# paint issues



## DARKSCOPE001 (Jun 14, 2006)

Hey guys I have been a member of hobby talk for some time now but never really posted in the modeling section of the board. But I have a question reguarding Model paint and im a bit worried that im either doing something wrong or i got bad paint. Anyways here goes.... So a few weeks ago i was up at the write patterson air force base and I got a P-51 model kit. I chose to paint it up like The Millie G well the spinner is supposed to be insignia yellow and i belive insigna orange well its a yellow stripe with orange on both sides so to me it only makes logical sence that the yellow be layed down first then masked off and sprayed with orange. Anyways I got back from the hobby shop with abot 20 bucks worth of "model master" paint. one of the collors I purchessed was insigna yellow. I shook up the can. and opened it. dipped my brush and whiped off all the excess just like ive been doing and all my other parts have come out looking great. well I took the spinner in one hand and started "painting" well the paint looked like absolute CRAP! It was only the first coat but I could basicly tell that the origonal plastic was grey in color. So I let it dry for about two hours and put on a second coat still looks like crap and the paint is verry globby. like ive put on to much but all the other parts ive painted with a brush look just fine. What am I doing wrong? and ive been thinking should I paint the origional Plastic with a dark color like flat black or something? 

PLEASE HELP
Sean Scott


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Myself I do not like Model Master paint. But most solvent based hobby paints today have "new" formulas that are not as good as the old pre 1990s stuff. They tend to be translucent, syrupy, sticky, and don't dry very quickly. 

Some colors like white, yellow, red... don't hand paint well. Or they should be applied over a white (sprayed) base coat.

For hand painting I have had great success with the newish Humbrol Acrylic paints. They cover in one or two coats, and dry very quickly.




























This Chance Vought dive bomber was done almost entirely with Tamiya spray cans


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## DARKSCOPE001 (Jun 14, 2006)

Thanks for the reply Yea idk what to do. I might go to a better hobby shop and look for a insignia yellow in a spray can and see if that helps. i would like to invest in an airbrush but I have so much other stuff I need to get first because Im a full time college student getting my A&P so of course I love anything that has to do with aircraft  anyways ill be sure to post it up when im done. I wish I could go back and do a few things differently. because im trying to paint the interior of the landing gear bays green as tho they have zinc chromide (forgive I belive thats what its called) on them and the exterior the collor of the aircraft to give it a deeper level of accuracy/ show that im a little serious about this airplane 

THANKS
Sean Scott


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## bert model maker (Feb 19, 2002)

Was your yellow enamel or acrylic paint ? If acrylic, the acrylic paint does not like bare plastic and will bead up and not stick.


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## DARKSCOPE001 (Jun 14, 2006)

it is enamel  I always thought that all model paints were enamel but It has been a long time since I have modeled. and when I was a boy I never realy Painted it for scale I just threw them togeather so I never really cared. But now that I am an aviation Mechanic I want to make it look verry realistic and because I have a huge love of aircraft especialy WWII birds 

THANKS GUYS 
Sean Scott


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

Yeah, like the man said, MM paints don't always hand brush very well. They used to! Something happened to the formula a few years ago. Very frustrating.

The best bet is to airbrush them, especially whites and yellows.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

The Model Master Acrylic flats hand paint nicely. The planes I showed were mostly done with Humbrol Acrylics, which hand paint beautifully.

Humbrol enamels still hand paint fairly well.

I do not like MM enamels very much


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## DARKSCOPE001 (Jun 14, 2006)

thanks for all the input guys. Im going to try to find some other companies to buy from. I did Notice today While painting the fuselage and wings of my aircraft I was having quite some difficulty. It seemed like the paint was tacking up to fast on me. (could also be me because I havent modeled in quite some time) but overall Im "pleased" with the results. Obviously with this being my first model and it being a cheap testors model I did what most would probably Consider and "ok" job at best. I would like to figure out where I can learn more about good modeling practices. Like on my aircraft some parts didnt line up well after I had already gued them togeather with CA (bad Idea) I noticed some parts didnt line up. so at my local crafts store I found some stuff called Detail Paste by testors and I saw a similar product used on a youtube video. But I cant quite figure out the proper tequnique for it. Also I wish I had either rubber baned the parts togeather or better yet I used to have mini Quick clamps and what not so that I didnt have to hold the stupid things for 5 min and guess if the glue was dry yet. Also I have one more qeustion. I want to get a basic Starter airbrush Forgive me because I dont do much modeling but I found a airbrush at harbor freight for like 20 bucks. the "Central Pnumatic deluxe Airbrush kit" And I looked up some reviews and it good good reviews and ok reviews So I was wondering if anyone would say this brush is even worth brining home Ill check cl and see if I cant find anything anyways my only other question is that My local craft store sells Testors and Model Master Is testor any good or should I order some of the forementioned humbrol paints?

