Tamiya Paint Question (1 Viewer)

[Aggie99]

Okay so I ordered a small bottle of Tamiya Acrylic Paint (Color: Field Green). I have been using it on a set of plastic TSSD soldiers that I have already washed, primed, and even added a coat of regular gray colored acrylic to them.

Now I am applying the Tamiya. Although the color is a great match and works perfectly, the application of the paint is unlike any other I have experienced. I can only add a tiny bit at a time as it just doesnt spread very thin. It also doesnt stick well to the primer or the gray paint. If I drag my brush over a wet spot, it will essentially wipe up the Tamiya paint!!

Very frustrating to use. But then again, maybe I am just not use to it yet.

Has this happened to anyone else???

 

[Wraith]

Okay so I ordered a small bottle of Tamiya Acrylic Paint (Color: Field Green). I have been using it on a set of plastic TSSD soldiers that I have already washed, primed, and even added a coat of regular gray colored acrylic to them.

Now I am applying the Tamiya. Although the color is a great match and works perfectly, the application of the paint is unlike any other I have experienced. I can only add a tiny bit at a time as it just doesnt spread very thin. It also doesnt stick well to the primer or the gray paint. If I drag my brush over a wet spot, it will essentially wipe up the Tamiya paint!!

Very frustrating to use. But then again, maybe I am just not use to it yet.

Has this happened to anyone else???

Yes mate, in a word.
One of the reasons I don't like Tamiya acryllics. The solution that the paint is mixed in is differennt from some of the other brands of acryllic paints out there. It's a personal choice and I'm aware of a large number in the modelling community that swear by Tamiya. I personally prefer other brands.

Simon

 

[thebritfarmer]

I have never used Tamiya paints so cannot comment. I have had good luck with the cheap acrylic paints available at the dollar stores or WalMart.

I usually paint the figure with white glue, let dry then paint with acrylic pains of my choice then give a coat of white glue to seal. The white glue gives a semi sheen to the item so you may want to pick an acrylic sealer in a matte finish.

 

[Aggie99]

Thanks for the info on the Tamiya paint. At least I now know that it is the paint, and I am not going crazy. haha.

Yeah, I too have had better results from the acrylics I bought down at the local hobby store. I only bought this one b/c I needed a very specific color.


Oh, and as for the white glue tip; that is pretty interesting....never thought of that option.

 

[Mitch]

Its a labour of love with Tamiya acrylic but, IMO they are a superb paint. I think you should maybe try Vallejo they are very good also and very user friendly they also come under Panzer aces name. They do napoleonic sets train sets etc as well as the expected panzer sets
Mitch

 

[theBaron]

Tamiya's paint is formulated for airbrushing use, that is, to be cut with a thinner and airbrushed. Having said that, I'll say that I use Tamiya paints to brush by hand, as well as other brands like Testor's, Model Master and Gunze-Sangyo.

With Tamiya's acrylics, I have seen similar behavior, with some of the colors, especially Flat Black. The paint has gotten quite thick in the jar, and it does not brush on well, and though it dries quickly, it doesn't cure quickly, and lifts right off. I now use that batch only for mixing washes, cutting it with isopropyl. Other Tamiya colors, like the shades of green, brush on relatively well, drying and curing quickly. I think that the pigments used for the various colors contribute to the results, because they may have different chemical properties.

Another thing to bear in mind is that you might want to thin your paint for application. Tamiya makes its own brand of thinner, which you can use, but you can also use ispropyl alcohol or water as a thinner. I use a ceramic palette that has wells in it, but you can use soda bottle lids or just about anything that will hold liquid.

And though acrylics do dry relatively quickly, you still might need to wait a while for the paint to cure to the point where you can put another layer over it. I'd check the labels for any specific instructions that they may list.

Hope that helps, prost!
Brad

 

[PJDeluhery]

I second the observations made about Tamiya paints - and the Baron's points below. I find the alcohol or Tamiya thinner work best - water not so well.

A way to speed up coats is to hit your figure with a hair dryer after applying each coat. Let the figure get warm, and then cool off. Because Tamiyas are alcohol-based they dry quickly. After cooling, you should be able to apply the next coat without lifting the previous one. Be careful not to "scrub" the surface with your brush - that will lift many acrylics not just Tamiya.

