SPA Modeler

How do metallic paints airbrush? I tried airbrushing Blue Silver metallic enamels on one of my car interior and wasn’t happy with the result. I used white primer base but thought more today and wondered if I should have used silver as my base primer. Thoughts?

Anyhow, I took the current interior pieces in a strip bath and going to start over with another metallic blue color.

Oooohh good question. I always struggle with metal flake metallics. They always clog up the nozzle.

It doesn’t spray wide as using regular enamel or acrylics. But yeah, it kinda sprays erratic and narrow. And I thought I was losing my mind thinking I didn’t do the proper paint to thinner ratio.

Alclad2 has a lot of cool colors. They are pretty easy to work with and require a gloss black or white base. Check out their Candy line.

You have to spray in very light coats. And also change the direction of the spray

tempestjohnny wrote:You have to spray in very light coats. And also change the direction of the spray

Yup. Did spray in light coats but never could spray right no matter how little or how much thinner I add. Too much thinner made it too runny resulting a sucky coat.

keavdog wrote:Alclad2 has a lot of cool colors. They are pretty easy to work with and require a gloss black or white base. Check out their Candy line.

I know they have cool candy colors but not looking for the candy look. Besides, candy wouldn’t make sense for an interior of an automobile.


Here’s where it gets me. I have decanted metallic colors out of a rattle can and they airbrush wonderfully. But out of the Testors bottle.... that’s where I ran into trouble thinning for airbrush use. Maybe the pigments in bottled metallic colors are too big to shoot through an airbrush?

I'm pretty sure they're spray able right out of the bottle. No thinning needed

Hopefully Joe will chime in on this subject.

Spray directly from the Testors bottle without thinning? No chance....

With enamels? No. Even the Model Master II enamels, which were thinner than the original Model Master line or basic Testors enamels, need some thinner to airbrush. I’ve heard that some folks had success airbrushing the Model Master Acrylics without thinning, but that was never my experience. Mi I also thinning yes, but never straight from the bottle. Only the Model Master Mertalizer line could be sprayed straight from the bottle without any thinning.

I spray the Vallejo Metal Colors straight from the bottle with no issues.