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Posted
8 hours ago, Lurch209 said:

First time using tamiya primer. This stuff sure does spray pretty nice, looks to be superior to rustoleum for sure! I’ll probably continue using it in the future though I’m not crazy about the price. 

As good as their primer is, their paints are even better. Next time, get the 180 ml can of primer. It'll save you a little money. 

  • Like 1
Posted
1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

There are a whole host of really great pre-thinned paints available that will require no mixing or thinning whatsoever.

shake ‘em up, pour in the cup or jar and go to work.

MCW and Scale Finishes, (just to name a couple) will carry just about any color that you can imagine!

They are an invaluable resource for paint, especially if you are looking for particular factory stock colors.

Whatever color it is, between the two of them, they’re almost guaranteed to have it.

Yes, what Steve wrote (about airbrush-ready automotive colors made for hobbyists) is all true, but those are *NOT* plastic-compatible hobby paints.  They are based on 1:1 automotive paints so there might be some bad interactions with plastic and/or primers.  Things get a bit more complicated then when using specific hobby paints (like Tamiya).  Just like I mentioned in my earlier post.

If you are just starting out, I recommend sticking with safer hobby paints.  You can always start using the hotter paints once you gain some experience with hobby paints.  Some modelers (including me) do use airbrushes, and we sometimes decant hobby paint spray cans to shoot them through an airbrush.  It is a bit of a pain, but I know the paint will be safe on plastic. I seldom use primers, shooting the color coat directly on plastic.

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Posted

I agree with most in that Rustoleum’s lacquers are a hit and a miss, more often the latter. That said, I’ve found their enamel sprays to be pretty good. I laid down some gloss black enamel on the roof of this AMT ‘51 Chevy, and after it cured I wet-sanded it with 1500, 2000, then 3000 grit. It then received some Turtle Wax rubbing compound and polish. 03496DC1-9FB6-4F09-8676-5CF19DB283CF.thumb.jpeg.522394acc9a1184b2725362b023b35fe.jpeg

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Posted
4 minutes ago, peteski said:

Yes, what Steve wrote (about airbrush-ready automotive colors made for hobbyists) is all true, but those are *NOT* plastic-compatible hobby paints.  They are based on 1:1 automotive paints so there might be some bad interactions with plastic and/or primers.  Things get a bit more complicated then when using specific hobby paints (like Tamiya).  Just like I mentioned in my earlier post.

If you are just starting out, I recommend sticking with safer hobby paints.  You can always start using the hotter paints once you gain some experience with hobby paints.  Some modelers (including me) do use airbrushes, and we sometimes decant hobby paint spray cans to shoot them through an airbrush.  It is a bit of a pain, but I know the paint will be safe on plastic. I seldom use primers, shooting the color coat directly on plastic.

I can't disagree.

Just another thought as well, is if you feel that you must use Tamiya primer, but are concerned about the ability to strip the paint and primer should something go wrong, (which if you are relatively new to the game, is absolutely certain to happen at some point) you might want to consider a light base coat or 2 of a more stripable primer prior to the Tamiya primer.

I have no experience that this will remedy the situation, but it may help should stripping the paint become necessary.

 

 

 

Steve

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Posted

All it takes to strip Tamiya paint and primer is 91% alcohol. It's that simple. In all of the paint jobs I've done with Tamiya, I've only had to strip one and that was due to a mismatch between the hood, trunk and body. 

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Posted
1 hour ago, Plowboy said:

All it takes to strip Tamiya paint and primer is 91% alcohol. It's that simple. In all of the paint jobs I've done with Tamiya, I've only had to strip one and that was due to a mismatch between the hood, trunk and body. 

Apparently, some others have not had the same luck.

I'm just going by what I have heard from some other people in various conversations, including Mr. Shirley in this thread.

I don't have first hand experience as I don't use the stuff myself, but I've heard of difficulties removing Tamiya primer and paint from others on various occasions.

 

Just offering some alternatives.

 

 

 

Steve

  • Like 1
Posted

Interesting discussion.

Over here in the UK we have a nationwide motor accessory store named Halfords. Their own brand white and grey acrylic rattle can primers work well for me on polystyrene plastic, resin and metal.

There are of course primers like Alclad that are designed for airbrush use if preferred.

Another thing is never spray acrylic over any enamel type of paint. Ok the other way around. Acrylic dries out into an airtight plastic film when applied. Enamels stay 'soft' for quite a long time even though feeling dry. 

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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Apparently, some others have not had the same luck.

I'm just going by what I have heard from some other people in various conversations, including Mr. Shirley in this thread.

I don't have first hand experience as I don't use the stuff myself, but I've heard of difficulties removing Tamiya primer and paint from others on various occasions.

 

Just offering some alternatives.

 

 

 

Steve

Gidday Steve, Mr levelling thinner works fast as a paint stripper for Tamiya paint/primer. I use this on small parts all the time with perfect results. But to keep things cheap dot3 or 4 will do the job....

Edited by Michael jones
  • Like 1
Posted
10 hours ago, Miatatom said:

One thing I'd like to add to this discussion is Tamiya primer is really hard to remove, if you need to. IPA will remove most paints but Tamiya primers are like granite. I haven't found anything that will completely remove it easily.

Try a product called Scalecoat.  It's designed to remove hobby paint and removes Tamiya paint quite easily.

  • Like 1
Posted
11 hours ago, Lurch209 said:

Thanks for listing those brands. I actually do have an airbrush that I picked up at Harbor freight, a little cheapie one. I have not used it yet because I’m unfamiliar with airbrush. Mainly the only thing holding me back is not knowing how and when to mix or rather dilute paints. I hope to mess with it soon. 

That can be intimidating.

BEFORE you "mess" with it go on Youtube and watch every video you can on using an air brush.  Start with the tutorials for beginners.  There's some great; some good, some bad and some ugly there but it's all about educating yourself.

Additionally, go to the Tamiya website and check out what they say about their paints, mixing ratios etc.

Make sure that you know how to clean your airbrush and needle properly.  This will include taking it apart and putting it back together again.  A clean airbrush is an absolute necessity.

THEN take a deep breath and try your airbrush!

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Posted
21 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I'm just going by what I have heard from some other people in various conversations, including Mr. Shirley in this thread.

Steve

Lordy, Steve, you sure make me feel older than 78. ?

  • Like 1
Posted (edited)

Like Peter said about airbrush cleaning. It is just a necessary part of being an airbrush user. I strip them occassionally, but after each use I spray neat cellulose thinners straight through the airbrush until it sprays through clear but then follow on with a dedicated airbrush cleaner. Saves having to continuously take the airbrush to bits between sprayings.

Since my last post I was speaking to a friend who has used cellulose thinner instead of normal enamel thinners with enamel through an airbrush. He claims it helps the paint to dry.more rapidly. Has anyone else tried this?

Edited by Bugatti Fan
  • Like 1
Posted

Thanks everyone for commenting on my thread. I’ve learned a lot more than I thought I would and I appreciate every comment.
 

Here is a link to the thread that I started on here for the build. 
 

 

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