Is there some trick to using hobby paints such as Floquil? I have a 1/24th scale scratchbuilt hoist motor I’m trying to paint Reefer Yellow. Brushing it on, the paint is thick and sloppy, the primer melts and shows through, the coverage is poor and uneven, and the details are getting filled in.
At this point it’s looking like I’ll have to strip the paint off and start over with a spray can. But then I have to shell out $4-5 for a spray can of a color I’m only going to use for one tiny thing! And I’d still have to do some of it by hand to avoid painting over the parts that aren’t supposed to be yellow.
you can cover oil based primer with water based (latex, acryllic) paint as long as the primer is thoughly dry. This will eliminate the primer melting and showing through.
Paint is really some tint, usually a mineral, suspended in a fluid, usually water or oil. based on what you discribed, you need to thin the paint a little. Do you use a pallete? Next time, get an old dinner plate, soap dish, or something similar and have your jar of paint AND a jar of thinner handy. Load your brush with paint. Put a glob on the pallete and push it around. Use your brush to pick up a little thinner and mix it in. See if the paint looks a little more even after that…
Did you use Floquil primer? Floquil paints tend to be thick and need to be thinned for spraying. How long did you let your primer dry? Brushing on generally makes a very thick coat. What quality brush are you using? That can have a very big effect also. Brushing on acrylics is an art also. You need to keep your brush wet at all times. Dipping it in water before the paint helps tremendously when brush painting. When spraying some people use rubbing alcohol for the thinner so it evaporates completly before hitting the model.
Here is something I’ve noticed over many years: model railroad paints tend to be crappy.
Model armour and aircraft paints tend to be excellent.
I suspect this may have to do with the ready-to-run phenonomen.
Armour and aircraft modellers truly build and paint their kits – every kit – thus ensuring a fairly healthy rotation of paint from the hobby store shelves.
Model RR products are either ready-to-run thus requiring very little paint for weathering (if they ever get weathered at all) or they are very simplistic kits.
And these simplistic kits have car bodies that are almost always the right color right out of the box with markings already applied. You just stick on a ladder or two and the trucks and you’re done. The most paint used is for the underbody and trucks, which is often black and black is the paint color that “keeps” best.
Thus model RR paints have a very slow rotation off the shelf and tend to go crappy before you even buy them!
That’s my crackpot theory anyway. [:)]
When you can, mix your colors using armor and aircraft paints.
Yellow and red are the hardest colors to paint and make to cover well. You are going to have to use a primer for those colors. I have had good luck with Krylon Automotive Gray Primer and also use a Paashe double action air brush or my Badger single action air brush for larger jobs.
I use floquil paints all the time and I thin them with Floquil’s air brush paint thinner. The paint should be thinned until it’s the consistancy of milk.
If I were you, nix the paint brushes and the cans of spray paint and invest in a good air brush, a regulator with a moisture trap, some in line paper filter cartridges, and a small air compressor with a minimum 2 gallon tank. You can get such a set-up for under $300.00. In my experience, brush painting floquil paints do not nor ever has come out very well. The paint is meant for air brushing.
I’m actually a former airbrush illustrator, so I have an airbrush. I’ve been leery about using it for this type of work for several reasons. The only paints I’ve ever used in my airbrush work were acrylics, which were non-toxic, non-flammable and cleaned up easily with water. I’m not set up for using these toxic, flammable hobby paints. It seems to me that the hobby paints would be a real pain to clean out of a good airbrush, and I have major concerns about the flammable fumes and potentially toxic dust. On top of all that, I used CO2 to power my airbrush and my tanks haven’t been used in 10 years so I’d have to get them hydro tested before I can use them again.
Still, if it’s the only way to get a decent paint job, I’m open to the possibility.
I’ve considered using airbrush acrylics but my models are going to be outdoors and those paints don’t hold up well to sunlight. and weather.
You do have a point about the bad fumes. I guess i’m fortunate in that my air brush rig is located at a work bench to the train room’s outside door. I just step out side with the rig and blast away. i could get fancy and put in a spray paint booth complete with all the fans, bells, and whistles, but they can get pricey and i don’t really have the room for one anyway.
I’ve never had a problem using acrylics or oil based paint in the airbrush. just as long as i clean it after each painting session. I use pipe cleaners to get in the tight spots.
If I have to paint directly to the layout, i usually open the door to the train room and i have 2 box fans to keep fresh air circulating thru the room. i also wear a particulate air respirator. I don’t worry about the explosiveness of the mist i create while air brushing, I don’t think there’s the chance that i’ll do something stupid like aim it at a furnace or space heater. the thin
Rather than use a grey primer…a white one, such as Tamiya or Rustoleum will work better. I’ve used both, but the Tamiya white primer is better. It dries faster and is much smoother. Usually, you can paint over it in a few hours.
Crank up your airbrush! You will definitely get the best results with it.
Regarding the fumes…If you really feel the need to use the solvent based paints, a spray booth, exhausted to the outside, isn’t that much of an investment. Actually, I would recommend a booth no matter the type of paint you use anyway.
As far as clean up goes: I find it’s the same for either the solvent or the water base paints…And, I will even use a solvent (lacquer thinner) as a final cleaning of my air brushes, even after cleaning up the acrylics with water and / or alcohol. And then, a dab of needle juice and I’m ready to go the next “go round”.
[#ditto] To the above suggestions, and, forget those out-dated CO2 tanks, get a compressor. If you’re worried about fumes, invest in, or build, a spraybooth, those are an excellent idea even if using acrylics or ‘‘safe’’ paints.
As for railroad color paints being less than quality, I agree!!, I have some old Floquil that sprays ok, but all the other colors I’ve tried were [censored]! I use Testors Model Master and Humbrol enamels, mix my own colors and get excellent results. I have had good results with Modelflex paints from Badger also, but they are acrylic and I’m not a fan of acrylic paint, however those do work pretty well on a clean, dry surface.