Am I the only one that thinks enamels have had their day?

[Dave Jay]

I've come to the conclusion that enamels have had their day, I've made more painting errors than ever recently, my most recent cock up is whilst using humbrol 222 moonlight blue on a Ferrari f430 bodyshell, knowing that the paint is metallic, I used fine mist coats and left each coat to harden off before proceeding with the next, however the paint has reacted with itself and looks, well, bloody awful. Yet another strip down, I've already had to strip this shell due to previously using humbrol 220 Italian red, the paint refused to dry, stayed tacky for 3 days. Had an incident with humbrol gloss black on my shelby GT500, the paint was awful. I'm sure it's not me or my preparation as I've had many first go successes.


It's time for me to ditch the enamels and head the acrylic way. I'm contemplating using 'model air' acrylics because my local shop stocks them, I don't do Internet ordering anymore as I got scammed to the tune of £3,500 recently.


What are your views on enamels and on model air products?


All the best, Dave

 

[BarryW]

Dave - try the Scale Model Shop on this site, superb service and reliable. Many of us on this forum use it and it is always my first call in ordering. I never buy from my rather inadequate LMS any more.


Be careful - acrylics need some adjusting to. You need to learn how best to use them and practise a lot.


I have used Model Air extensively a great range and find them excellent. I spray with a 0.4 needle, unthinned at about 20-25 psi. Shake the life out of them whatever you do and use the Vallejo thinner when you need or want to thin.


That said I am now using the AKI acrylics, in my case their 'Air' series for aircraft but they also do sets for armour and ships. Another growing range, same packaging as Vallejo (the eye dropper bottle is a real plus), but I find they spray even better than Vallejo.

 

[dubster72]

Yes you are! Some poor experiences with enamels doesn't mean they're defunct. No acrylic will give the same level of adhesion - that's not just my opinion, it's a chemical fact!


Take a look at the threads relating to paint problems - all bar a tiny few relate to the use of acrylics.


Then there's the thinners & cleaners needed. Pretty much every brand needs its own special brew.


Not enamels - white spirit and/or cellulose thinner & you're good to go!


Long live the mighty enamel paint!!

 

[john i am]

For cars I love Halfords pearlescent paints.

 

[Bunkerbarge]

As I've said many times before there is a time and a place for many different types of paint. I would certainly never limit myself to only a single paint system as I can use what ever type of paint I want that has the best properties to suit what I'm doing. Some of it is also down to personal tastes as well as what you are used to but from my own experiences I have achieved better finishes on 1/12th scale bikes with brush painted enamel that I ever could with sprayed acrylics. Although acrylics may be capable of achieving the same standard they are considerably less forgiving of surface imperfections and opacity is certainly better with enamels.


I would also suggest that dry brushing is significantly more difficult with acrylics as they dry far too quickly to enable you to generate the really soft edges you may be looking for.


I have acrylics, enamels, water colours and oils in my drawer and use all of them as and when I prefer.

 

[eddiesolo]

I use: Acrylics, Enamels, marker pens, emulsion match pots, varnish, pencils, rattle cans, oil paints, anything can be used to get a look.

 

[Deleted member 3568]

I am a dyed in the wool enamels man, I actually cannot get on with acrylics at all and if I was unable to get enamels I would either give up modelling or build them unpainted.

 

[Laurie]

Dave if you do go for acrylics Model Air get some Vallejo Flow Improver.


You can use with all the other water soluble acrylics.


As Barry has touched on AKI Acrylics and I would add Mig Acrylic and Life Color.


With Vallejo this makes up a good foursome. They are all water soluble so you


can use them all with any one of the manufacturer's thinners.


Revell and Humbrol produce acrylics but I have not liked them for airbrushing.


Tamiya Acrylics is different and has a lacquer thinners.


Again if you go for acrylics get a DVD AFV acrylic techniques by Mig Jimenez.