THANKS GUYS
Sean Scott 
Sorry for such a longwinded post


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Testors paint is ok for some things. Model Master is Testors, also. I prefer their flat colors to the gloss or semi gloss shades, but overall do not use them too often. They spray better than they hand paint, though.

Humbrol Acrylics are great. Sadly they are not easy to get in the US. The only place I know that has them (or the entire range) is www.airfix-usa.com But you can buy direct and they are not very expensive. I don't know how they airbrush. Tamiya acrylics airbrush very nicely too, although they are not great for hand painting. Humbrol enamels hand paint and airbrush well, although you have to mix them really thorougly (I use a Badger electric stirrer there).

I am not a fan of cheap brushes but the Harbor Freight one is probably worth $20. If its the one I am thinking of its a Chicom knock off of a Paasche design. I do think you get what you pay for though... the cheap ones don't have the tolerances of a name brand quality brush.


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## DARKSCOPE001 (Jun 14, 2006)

Yea Im not sure exactly what I want to get right now. As I said before Im getting my A&P right now so naturaly Im handy with a wrench and love buying tools. Well the next thing I want to get is a compressor. I dont know how big I want to go tho. Because Obviously being a college student I cant afford to drop buko bucks on a 33+ gallon Compressor. But i wouldnt mind having one that would run a pocket blow gun and other small air tools. Like a little pancake compressor. But I cant decide if I want to get an airbrush specific one or get a little pancake one and use it for filling up tires and what not. Or woul that be to overblown? anyways right now im just looking for a airbrush that is basicly a spray can of my choice. (forgive me because I am new to modeling) And I dont know if its even worth the 20 or so bucks for the gun Anyways Thanks for all the input guys Ill go check out that site and see what I can find. any help You guys can give me as far as books videos and other info is always appreciated because my mustang is coming "ok" I wish perhaps I could go back and try again. 

THANKS GUYS
Sean Scott


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## KUROK (Feb 2, 2004)

I believe Model Master enamels ( and probably the acrylics too ) are designed to be airbrushed. I've always had trouble with the light colors when it comes to brushing and will only do that for very small areas like propeller tips.


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## DARKSCOPE001 (Jun 14, 2006)

ok guys thanks again for all the input. I think im just going to bite the bullet and get a decent airbrush. Question tho, I have been watching the testors scale workshop on youtube (yes I realize its by testors so everything they use will be a testors product) and I have learned a few things. But is the aztek any good? Im currently looking at this model http://www.amazon.com/Testor-Corp-A...e=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1270585669&sr=1-1 or the slightly less expensive one that only comes with three tips. anyways I was also talking to the man at my local hobby store who seems to like the airbrush propellant (is this stuff any good or is it a joke) He is a pretty nice old man and I have been stoping in that store ever since I was a little boy and My father and I did model trains and he has always worked behind the counter and always been very helpfull. So I tend to lean towards his oppinions. Anyways I think im just going to take a few months or so off of modeling and Im going to go to some book stores and search around on the internet and see what kind of info I can find. 

THANKS AGAIN GUYS
Sean Scott


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I don't care for the Aztek brushes for a number of reasons. For the cost, I think they are plastic junk. Air is controlled inside by crimping or un-crimping a plastic tube. Pretty much any other name brand brush has a real valve inside. I could never get the Azteks to really do much... the adjustments never seemed to have any great effect and no matter what tip or setting I tried, they just sputtered and plugged up. I've been using airbrushes for nearly 40 years, and just do not like these. THey break fairly often and they no longer carry a lifetime guarantee (hmmm I wonder why). Plus the tips go bad and are fairly costly to replace and you have to replace them often.

Good beginners brushes I like wold be the Badger 200, Paashe H model, or the Paasche VL. All are quite good for what they are. I use the Badger 200 myself for most projects. I also have a Tamiya/Iwata brush, and a Badger Crescendo. But the 200 is easy to use and works very well. Price wise, the VL is just around $100, with the Badger 200 perhaps being in the $80 range and the Paasche H around $45.

Cans of air work okay... but are VERY expensive. One $15 can provides about 8-12 minutes spray time. If you model very infrequently you could get by with a can now and then, but I can see easily using 2-3 cans on one medium size model project. A small tank compressor is well under $100.


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