I like to use acrylic paint (model masters) as much as possible on my aircraft. It’s easier clean-up and dry time. However, when I mask over a base coat, the paint comes up with the tape. I use low tac tape too. This never happens with enamel. What am I not doing?
You might want to prime first to give the acrylic something to “bite” into. It doesn’t seem to bond directly to the plastic as well as enamel does.
primer the surface or at least wash the model before you paint it.
Wulf,
I agree that acrylics have their advantages and every time I say I’m going to switch to solely using enamels, I always seem to go back to my acylics.
First off, I find my tamiya acrylics to be superior to most other brands. I’ve also used humbrol and have found similar results. I don’t have extensive experience with model master acrylics or polly scale which testors also makes, but thus far I haven’t been overly impressed with those.
Acrylic paint is more fragile because it is thinner than enamel and reacts with the plastic differently. I never seem to need to prime but using more than one coat might help. Also, allow more than two days drying time for the paint to cure. I find using tamiya masking tape also helps as it has just the right amount of tack.
Hope that helps,
Doug
I’ve never had a problem with Tamiya acrylics—I flat light gray as my primer on bare plastic. Adhesion of the fully cured paint is excellent.
I have never had a problem with PolyScale acrylics—excellent adhesion. They are relatively thin, and require multiple coats, but produce a lovely finish.
I’ve never had a problem with Future pulling up any paint that was fully cured. Future will yellow if exposed to strong UV for a long time—don’t leave your model in bright sunlight for a year.
Others’ comments below bear repeating: Clean the model surface. I use Windex followed by alcohol. Let the paint cure thoroughly. Acrylics are particularly sensitive to humidity and temperature. Keep them warm and dry while curing.
I apply a few light coats of Future after the paint has time to dry. This seems to help. I figure if the masking is going to pull up something it’ll be the Future and not the paint. So far, so good. No paint peeling using this method. Plus I’m going to Future it anyway before applying decals so what the heck. I’ve also discovered, with many thanks to MusicCity and Bgrigg here on the forum, that adding retarder to the paint makes a world of difference in both adhesion and appearance. Hope this helps.
Hud
I am slowly converting over to Tamiya acrylics, after being a long-standing enamel (humbrol, particularly) fan. However, after mucking around with some recent kits, I’ve decided that enamel will still be my preferred, particularly if masking is involved. For general spraying such as tank camo, acrylics seem to work nicely.
NTM
I don’t really see the advantages to acrylics. Clean up? Big deal. I use lacquer thinner for that and a dirty brush or air brush is not a problem. I use one of the old Testors airbrush cleaner/catch cans and it works great for vapors. Have a good spray booth, which one should have regardless of the type of paint being used.
What I don’t have is all the problems that seem to creep up on the forums about acrylics. I don’t fiddle with temp or humidity. I don’t have to let the model sit for days before masking. I don’t have to raid the wifes kitchen cleaners to clean my equipment. I don’t have to mix color to get anything that resembles RLM 76.
I wonder why people change. I know enamels and lacquers. They have worked well for me. I get what I want without fuss. I know what to expect when I pull the trigger. Why change?
But I digress. I did try to spray some Tamiya the other night. It did not go well. After visits to the boards and advice from the locals I determined that I probably didn’t have the paint thin enough. Live and learn I guess. I learned that enamels and lacquers will be my mainstay with acrylics following at a distance only comming to the front when absolutely need be.
I use Tamiya acrylics all the time and yes I do use masking tape with good results.The key is to let the paint cure for at least 3 days and use blue 3M removable masking tape.Also when painting do not use too much paint by bhe masking instead using smooth passes with the airbrush.Note that this applies to Tamiya acylic paints I have used acyrl paint on my Lionel F-3 and the above method works well also.In addition when peeling the masking tape off,lighty score around the mask with a new #11 blade and slowly peel off the masking tape with a smooth,even action which will minimize any ragged edges.
HK, I perfectly understand, even though I am a confirmed, dyed in the wool acrylic user—except for Alclad, and a rare foray into Humbrol enamels for hand painting. (I loved Humbrol enamels, and I still have two carefully preserved tins.) It’s your liver, and you’ll paint as you want to, just as it’s my liver, and I’ll paint with acrylics, thank you. [:)]
Acrylics are an entirely different beastie, and the transition is not easy.
The bottom line is really safety and convenience. Acrylics are less hazardous than enamels and lacquers (although not nearly as nonhazardous as some think), by any measure. Aqueous systems are the future, I think, and solvent systems will eventually be relegated to specialty applications.
Cleaning up with soap and water appeals to a lot of people.
My own reason for changing? I worked in the paint industry, pre-OSHA. If I’m going to abuse my liver and further, I prefer to do it with potable libations such as good beer, good wine, and good scotch. [party].
[#offtopic]BTW: Have you tried Hoppe’s Elite yet? That stuff is incredible!
