yet another paint problem!

The problem that you're describing, in my experience, is completely uncharacteristic of Tamiya paints.

Normally, fresh Tamiya paint, thoroughly stirred (and I am assuming yours is thoroughly stirred, not just shaken for 30 seconds), is usually just right for brush painting. If not properly mixed, this may explain your problem, as you would then be just painting with the carrier and a minimal amount of pigment.

Proper mixing aside, it almost sounds as if your paint is contaminated with an incompatible thinner or something. It's possible that it might be too old, though unlikely, as I have some that are 20 years (or more) old, and they're as good as new.

Perhaps some more information is in order. What colour are you using, flat/gloss/clear/metallic ? Certain colours in the range do have particular individual quirks so every bit of information you can provide will help us to help you...

Sounds like you may have a funny batch.  I paint almost exclusively with tamiya and have never encountered this problem (at least not when I knew it was my fault).

Sounds like it's not thoroughly mixed, or the paint is having a problem biting because of a surface issue.

Have you tried putting down a primer first?  Even though you said you washed the parts in soap and water, that doesn't always get all the oils off.  You really need to soak them in hot soapy water, then wash each piece individually.  Or give them a quick soak in Simple green - that'll get everything off.

-Fred

Gigatron raises a good point. A good primer coat might be an idea. I don't normally prime as I'm:

1. Cheap.
2. Lazy.
3. Not convinced that adding a coat of primer is going to enhance surface detail.
4. Cheap & Lazy.
   
5. All of the Above

(Note that 5 is the correct answer! Expecially the cheap and lazy parts.)

I am working on the 50s GB with AMT's 1953 Studebaker Starliner Coupe and have had a terrible time getting the paint to stick to the slick plastic. I've tried washing in Woolite, Ivory, Windex, Simple Green and wiped down each attempt with 90% Isopropyl Alcohol in a vain attempt to color the model something other than the light grey styrene. Nothing worked. After stripping and painting and re-stripping and painting and re-stripping again, I finally threw my arms up in surrender and primed the darn thing with Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer. Well, what a difference! Paint goes on and STICKS! I've even have decent opacity with the X2 Gloss White I'm painting the roof with. Imagine that. An opaque white!

If you have thoroughly mixed the paint and still are having problems, try the surface primer. 

hey, thanks for all the info. :)

yup, i definitely stir my paints for a few minutes. i tried shaking them once, but i read that isn't such good practice.  

phil - the headache colors for me are flat black and brown. it literally took me a few days to coat the wing struts of my 1/72 fokker dr.1 (those parts are tiny, which gives you an idea how awful my paints are), and the result was still pretty atrocious.

i also got some metallic colors. still have the same problems, but not as bad as the ones above.

fred and bgrigg - yeah, the second coat does cling better once i get a first layer on. got nothing against doing a primer coat, provided i know my paints aren't defective or whatnot. thanks for the tip with the surface primer. will definitely give it a shot. :D

i think you guys are right - i probably have a bum batch. just bought another batch of paints, and they seem to be doing better. i plan to get paints from a different store, just for comparison.

i'm from the philippines, so my paint choices are pretty much limited to gunze and tamiya. will check other brands if i run into them. :)

I cannot help but wonder if some manufacturers are using a wax as a mold release agent. That would produce the slick surface that Bill reports, and cause the problem neubauten is having. The other possibility is that some plastics release plasticizers forever, and plasticizers frequently play hob with paint.

Bill's problem could also simply be that the surface is too smooth for the paint to bond. Believe it or not, this can happen. The solution is to sand the surface with 2000 grit before painting. This will also remove wax release agents, which are highly resistant to most chemical cleaners. 

LOL! My wife says my problem is too big for this forum to fix.

Somehow I've got to stop her from reading over my shoulder.

Something else to consider is your brush.  What do you clean it with? If you have a little cleaner residue left on the brush it can make your paint go haywire.

We often over look our brush hygene and spend to much time worrying about our paint care.

Very true.

I always make sure to clean well, and rinse with distilled water. Then I lube the needle before putting it to bed. I've taken to wiping down the inside of my 100LG color cup with the excess lube before storing away. 

IYAAYAS wrote:

Something else to consider is your brush.  What do you clean it with? If you have a little cleaner residue left on the brush it can make your paint go haywire. We often over look our brush hygene and spend to much time worrying about our paint care.

This applies even more to bristle brush painting. It is wise to have one set for aqueous systems, another for solvent systems. 

I have posted previously that Tamiya flat white is like water. They are not good paints to brush on, and if you must I would advise a primer coat of MM enamel. Otherwise its like banging your head against a rock.

I do like the paints for certain things, however airbrushed.

The paint will roll up almost every time you 2nd coat, if yourbrush  technique is off .

Good luck