SPA Modeler

This is just a place holder thread at the moment.

I’ve been looking at using something other than Humbrol acrylics recently, as I’m getting increasingly frustrated with them – so far this year I’ve had at least 6 builds that I’ve ruined with this paint. The shop down the road from me sells Tamiya Acrylics and I’ve often considered getting some BUT – everything I’ve read on the internet about them would indicate that they are no good for brush-painting.

It makes me laugh actually, if you google the question and read the forum threads that come up in the searches – there’s always somebody that says… ‘’It’s rubbish, buy paint X instead’’. To be fair – most of the comments are like that*. But I do wonder if it’s actually the case, or if it’s people just repeating what they’ve READ on the net, and have never actually used them.

And why is it then that you also see the occasional comment like… ‘’Have you seen Mr X’s work – he does Awesome models with Brush painted Tamiya Acrylics…’’

Confusing…

So, never being one to be told what I can and cannot do – I’ve decided to try it for myself. I’m going to build up a few paint hacks and try out some tests. I’ll share them in this thread and hopefully offer up some objective evidence – at least that way if some newbie to the hobby posts up the same question in Google, it might help them make their own decision.

So far my initial trials have been pretty positive

Cheers

Stuart

*of course these people could be right – we’ll see. (Just realised I should’ve put this up as a blog post…)

I've brush painted Tamiya paints and never had a problem. Granted I use them for areas that I don't wanna use the airbrush for.

Medicman71 wrote:I've brush painted Tamiya paints and never had a problem. Granted I use them for areas that I don't wanna use the airbrush for.

Thanks!

I've read that a lot - they're ok for detail work but not for large areas. Being completely new to airbrushing however, I'll be trying some full on Hairy stick work and painting the whole model.

(and I agree - I don't forsee any issues).

Medicman71 wrote:I've brush painted Tamiya paints and never had a problem. Granted I use them for areas that I don't wanna use the airbrush for.

That's the same for me as well....

Handbrushing Tamiya Acrylics... yes and no... when they were newly released, the original formula hand brushed well, with no additives, for most any job, large or small. I used them a lot. Then in the lates 80s, they changed their formula, or so it was said, and their hand brushing properties changed. The surface skin formed more rapidly and a different technique was required to handbrushing them. Nowadays I won't handbrush them for large areas, although it can be done. If you add their thinner to the paint, it adds a little more time for brush strokes to the paint. And recently Tamiya has introduced a "retarder" for their paint that you can add to improve their brushing properties. I have seen some fantastic work done with Tamiya paints, especially on smaller things like figures. The main thing is you have to adapt new techniques to use them. It can be done. But it is a bit of a challenge.

Good on ya, Stuart.

THE best way to learn about a paint is to learn it yourself. Then you don't get Tamiya brush painting advice from someone that "only uses Gunnz" or some such "helpful" advice.

A LOT of internet advice is just someone Googling and then giving their best guess of the correct answer.

I am in the midst of "just shutting my mouth" on another forum, where a guy specifically asked about Polly Scale thinning for airbrushing. One guy answered with the label instructions, just use water,,,,,,,,,and is following up every answer I give about how to make Polly Scale actually perform. (what do I know?, lol) He doesn't actually use the stuff, he is one of the guys that posts that it is now "impossible to buy."

Do let us and the newbies know what your results are. They will find a use here, and as you say, may hit Google searches,,,,,,as the findings of someone that actually has success brush painting the stuff. (I am sure there is a way)

Thanks for all of the comments Guys!

That's what I was thinking Rex - I'll give it a go and see what happens. If it turns out that everybody is right then at leat I can show some examples - and if it turns out it does work then I can show some advice.

Stikpusher wrote:Handbrushing Tamiya Acrylics... yes and no... when they were newly released, the original formula hand brushed well, with no additives, for most any job, large or small. I used them a lot. Then in the lates 80s, they changed their formula, or so it was said, and their hand brushing properties changed. The surface skin formed more rapidly and a different technique was required to handbrushing them. Nowadays I won't handbrush them for large areas, although it can be done. If you add their thinner to the paint, it adds a little more time for brush strokes to the paint. And recently Tamiya has introduced a "retarder" for their paint that you can add to improve their brushing properties. I have seen some fantastic work done with Tamiya paints, especially on smaller things like figures. The main thing is you have to adapt new techniques to use them. It can be done. But it is a bit of a challenge.

I'd eadthat already Stik - Strange that they changed thier paints... As it is I do have X-20A thinners and some of their retarder - I'll see how it goes.

Stuart, it'll take trial and error, but I'm sure you'll get them down. I am hit and miss on my success with them hand brushing. Sometimes it's exactly how I want it, and others it's not. But I have plenty of options, so I don't need to push that area of the envelope and develop my technique. For folks like you and Rex, where you are limited to Acrylics, I understand. There is no one size fits all answer. It's part science and part art. One of Murphy's Laws of War applies here bigtime: "if it's stupid and it works, it ain't stupid". Go have fun learning.

Conclusion... (thus far) even with retarder and thinners they are a PITA to brush paint with.

I've done a few trials (nothing photo worthy) and I just can't get a handle on them, they behave very differently from any other paint I've used.

I think I'm going to just have to bite the bullet and use them on a build - 'tis the only way to get to grips with them properly.

Glad you posted this. Took awhile for me to find it. What struck was in the opening post you made. I will paraphrase what you wrote: which was about how opinions guide one away from experimentation and discovery. That's how I see it, at least. The worst opinions—the worst actions—always limit ourselves. It may be too great of a generalization to put that this way, but I for one am sick to my back teeth of "This is how you must do this (insert action/activity here)." I find myself wanting to try something out (today it was putting magnets in the wheels of the aircraft in order to mount it to a sheet steel base) and avoiding the internet to protect my own ideas. Maybe—probably—magnets in wheels is a crappy idea, but I want to try it out. So, therefore, I applaud what you are doing!
Bravo!