In my opinion, acrylics are just fine by me. Once everything’s buttoned up and masked over, just shoot everything with some enamal primer in a rattle can. (The cheapest stuff from Meijers works perfectly) Then, spray, mask, and do whatever it is you do to your heart’s content! [:D]
The way I see it, why mess around with a bunch of chemicals when you can easliy clean acrylics up with water and windex? I don’t know. It makes perfect sense to me.
[#offtopic]
Triarius, I switched to Hoppe’s Semi-Auto about three years ago and liked it enough to settle for it. Havent tried the Elite yet though. After I get through the quart bottle I have I may give the Elite a try.
In the years past safety with paints and chemicals was no big deal to me. I’d blow paint all day in a small room on the weekend and never crack a window because I’d let out the cool air and let in the hot, humid stuff. Heck, I used to even roll my paint brushes on my tounge after I cleaned them to make them pointy before I put them away! Today, I’m a bit more conscience of how I treat my body and the chemicals I allow it to intake. I take precautions but not perfectly, I admit. Much better than days gone by though. Shoot, if there was damage to be done I’ve probably already did it. I still think nothing of getting paint thinner on my hands when I clean the airbrush or dipping the paper towel in it to clean up some putty or something. But I’m more aware of the vapors and try to accomedate myself for cleaner air. The work area is well ventilated, I have a spray booth and the catch can for airbrush cleaning is similar to the one Matt Swan made in operation.
Truthfully, I’m intrigued by the idea of the aqueous acryls but not enough yet to try them out. Buy no thinner, just use the tap. Wonderful! But I’m under the impression that that system is not yet perfected? Not a lot of colors yet. Maybe in the future. Heck, speaking of Future maybe the company that makes it should get in bed with a pigment company and start selling colored Future for painting purposes! Could work!
I’m a convert to acrylics for about 3 years. I think the most important thing I learned was using primer. I haven’t had any problems with masking tape pulling up the acrylic since using primer. IMO Tamiya acrylics airbrush better than other acrylics I’ve used. I mix about 50 -50 acrylic to Tamiya thinner. Dean
Has anyone here ever tried Mister Kit acrylic paints? They make a german mauve that I’m awfully tempted to try on my Albatros.
Here’s a question about primers; would an enamel primer for acrylics be better than an acrylic base coat?
Being water based many acrylic paints don’t take when sprayed on to enamel including primers. In the UK many modellers undercoat with Halford’s plastic primer. It is meant for priming the plastic parts of cars and comes in grey or white (and I think red). It seems to work very well. The white is a better undercoat for colours like yellow. I am sure there must be something similar available in the USA from the places that sell touch-up paint for cars.
They do take a little getting used to as the thinning ratios are a bit different than enamels for airbrushing. And being about to clean wet paint with plain old tap water, and dried paint with big bottle of cheap Windex (with amonia) for what, less than 2 bucks? That’s win win in my book. It’s just like anything else that’s new, takes a little bit to figure out the ins and outs. To me, Enamels are a pain in the butt.
Not nearly to the extent that enamels and lacquers are—lacquer has been around for at least 2500 years. But there is tremendous pressure behind aqueous systems, both economic (price of oil, hence solvent, is going ballistic) and social (in the form of increased health awareness and distrust of commercial interests.) The aqueous paints of today are a far cry from those of even ten years ago.
The difficulty with aqueous systems is the water molecule. We take water for granted, but it is a truely odd compound—in the cosmic sense, it’s just plain weird.
You said something about “the damage has already been done.” Not necessarily. You could stand downrange all day wherever you go to shoot, and probably be safer than you were driving there. But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Similarly, don’t neglect the cumulative effect of exposure to toxins. Alcohol and nicotene are poisons, but it takes a lot of exposure to kill you. The body produces tiny amounts of acetone (and other ketones) which are poisonous, too, but your body can handle these amounts, if not for too long. The body produces copious amounts of ammonia—one of the most deadly chemicals known to the species, particularly in vapor form.
I’ve used Polly Scale for over 10 years with great success. During the build all major parts are washed in liquid dish soap and warm water then sanded with 600 grit wet paper. This gives the acrylic paint a bit of “tooth” and it does not pull off with the masking tape.
As for acrylics over enamel, that is a no-no but again if you wet sand the enamel until the gloss is removed you will have greater success with covering with acrylics. Most of my painting tricks were learned from an old master in 1/1 re-finishing and they apply to models as well.
For those who can get hold of “Simple Green”, it is a terrific cleaner for acrylics. Used full strength, it will clean just about any acrylic paint from brushes, airbrushes or clothes and it is environmentaly friendly.
Quick question… I’m using an enamel color for my primer (Light ghost gray I believe). You guys say that enamel and acrylics don’t mix. Is this just because of the glossiness or does the acrylic not stick well?? And if so, am I screwed for my DO 335?