I started modeling many years ago but life got in the way and i had to stop. My main focus previously was always balsa aircraft (kit and scratch built) However I have always wanted to build armor and other scale military kits. Now at 51 yrs old I am starting to build again and this time I am focusing on plastic scale models.
My first kit is a Tamiya M41 Walker Bulldog. At thsi point it is built and primed (krylon grey from a rattle can) I have set the kit aside whiile I research some of the techniques I want to use for finishing the kit such as chipping, weathering and apply a wash.
I practiced some of these techniques on a cheap ($2) kit of a 1/6 scale M4 rifle.
I soon learned what issues I was going to have with my Walker. I tried to do a wash and it removed some of my paint. It didnt even seem to darken the recesses and lines on the rifle. I have obviously done something wrong.
I used an odorless thinner, which I bought from Walmart. It was not a mineral spirit I am pretty sure. I mixed black oil paint with it but was unsure of how much paint to add. I thnk I may have not had enough paint but I cannot be sure.
I would really appreciate some help on how to do a proper oil wash on my armor and other kits.
Greetings fellow sandlapper… I’m in the upstate close to Spartanburg. I’m no expert by any means but I think the first thing is to make sure what thinner your using. If it’s not mineral spirits that may be your problem. Also some of the really cheap oil paints won’t give the greatest results but should still be satisfactory for a wash. If your not seeing much as far as darkening it may just be way too thin. Don’t be scared to add some more paint just don’t make it so thick that it has trouble flowing in all the nooks and crannies. Also don’t worry about putting too much on because you will wipe most away anyway. Also make sure what you wash with doesn’t interact with your base paint, I mostly use acrylics so mineral spirits doesn’t bother it but if I use enamel paints I would use acrylic washes or I would seal first with an acrylic clear such as future and then oil or enamel wash (which I prefer). Practice on junk plastic first until your happy. By the way the tank is looking good. I do mostly planes and autos but am starting to get interested in WWII armor. Hope this helps and good luck.
We lived in Simpsonville across from Greenville SC for about 4 years, It’s a beautiful town.
Back to modeling, you cannot use a solvent base wash over a solvent type paint. You need to either use an acrylic paint or an acrylic clear coat to act as a barrier over the enamel otherwise the wash will lift the paint.
If you want to accentuate sharp details like hatches, screens, bolts then you need a gloss coat that will make the wash settle around these details. If a flat coat is used then it acts as a filter darkening the paint as it gets absorbed.
You can use the dot oil technique over a flat acrylic clear coat to produce tonal changes and streaks and rain marks.
Not any form of expert, so YMMV. I use Tamiya panel liners (brown and black) on top of a gloss coat. Have used both Future (aka Pledge) and Tamiya. Without the gloss the cappilary action isn’t as good, plus clean up is more difficult or impossible as solvent can remove paint as well as liner. Make sure both the paint and gloss coat are dry. Maybe even put down a couple coats of gloss to insure it’s smooth and complete.
I have yet to come across a wash that dries dead flat. But then again the steps that I follow are to apply a flat coat after wash clean up. I apply my washes over a gloss coat and decals most of the time. Even if I do not, I still seal the wash with a flat coat. This usually makes the wash stand out more distinctly.
I can tell you teh Tamiya washes do not dry flat. There is definitely a sheen to them. I do the same as the previous poster. Gloss, wash then flat clear to seal the deal.
Grumbacher or Windsor & Newton “Ivory Black” applied in a mineral spirit wash dries absolutely dead flat. I use the Grumbacher. A $10 dollar tube should last 15 years.
Yo don’t need to spend money on Mig products or Tamiya products when you can get superior results with oil paints that will last 200 models.
I just received four washes from Wilder. The washes are called AquaLine. They are acrylic washes that can be reactivated with water after thay have dried. They are supposed to dry dead flat. I’ll use them on my next build.
Ahoy Jared, greetings from Virginia. I fussed with a wash for armor for weeks using enamel paint and mineral spirits before I realized that mineral spirits aren’t what they used to be! I haven’t had any luck with the new low-odor stuff on the market. What I learned about washes is what you’re hearing already. Give the model a good coat of clear acrylic, I use Pledge Floor Care (PFC). And then make a wash using artist’s oil paint and an artist grade thinner. Yes, the Windsor-Newton black is super and so are their browns and greens. Good luck and keep building.