I use Tamiyas for airbrushing as well as hand application. It's a bit different than other paints, but you can get very fine results with practice.

 

[blaster]

I once did a limited comparison between Tamiya acrylics and Vallejo acrylics on a scrap piece of plastic. When dried, the Tamiya acrylics could not be scrapped off with the tip of my fingernail whilst the Vallejo acrylics came off immediately.

For acrylics, many paint handicraft shop sells the excellent Jo Sonja or similar acrylics which are perfect for handpainting. The desired colour can be obtained by simply mixing from their wide range of colours.

Rgds Victor

 

[theBaron]

Good points, Pat and Vic! I like Vic's suggestion about craft shop acrylics--I have bought some bottles of cheap acrylic at Michael's, and I tested it for use in washes.

And similar to Pat's tip about using a hair dryer to speed up drying time, I'll offer a tip that I also use with oils--a 60w bulb. I have a small gooseneck desk lamp on my bench, and when I want to speed up drying times, I'll put a figure under it and let it go. Some also use a small crock pot, or those little potpourri pots, which generate a little bit of warmth, enough to dry paint faster without damaging the figure.

Prost!
Brad

 

[PJDeluhery]

As you know, Brad I'm an oils painter, and I use a crock pot (low setting with lid adjar) to dry my figures - works very well. Have not used the bulb drying technique but know several that do.

I think it's not a bad idea to dry your acrylic works under a bulb or elsewhere for a while after finishing a painting session - especially when the figure is expected to be handled a lot. Acrylics DO rub off, so perhaps a flat clear coat is a good idea if much handling is anticipated.

FWIW, I use Jo Sonja acrylics and have been very happy with the results. Also, they come in large tubes - thus keeping costs down. I use craft shop acrylics for bases and other background work and have had great success with these. Not sure if the pigments are fine enough on some brands, but you can tell that pretty quickly when you apply them to a figure.

 

[theBaron]

I'm moving to the next step with the craft store acrylics, and testing using them for paint work proper, not just for washes. An example: I'm building the old Monogram P-51B in 1/48, and I had assembled and painted the prop and spinner. Blades were painted black, then masked. I sprayed the spinner white, set it aside to dry, removed the masking, and then noticed that I'd smudged the wet paint a little with my finger. I was faced with masking everything up again, but then I decided to try the flat acrylic, thinned with water. I applied it like a thicker wash, and it leveled really nicely, and after a couple of applications, the smudge was gone. I've also tried using them on the kit figures, and I'm getting used to working with them.

I also have a couple of bottles of Vallejo and Andrea acrylics that I picked up to test, and they work well, too, so I think I'll be adding more to my kit as time goes on. I think the water-based acrylics will work really well for me on flats.

Prost!
Brad

 

[Aggie99]

Wow...thanks for all the help!

I am not an "air-brusher" so I didn't know about a lot of the things that were mentioned. It was all news to me!

I have also only used hobby store brand acrylics (until this Tamiya paint). I think I have gotten the hang of the Tamiya paint, but I really just wanted to make sure that I wasnt going crazy..!

I really appreciate all the heating/drying techniques. That is a great idea, and something I hadnt thought of. So thanks for that.

As for me, I started in this hobby about 15 years ago when I got into "Games Workshop" miniatures. I used GW products (paints, primer, etc.) and all their figures were metal. So when I got back into miniatures (recently) I was looking for something similar to that. In other words, my only experience had been one major company making everything, and it was all that simple. However, with military miniatures I have found that it is not the case at all. The whole hobby is made up of hundreds of manufacturers of miniatures, paints, etc. So, there is a lot more to learn/figure out.

Actually, when I got back into it I thought I wanted Metal figures as that is what I was use to with GW...however, due to what I have found (mostly the cost), I am spending all my time on plastic figures. Who knew!?

Anyway....thanks again for the help!

 

[theBaron]

You'll probably find that most paints can be used on plastic or metal. I use my paints on both. The key consists of the tips you've seen here--a clean surface, under the primer, a good priming job, and then top coats of paints that you're used to working with, also, use good brushes. And when you get old like me, get an Optivisor

Prost!
Brad