It is a good ground work tuition DVD. Basics Effects and Pigments.


Also have two DVDs F.A.Q. Modualtion Style and Pigments.


I would suggest first getting a bottle of AKI Acrylics, Mig Acrylic, Life Color and


Vallejo Model Air. Cost about £10.First to see if you like acrylics better than


enamels. Second to see which one fits your bill best.


Laurie


PS I think John stocks the DVDs.

 

[stona]

I've tried and use all sorts but do almost all my spraying and brush painting with enamel paints. All I ever do is thin with white spirits from Halfords, whatever the brand of paint. It doesn't get any simpler than that!


In the end it's just what works best for you


Cheers


Steve

 

[dave]

I'm with Richard on this one.


Most of the time I use acrylics, mainly Vallejo but a few Tamiya etc. I have some enamels, I also use artists water colours, oils and inks depending on what I am trying to do.

 

[Benhur]

I don't like these Humbrol tins. Opening and closing just gets paint on my hands. Acrylics for me. Vallejo and Tamiya and Humbrol spray cans.

 

[Dave1973]

Thats a good point David,


The humbrol tins have always been a pain, when you tip paint into a container (airbrush, mixing pot etc) it always runs round the lip, and then you have to try picking the lid up, wiping all the mess off the tin, which is a waste.


With the vallejo bottles, its zero mess!


Now if they put the enamels in similar containers, it would be much better!

 

[dubster72]

Thats a good point David,
The humbrol tins have always been a pain, when you tip paint into a container (airbrush, mixing pot etc) it always runs round the lip, and then you have to try picking the lid up, wiping all the mess off the tin, which is a waste.


With the vallejo bottles, its zero mess!


Now if they put the enamels in similar containers, it would be much better!

Tinlets make a mess?! Ha-ha are you kids?


Use a pair of tweezers to remove the lid & decant the paint with straws ...easy!!

 

[john i am]

Yeah to be honest I think enamel users are a dye hard dying breed.I used to use them myself but saw the light and have switched to acrylic and I ain't ever going back


Enamels I feel will eventually dye out or just fade away.


Just my opinion! Others are widely available

 

[colin m]

I use acrylics. But once in a while I reach for the enamel, and it's like meeting an old friend again. There are some colours where I only use enamel paints, like cockpit green and sky.

 

[Dave1973]

Tinlets make a mess?! Ha-ha are you kids?
Use a pair of tweezers to remove the lid & decant the paint with straws ...easy!!

Yes, yea i am. I am a self proclaimed messy ass! :P

 

[Benhur]

Tinlets make a mess?! Ha-ha are you kids?
Use a pair of tweezers to remove the lid & decant the paint with straws ...easy!!

Yep I am just a big kid which is why I like making models. Tamiya jars are the way to go or Vallejo bottles. Life color I think do nice jars.

 

[Karlos]

Just my own personal preference, but I prefer to spray acrylics, and brush-paint with enamels.


For some reason I just can't get on with acrylics on a hairy stick, but I do prefer the way they spray (and of course, less noxious fumes than sprayed enamels)


So I tend to brush paint interiors, and small details, with enamels - and spray acrylics for coverage, and smoother finish, on exteriors.

 

[spanner570]

I'll rub along with any kind of paint - even cheap children's acrylics...as long as I get the results I want from my brushes, I don't care what kind of paint I stick them in.


But then I don't spray paint, so it makes life so much easier....


INCOMING!

 

[Laurie]

Tamiya jars are the way to go or Vallejo bottles. Life color I think do nice jars.

From the practical point of view David I like the droplet bottles. The paint cannot dry out so easily as there


is less than a 2mm hole while a wide top bottle can. The droplet bottle is also long and there is a very


small surface exposed compared to the Lifecolor bottle.


So much easier to count drops into an airbrush with a dropper bottle. If I am using a lot of a particular lifecolor I decant


into a dropper bottle..


Laurie