enamel. laquer, and acrylics...oh my!

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

I’m sorry for the title for this post, but I couldn’t resist :slight_smile:

I was wondering, and hoping one of you that know could help, about mixing paint types. No, I don’t mean mixing acrylic with enamel. What I mean is, Is it okay to use an enamel (say Testors) primer, then use an acrylic color (say, Model Master Acryl) over it? And what about the other way around? And could you use an enamel or acrylic primer, then the Model Master custom Laquer System over that? I’m using a brush, not an AB for the parts in question, if that matters.

I only ask because my paints I ordered online won’t be here until tomorrow (evening, most likely), and when I had gone to the local Hobby Lobby, I didn’t check labels carefully…someone had moved paints around like crazy! So, until my stuff gets here, I’m stuck with mis-match types of paint. And I am wanting to paint this figure that goes with my 1/24 scale racecar (Jeff Gordon’s Dupont Monte Carlo…gonna do the set of them, but my son picked this one to start with). There are actually DECALS that go on the figure, so I wanted to get it painted, and since I am an insomniac, thought tonight would be a good time.

I think I have the right colors (only need a red and a blue), but was curios, and need time for the primer to dry.

Michael

2

If you let the paint cure properly then you can put almost any type of paint over any other type of paint. I have used acrylics and enamels over each other and had no problems.

3

I would avoid brushing laquers. Period. And especially over other types of paint. The solvent/carrier tends to be too “hot” and will likely craze or even lift the other paint some may even craze bare plastic.

4

AJ and RG have pretty much covered it…ahem (pun intended)…[:-,]

5

Well, I thank you for the information. I have actually brushed the laquer a couple of times, and had no ill effects. Of course, that was BEFORE the warning, so now it’ll probably melt my next attempt :slight_smile:

Actually, I only have a couple bottles of the laquer, since I didn’t look closely at the bottles, and only the color. THAT is a lesson that I learned AFTER using it - when I realized I didn’t have anything to clean the darn brush with!

Well, at any rate, I had the right colors on hand, in acrylic, and my othes are due in today, so I’m in good shape. Still, it is good information to have.

Michael