Newbie: Hand Brushing Question about paint

I've been modeling for about 5 years and I'm still learning. I can't use an airbrush or can because of a stroke I had about 6 years ago (right side was taken away and I have my left hand for everything).

I use the Tamiya thinner for all thinning and didn't know that (Replace lost solvent only with 90 percent isopropyl alcohol. Do not use Tamiya's thinner to replace lost solvent). This makes sense, I just didn't think of it, thanks Ross.

For small jobs you recommend dipping the brush each time, for large jobs do you thin the paint if it is the first time used.

Dan

RockyM567 wrote:

Thanks for the great advice. Last night I goofed up a kit trying to get the paint consistenancy down. I'll continue to use this kit as practice.

One of the really great things about using Tamiya acrylics is that mistakes can be easily fixed. If you've messed up a paint job, it's quite easy to get back to bare styrene. A bath in Windex (the type with ammonia), or a rub-down with a paper towel moistened with denatured alcohol (ethanol) or Isopropyl alcohol will give you a near pristine model ready for a repaint.

RockyM567 wrote:

I was loading my brush right out of the paint bottle using water to thin it.

Yep, of all the options available for thinning Tamiya acrylics, water is probably the least satisfactory.

Of the available options, proprietary Tamiya thinner is the best, followed by Isopropyl alcohol, then ethanol (which I use frequently when airbrushing. If you use one of the alcohols, it helps to add a little acrylic retarder, as the alcohol tends to flash-dry very quickly.

To add to Ross's post above, after decanting and thinning your paint, if you have any thinned paint left over when you've finished, don't return it to your bottle of unthinned paint.

Thanks for the great advice. Last night I goofed up a kit trying to get the paint consistenancy down. I'll continue to use this kit as practice.

I was loading my brush right out of the paint bottle using water to thin it. I now see this is not the way to go about things. Thanks again! I'll let you know how I make out.

I seem to be one of the relatively few who handbrushes Tamiya acrylics without difficulty—why, I don't know.

The best solvent for Tamiya acrylics is either their proprietary thinner or 90 percent isopropyl alcohol. If you use the latter, adding a tiny amount of acrylic retarder is a good idea. Tamiya's thinner has been reported to be 90% isopropyl alcohol with a retarder already incorporated.

For extensive hand brushing, I definitely recommend using Tamiya's thinner. It saves time an hassle. And Tamiya paint does benefit from very slight thinning for extensive brush painting. Because the solvent system in Tamiya acrylics is alcohol based, they tend to lose solvent fairly rapidly at the surface, causing a skinning effect with the thicker coating resulting from brush application. Adding a small amount of thinner, especially with retarder, compensates for the solvent loss and makes painting much easier. You should also always paint with a "wet edge" and never go over a recently painted but uncured area. Wait until it cures and give it another coat.

Brush painting produces a much thicker film than airbrushing, so cure times are extended. For a large, brush painted area, wait a minimum of 36 hours before recoating, and 48 is much better.

As for the amount of thinning, that's largely a matter of learning from experience, and the amount will depend on the age of the paint and how well it has been kept. I have previously opened bottles of Tamiya acrylics dating from 1982, and they are just fine. They've lost a little solvent, but that is easily replaced. Replace lost solvent only with 90 percent isopropyl alcohol. Do not use Tamiya's thinner to replace lost solvent.

For small jobs, I dip the brush in isopropyl alcohol before dipping it into the paint, and repeat this every time I reload the brush. Never paint straight from the bottle unless it will be a "one brush load" job. Decant paint into a smaller, separate container, trying to decant just slightly more than you think you'll need.

Everything gets easier with practice and experience. 

I almost never thin bottle paints when I'm brushing.  They are supposed to be surface brushable right from the bottle. 

The only "thick" bottle paints I have are older supplies which I probably should have tossed out.  These thicken over time due to evaporation.  Up to a point, you can add thinner to these and they're still usable.