Marc33594 | 29 Nov 2015 12:32 p.m. PST |
Looking to try out Vallejo Model Air to airbrush German tri-color camo. Appears best matches are 71025 Dark Yellow for Dunkelgelb base and 71011 Tank Green and 71041 Tank Brown for the camo. Anyone try this and if so how did it look? Any Vallejo Model Air you would substitute? I have done Tamiya before but like the idea of no thinning and straight from the bottle. |
redmist1122 | 29 Nov 2015 12:56 p.m. PST |
In place of the brown and green, I use:71.080 Rust and 71.022 Camo Green. P. |
LeavingTMP | 29 Nov 2015 3:51 p.m. PST |
To be honest I find the model air paints a bit thin and prefer just thinned regular Vallejo model colour. I use middle stone, camo medium brown and either camo dark green or reflective green. All applied over a base of cavalry brown for red oxide primer. |
pnguyenho | 29 Nov 2015 10:24 p.m. PST |
I would stick with the Tamiya paints which spray very smoothly and clean up easily with isopropyl alcohol. The Model Air really clogs up the airbrush and is difficult to clean. I have to breakdown the airbrush in between every colour to clean it when using Model Air so I will buy it no more. Phong |
Marc33594 | 30 Nov 2015 7:06 a.m. PST |
Many thanks and thank you Phong for the warning. What airbrush are you using and what are you cleaning it with? I have found the key to Tamiya is to thin with their lacquer thinner (with the yellow cap) and NOT their acrylic thinner, at least when airbrushing. |
LeavingTMP | 30 Nov 2015 4:21 p.m. PST |
Generally acrylics are harder on airbrushes just because they dry quicker. Enamals are better for that point of view, but I prefer acrylics. I have no experience with tamiya paints mostly because I don't like that they aren't compatible with other acrylics. I find with Vallejo a squirt of water than a spray of airbrush thinner or cleaner (which ever come to hand first!) works fine and the a full clean when I finish work. And use a good airbrush. I use an iwata. Cheaper intro airbrushes have much worse tolerances and can cause more issues than they are worth. Leigh |
pnguyenho | 30 Nov 2015 6:54 p.m. PST |
Hi Mark, I use a Badger Patriot 105 dual action brush and clean it with 99% isopropyl alcohol (cheap, readily available at Costco, works great with Tamiya both for thinning and cleaning). For a new 17 ml bottle of Tamiya, I pour in the isopropyl alcohol to fill it 1/2 up the neck (part where cap screws on) then add 1 ml of Tamiya paint retarder and mix to get the "skim milk" consistency. I then use that diluted paint for everything. It sprays on smoothly and doesn't clog the brush. I have never tried the lacquer thinner (I'm too cheap). For German camouflage, I use XF60 dark sand as the dunkelgelb base, then XF58 olive green and XF64 red brown. I use the colours as they are. I also don't like mixing much. My problems with Vallejo Model Air were 2-fold; the tip clogged within minutes of spraying (always needed a cleaner fluid dipped Q-tip handy) and the paint always bubbled in the reservoir (which has never happened with Tamiya); I really don't understand that last problem. The only thing I had that would clean the Model Air adequately out of the brush was airbrush cleaner fluid bought at Michaels. A bottle costs as much as 4 bottles of isopropyl alcohol. Here are some of my tanks painted with Tamiya. The shininess is due to Future Wax sprayed on as a protective coat for handling; I have not yet dull coated the tanks. The red brown comes out much redder in the picture than when seen in person. Phong [URL=http://s172.photobucket.com/user/pnh1971/media/Wargaming/20151130_202857_zpspnwq6ncy.jpg.html]
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Marc33594 | 01 Dec 2015 12:52 p.m. PST |
Thank you both. In past I used a simple Badger 200 single action but now have a new Grex Tritum TG 3 dying to try out (I do 1/35th as well as 15 and 20mm armor). GREAT tip on thinning the Tamiya, I never seem to get it exact. I have been using XF-61 Dark Green but will have to give XF-58 a try. I like the idea of model air being ready to go from the bottle and good color matching from batch to batch. Will let you know how it turns out. And very nice work Phong! I too gloss coat prior to adding decals, which I seal, and then washes which flow much better on the gloss surface. When finished dullcoat to tone down and protect. Finally Fettster I too prefer acrylics and know what you mean about enamel though. |
redmist1122 | 01 Dec 2015 1:22 p.m. PST |
I've been out of airbrushing for many years and buddy who's a professional model painter recommend the Vallejo Air paints earlier this year to me. With a new Iwata Dual Action Airbrush, and a new air compressor w/tank; never had any issues with Vallejo Air paints. As a matter of fact a few weeks ago I was painting Warlords Bronekater Armoured Patrol Boat and used the regular Vallejo and Tamiya paints with some thinning and both worked like a champ. For cleaning, It was recommended to me to use Windex…again works like a champ. All the issues other people had, I experience the same when I was using a single action airbrush, old compressor and/or old paint…dunno. My two cents for what's it worth. Good luck! P. |
Marc33594 | 02 Dec 2015 6:48 a.m. PST |
Be careful with the windex. The ammonia will corrode various parts in the brush, especially brass parts. Make sure to thoroughly rinse with water. Also never soak parts in windex, prolonged exposure definitely will corrode. As long as you use the windex as a spray through cleaner and flush with water after should be good to go. Simple Green has been touted as a safer alternative but never tried it myself. |