I was applying a flat black base coat to a panzer tank tonight and although I’m spraying tamiya xf-1 flat black the finish came out glossy? Would that be caused by too little/too much pressure, paint that is too thin or thick? Or some other problem that I’m not seeing?
Thanks!
This may happen if you haven’t stirred the paint sufficiently. Always stir. When you think you’ve stirred enough, stir it some more. Simply shaking the bottle for 30 seconds or even 3 minutes isn’t enough.
[dto:]
Had the same issue myself, especially with Tamiya flat black’s
Partially agree. It is often a matter of inadequate mixture. But shaking Tamiya paints has always been good enough for me. Some brands seem to foam up when you shake them. And some paints that have sat around for months need a good mix with a battery powered mixer. But for me, Tamiya has never required anything but a good shake.
I think it’s a combination of things. opening the jar and mixing it beforehand is a good start… Over thinning might be breaking down the nature of the paint too. Also, humidity as the paint hits the model can cause odd effects… Flat paints are flat because tiny bits of the paint are ‘standing up’ in the mixture causing roughness that deflects light… So if the little bits are flat against the plastic, then it gets smoother.
-Mix your paint well.
-Try to use Tamiya thinner.
Wash your model with warm water and dish soap and an old tooth brush.
Maybe add a drop of Tamiya flat base to add a bit more flatness…
Good luck!
I don’t like to shake paints (except Alclads) because most of the thick pigment will stay at the bottom if not stirred. It also throws paint up into the inside of the lid. I like to keep the inside of the lid clean as possible to get a better seal. Some of my paints are over 15 years old so looks like this method works. I use those thin wood coffee stirring trips to throughly stir the paint then I wipe them clean with a piece of paper towel.
Too heavy of a coat will make the finish more glossy. Too thin a coat with gloss paint can make it more flat. I make use of this to create eggshell (semi-matt) coats. But the point is, a good matt coat requires a pretty dry (thin application. Try a heavier coat first to get good coverage, then follow up with a drier coat to get flatness.
My take on the shaking/stirring concept. Take a brand new, un-opened bottle of any brand paint, other than the NMF type, give it a good shake for one or two minutes.
Open it, use something clean to stir it, being certain to stir the entire bottom of the bottle. After the stirring stick moves freely around the bottom, pull the stick out and see what is on the lowest part. Pretty much always there will be a big glob of thick materials, stuck on the stick bottom.
Real aircraft paint systems, like polyurethane that costs hundreds of dollars per gallon, state clearly in the directions that the paint is to be stirred completely, not just shaken.
If part of the solid materials are left on the bottom of the container, not mixed in with all of the other ingredients, the paint cannot perform at the level intended.
I agree with Bish, Phil H and Plastic Junkie, stirring is the best way to ensure that a paint product will perform as the manufacturer intended. Also, by stirring and not shaking you can keep the cap clean, so the bottle contents remain useable for longer periods. Great tip, Ernie, thanks.
That’s my .02
Patrick
Hmmm… are you sure you didn’t use Tamiya gloss (or semi-gloss) black instead of flat black? You never know…
I always make a habit of stirring and shaking the bottles before doing any painting.
I always stir Tamiya paint - the amount of vigor depends on the color (some like metallic brown and aluminum require a ton and others a little less). In this case I stirred it for a full minute or so and when I took the stirrer out there were no blobs present and the paint looked pretty uniform. I always thin with Tamiya thinner and apply over a base of Tamiya surfacer. The distance between the nozzle and subject depends on the spray pattern (size) and the PSI I’m spraying at (in this case 8psi and a tight pattern around corners/tight spots then 12psi and wider for surface coverage). I thinned the paint as usual - to the point where it will run down the side of a mixing jar without being coerced by forces other than gravity. It happens rarely but it always seems to be with black shades (flat black, rubber, semi gloss black, etc.). Heck, I even added a bit of testor’s clear flat acrylic to the mix and it still happened!