm in love with their flats & satin coats however). I like the way the Acryls airbrush, and when I airbrush Tamiya colors (which I'm also quite fond of) I thin them with a bit of their thinner and a little Future and set the pressure to about 15psi, which gives them a real smooth finish. I'm not looking for a dead-flat finish until I spray the final flat clear coat on, so achieving one from the base colors is not a big concern for me.

Are you only limited to MM Acrylics and Tamiya? Between the two, Tamiya seems to spray a little nicer and their thinner definately helps reduce that dreaded "dry tip". As Ross pointed out though, and this is a key with me, MM seems to offer better FS/RLM/RAF, etc. color matches. I can't comment on the "accuracy" of the color, but they are labeled to more easily apply to a specific paint scheme.

If you are open to a few different brands, I would through into the mix Gunze Sangyo paints, which are equally as nice to Tamiya paints (in my opinion) and often referenced on most Japanese and European kit instructions.

My favorite of favorites, though, is Color of Eagles brand paints, which are made by Vallejo. They seem to spray nicely, and leave a beautifully smooth finish. They have a limited range of colors, but they are the military colors, so they cover pretty much everything.

Pollyscale also leaves a great finish and they offer many military colors, but they seem to gum up pretty quickly in the bottles, so definately use a strainer before adding it to your airbrush.

 

I'll add my two cents:

Personally, I find that Tamiya airbrush far better. I get the airbrush tip drying constantly when I'm airbrushing with MM. I also use Tamiya thinner. Tamiya will dry dead flat, while the model master range will dry with a dull semi-gloss finish.

 

Brush-painting is another story. I'd stick with Enamels on that one, or get paints that are formulated for brush painting, such as Vallejo or the Games Workshop series of colours. Tamiya, and to a lesser degree MM, just don't cover all that well. You have to apply in several very thin coats to get good coverage.

I use both, and I don't find too great of a difference between the two brands.  I've read a lot about them being incompatible with one another, but I freely mix Tamiya with Acryl and then thin with Tamiya thinner and have had no issues.  I don't often mask with acrylics, but the one time I had paint come up with the masking tape, it was MM Acryl, so Ross may have a point about adhesion.  On the other hand, I find that MM Acryls seem to brush better both in terms of avoiding brush strokes as well as covering in one coat than do Tamiya.  I like Tamiya's bottles better.  They're easier to open when stuck and seem to seal better.

Welcome back!

First off, be aware that acrylics do not behave quite the same way as the enamels with which you were familiar back in the good ol' days. They dry faster, but cure more slowly. They need to be applied to a nearly surgically clean surface. Each brand needs to be used somewhat differently.

They are less toxic than enamels, but should not be considered harmless.

I prefer Tamiya to all other brands except Polly Scale. I've never had much success with Model Master. Their chief benefits seem to be wide availablity and good color selection. They appear to have more trouble with adhesion than most others, and I don't care for their general handling qualities. On the other hand, there are many very accomplished modelers who will use nothing else.

Tamiya has it's difficulties, too. It does not come with FS number equivalents. It has a tendency to flash dry, especially when brushed. It is a little more prone to orange peel in gloss colors. Tip dry can be a terrible nuisance when air brushing. Proper thinning with the right solvent is critical for airbrushing. If you  use Tamiya thinner, the tip dry, flash dry, and orange peel problems go away. If you use 90 percent isopropyl alcohol as your solvent, you will need to add tiny amounts of acrylic retarder to the thinned paint. (That's what I do.) For brushing, dip the brush in a small amount of Tamiya thinner or 90 % isopropyl before you dip it in the paint (which should also be in a small container—never work directly from the bottle!) Dip the brush in the thinner each time before you dip it in the paint.

Tamiya also has the best adhesion of any paint I've tried, with the possible exception of Polly Scale. Tamiya wins out because it will tolerate a slightly less than perfectly clean surface, which is why I use it as a primer.

Good luck and happy building! 

First off, welcome back to the hobby. IN my opinion, Model Master has alot more colors to choose from than Tamiya but Tamiya's seem of better quality. I look for Tamiya first then go to Model Master. I think that in the spray paint section they are both about the same but you are doing airbrushing which is better.

David