Just to make sure I’ve got this right,
ACRYLICs are water based?
ENAMELs are oil-based?
And you use water to thin your acrylics, and thinner for your enamels?
Also, I heard something about Testor’s Dullcote Lacqeur stripping paint. Does it strip acrylics, or enamels? Which type of paint works better? And if one type works better, why is the other type still used? Also, on some types of plastic, my enamel paints won’t cure! They’ll simply “float” on top of the plastic, and will get very sticky, but never actually dry! What gives? How can I get around this problem?
Acrylics are better thinned with isopropyl alcohol… About your ‘floating paint’, do you prime your models first?
usually not… If I do, what type of primer should I use to get rid of the stickiness of my enamels? I’ve experimented with painting first in acrylics, and then putting the enamels on over, and this seems to work OK, would priming work better?
I’m not sure if that stickiness is caused by the lack of primer. Unprimed models, either plastic, resin or metal can cause your camo paint not to stick… Grease residue from your fingers, remains of the mold-releasing agent, dust from sanding,… can all cause problems with the adherence of the paint. You can wash your model with soapy water just before painting (let it dry!), then prime them. I use white acrylic in can (it’s a primer that I find at an automotive store), let it dry properly then start with the real paint (either enamel or acrylic, whatever you prefer).
I use Alclad Primer and Microfiller, and REALLY like it! It does not fill detail, but helps smooth out some of the super-fine scratches left by sanding… if you miss any.