ok, so i have MIG’s FAQ book, and i have some questions for you armor guros. i noticed when he makes certain mud mixtures, he calls for certain products. he asks for acrylic resin, which i have from MIG productions right now, but when i run out, what would be an alternative choice? i have a Michaels and a wal mart close by. also, fine plaster? i’m not tim the tool man taylor, so what is a name brand that i can find at walmart for the plaster he uses in making mud? and gloss and satin varnish? i use polly scale and tamiya acrylics, so what would be gloss and satin varish in their brand? and he uses the term terptintine and white spirit quite often. i was told that they both are the same thing, another word for white oderless mineral spirits. is this true? and always using an “old” brush, well i try to take care of my brushes, so not many of them are “used”. but if i bought a few to make used, what tip should i go with? nylon, sable, etc etc??
thanks in advance guys
I haven’t worked with Mig Pigments at all, but I can offer some general advice. Fine plaster is the kind you’d use for pouring figurines rather than what would be used for fixing walls. Micheal’s would be a good place to look for it. Gloss and satin varnish are clear coats, I use Testor’s “gloss coat” for gloss; I don’t use semi-gloss, but that’s what “satin” is refering too. As for brushes, when I know I’m going to be ruining one I buy a three pack of Testor’s nylon brushes with the white handles. They’re cheap and if you screw one up it doesn’t hurt to toss it and buy another. Turpentine and white mineral spirits are different, but similar products. Check the paint department in your Walmart, they’ll have both in big cans for a low price. With the big cans you’ll need some pipets or a couple of soda starws to transfer it with or you’ll make a big mess.
On the note of brushes, I usually will watch for a sale at either Hobby Lobby or Michael’s for “artist starter kit” type brushes. You can usually get a set of anywhere from 3 to 12 brushes in a set that will be sable or decent quality nylon and I designate these for pigment use. Set’s are usually, after discount/sale % off, around $10-$15 and you don’t have to worry about protecting them like you would your standard paint brushes. I put a small band of masking tape around the handles so I don’t accidentally use them for something else, works great. The throw-away white handled brushes from Testor’s are usually available in most Wal-marts too, they are highly disposable. [:D]