Advice on Tamiya spray cans needed.

[Egghead]

Hi everyone - like many of you, it seems, I'm just getting back into the hobby. I'm going to try the Tamiya 1/48 Mosquito, and I'm about to buy all the equipment and paint I'll need.

Some of the listed colours are in Tamiya's AS spray-can range. Am I right in thinking I can't buy any equivalent Tamiya colours to put in any new airbrush I buy? That if I want these colours I have to use the Tamiya spray-cans? If this is the case, how good are these cans in terms of the quality of spray they emit? Do they produce a smooth effect?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[Jakko]

The names of Tamiya’s paints are the same across their different paint ranges, whether it’s aerosol cans, acrylics, enamels, or lacquers (the aerosol cans contain lacquer paints, BTW). So if the instructions tell you to use AS-10 for the grey areas, for example, you can look up that colour (just type Tamiya AS-10 into your web browser) to find its name: Ocean Grey. Look up that name on a Tamiya colour chart and you’ll find it’s XF-82 in acrylic paints that you can brush-paint or airbrush.

 

[The Smythe Meister]

Hi, Jakko is spot on with how to cross reference the various mediums of course.
However,if you do decide to go with the Tamiya rattle cans,I can assure you that they give excellent coverage,and a VERY smooth finish,(just make sure you spray at a good distance,making light passes over the model),I`ve used them on many of my models,be it Aircraft or Armour,and have been very satisfied with the results,HTH.

 

[Egghead]

Thanks Jakko and TSM! I'll try the Tamiya spray cans first to see how I get on with them, before I decide whether to invest in an airbrush and compressor; or do you think I should opt for an airbrush and compressor right away?

 

[Jakko]

No, I don’t Running before you can walk and that, really. Airbrushing is a fairly involved skill, and if I were you I’d do without for a bit first. Also, I would buy a cheap Chinese airbrush to start with — you can get them including a simple, very small, compressor for a couple of tenners if you look — rather than investing in an expensive one and a full-sized modelling compressor right away.

 

[Flip]

If you're using rattle cans, put them in warm water (<50 deg C) for 20 minutes or so first. You'll get better atomisation that way.

 

[Miko]

A Fengda airbrush and compressor can be had for less than a hundred pounds on Amazon, they are perfectly usable airbrush and work well for a beginner. They cost less than a handful of rattle cans which to me are a false economy, There are dozens of tutorials on YouTube on how to use an airbrush. Getting paint on a model kit is so much better and quicker than using a brush.

Miko (rattle cans are the most expensive way to paint your kit!)

 

[Tim Marlow]

Couple of things about rattle cans Neil…….you need to shake them well. I’d say for at least two minutes after you hear the ball bearing start to rattle..and when you finish the spray coat take the can outside, turn it upside down, and spray a piece of cardboard for a couple of seconds to clear the nozzle. If you don’t do this chances are the nozzle will be blocked next time you try to use it.
For primer use something from a car paint range. It will be far cheaper, and usually more effective, than paint marketed for modellers.
Don’t buy into the hype. Brush painting can be as good or better than the average airbrush coat, especially when you are just starting out. Look out Ron Spanner’s brush painting tutorial on here to see what can be done. There are things you can do with a brush that you can’t do with an airbrush, and vice versa, but when it comes down to it they are just tools for putting on paint. I was modelling for about twenty years before I could afford my first airbrush, and by then the only real advantage I got was saved time. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t go back, and there are a few things an airbrush can do that a paintbrush can’t, but there is a place for both and learning to handle paint with a brush is the most useful skill you can develop.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Oh, and we had a mosquito group build a little while ago,

Papa 695's D.H. Mosquito GB: July - Dec 2022

Build a Mossie. Any shape size or colour as long as its real that is.

www.scale-models.co.uk

and several Tamiya mosquitos were built, so have a look through that for hints and tips on the build.

 

[Egghead]

These are all great tips, everyone - thank you all!

 

[Waspie]

If you're using rattle cans, put them in warm water (<50 deg C) for 20 minutes or so first. You'll get better atomisation that way.

Cautionary tale with spray cans. If they cool beyond very cold. Do Not put them in warm/hot water when cold. I have two friends who have lost fingers and in one case a hand due to this technique when using spray cans to touch up aircraft after anti corrosion treatments.

 

[Flip]

If they cool beyond very cold. Do Not put them in warm/hot water when cold.

Yep - completely agree!