Help with Vallejo Paints PLEASE!

Sounds like you are trying to thin enamels with water or alcohol.  I've never used Vallejo paint so I don't know if it is acrylic or not.  Unless the paint you are using is acrylic those mediums will not work. 

1:1 is far too thin for decent coverage in my opinion.   I seldom find a need to go below 3 parts paint : 1 part thinner.

Again in my opinion, 25 or 35 psi is far too much pressure unless you are seeing a very significant pressure drop when you trigger the airbrush.  10 to 12 psi with the airbrush triggered should be plenty. 

Firstly, which variety of Vallejo paint are you using, the Model Color (white cap) or Model Air (black cap)?

If it's the Model color variety, it is very thick in the bottle and does require a lot of thinning. If it's the Model Air, it should require less thinning.

Now having said that, I can't recommend any specific ratio, as I have only just received my first few bottles to try and haven't tried putting them through an airbrush yet. In any case I don't use specific ratios because in my experience, there's no "magic number" - I thin as required for the result that I want.

What I can tell you is that the Model Color paint should thin ok with water plus a little retarder. Trying to thin with alcohol produces something resembling cottage cheese.

PS: Scott, Vallejo paints are acrylic, though as mentioned above, they aren't alcohol friendly..

Phil_H wrote:

PS: Scott, Vallejo paints are acrylic, though as mentioned above, they aren't alcohol friendly..

Works for me!  I just use what is locally available and that is Model Master, Tamiya, and Poly Scale.  Haven't tried Vallejo although I've heard good things about them.

Thanks, Phil.

Regular Vallejo paint, as said, is very thick, and will dry very fast when thinned enough for airbrushing.  It will dry on the tip, and you'll have to keep cleaning it off with a q-tip or something similar that won't bend your needle tip.  The retarder should have helped, though.

i KNOW this sounds stupid, but I use thier own airbrush thinner.  I dont cheap out and try to use all the home brews when it comes to acrylics.....I fail each and every time when I do that but seem to have good luck using the actual manufacturers thinner.

I thin it as I would any other paint, it goes on nice and thin and dries dead flat in a few minutes. Don't apply too much at once as it wants to pool up if you do.

I got my AB thinner at Bobes Hobby House in Pensacola.

David

I didn't even know that Vallejo MADE an airbrush thinner, I will try to locate some! 

Someone asked if I was using the airbrush line, no, it's Game Color line.  I am painting warhammer 40k figurines and vehicles.  I brush paint the figs, but want a nice clean airbrus finish on the vehicles, and I want them to color match, so I am blowing the same paint.

I'll try the Vallejo thinner, thanks!

Chris

From the Vallejo Website:

Hi gentlemen,

Being from England, and new to these paints,  Can I ask what you mean by "retarder"

Who makes it, what's it's purpose....

I have a couple of F-4g's to paint in SEA, and Vallejo were the only company I could find "in England" that had the 3 colors in acrylic....and purpose made for spraying... 

Mini-Tiger wrote:

<snip>Being from England, and new to these paints,  Can I ask what you mean by "retarder" Who makes it, what's it's purpose....<snip>

A retarder is a medium added to paint to extend its drying time. This can be helpful in reducing "tip dry" when airbrushing. ("tip dry" occurs when paint builds up and literally dries on the tip of your airbrush, causing spattering and/or blocking the flow of paint completely.)

It's also helpful in brush painting to reduce "roll-up", where brushing over a previously covered partially dry area pulls up the underlying paint. Adding a retarder will extend the drying time, allowing the paint to remain "wet" longer.

Retarders can be found in art supply stores under a range of different manufacturers.

PS: You would be looking for an acrylic retarder.

Phil H,

 Many thanks for your reply,

Now I know what to look for

Cheers 

I should write an article.  There's not a specific magic ratio, because there are so many variables involved-  your air, your brush, the paint's starting consistency/fluidity, pigment types, type of binders, types of solvent and how all that reacts together is anyone's guess.  But alreday, I can tell you a couple things: 

First, if your paint is thin, you need to drop the pressure, spray thinner coats (won't cover as well) and if you were using a double action brush (which you aren't I dont' think...) overspray with just AIR to dry it faster. 

Second, Vallejos DON'T like alcohol-  that being said, probably some people get away with using some alcohol, because it isn't as concentrated.  But if you use 91%+, it will curdle. 

Third, ppl need to understands that vallejos come from andrea, who is an art media supplier/producer.  Their products are basically specialized artists media, so use artist media to thin/work with them using matte/gloss/ABT, etc.  Do this, get the right consistency, and they spray like a DREAM.  

that being said, you used liquitex AB medium;  good move.  But, from what you've said, I bet you used too much for how thin your paint may have been.  

Keep in mind that when using VMC/etc. , a lot of the pigment can settle, so when you are mixing them up, you may be using thinned down paint already.  So, your starting fluidity is much greater than if fully mixed => don't need as much ABT or other thinners ===>  more messes!

Thinking about it, I wonder if this last point is the problem.   

There are other options as well speaking of paint, so try something else out, and see if you still have the same types of problems.  Some of my brushes (I use primarily Iwatas now, but still use a paasche H regularly, and have used multiple badgers...) just act differently with different types of paint.