Biggles

Take a look here. You may find it useful. Ian

To be honest, I haven't a clue. I just mix in the sidecup until the paint is about the same consistency as semi-skimmed (2%) milk! I suspect that it's about 1:1. I spray at about 8 to 10 psi through the Iwata, or 12 - 15 psi through my Badger 100. Try it out on some scrap first. Regards, Ian

To confuse the issue still further (sorry!. . .) I have had unqualified success using Tamiya Acrylic Gloss Black (X-1) thinned with cellulose (lacquer) thinners and sprayed through either an Iwata or a Badger airbrush. Ian

As you're not going to spray it, can I suggest an alternative to the "Small brush, thin paint and steady hand" school of thought? Why not try a fibre-tipped permanent marker? They are easier to control than a brush, and you can use the side of the fibre tip and the curve of the intake lip to achieve a steady line with the minimum risk. Worth a try on a piece of scrap before you decide one way or another! HTH Ian

The others are right - the 'dusty' finish is caused by dry paint particles hitting the surface. These may be straight from the 'brush, or may be the result of 'bounceback' or overspray. The usual solutions are : a. Thin your paint more. I don't use MM paints (they're not readily available here in the UK), but I always thin Humbrol enamels at least 50/50, and often far more. b. Back off the pressure. I use about 10 psi, and spray from close in. Be particularly careful where surfaces intersect (wing/fuselage, tailgroup, etc) as overspray is harder to eliminate here. HTH Ian

Try a base coat of your favourite metallic finish (I like Alclad II or Humrol Metalcote), and then mist on thin coats of the appropriate Tamiya clear colours. They do grey (Smoke), blue, yellow, green, red and orange, so you can mix just about any shade you want to in order to depict the discolouration of the heat-stained metal. Works for me! HTH Sorry about this - I don't know why I seem to have repeated myself!

Try a base coat of your favourite metallic finish (I like Alclad II or Humrol Metalcote), and then mist on thin coats of the appropriate Tamiya clear colours. They do grey (Smoke), blue, yellow, green, red and orange, so you can mix just about any shade you want to in order to depict the discolouration of the heat-stained metal. Works for me! HTH

I always apply Alclad II 'shiny' finishes (eg Polished Aluminium) over a sprayed coat of 'out of the bottle' Tamiya Gloss Black, and I've never had a problem. Perhaps it's because I thin the Tamiya paint with cellulose (lacquer) thinner. Over the Alclad finish, I use a thin coat of Klear (Future) as a decal adhesive and sealant. Works for me!

I use 'Klear' (the UK equivalent of 'Future') as a decal adhesive, softener and sealer. The technique is as follows: 1. After finishing the colouring of the model, polish the surface with a lint free cloth to get rid of dust and any 'nibs' from overspray. 2. Brush on a coat of Klear. I use a 3/8" soft brush and brush on thin coats. By the time I've coated a 1/48 scale WW2 fighter, the place where I started is dry. After this coat, there will be little discernible gloss. 3. Brush on further thin coats until a gloss develops. The number of coats depends on many things, but I generally

I mask canopies using Tamiya Masking tape. There are one or two golden rules: 1. Never apply the tape straight from the roll. Always lay it out onto a clean surface first. This reduces the 'grab' of the adhesive and ensures that the tape will come off cleanly 2. Never rely on the natural edge of the tape for a straight line. Always cut - using a scalpel and steel rule - and use the cut edge. 3 Outline each 'panel' using thin strips of tape, and burnish down. I like to use a microbrush for this. 4. Fill in each panel using small pieces of tape. Burnish down using your finger. I

I have a Badger 100XF which I bought new in 1971 and which is still going strong. I also have two Aztek double action brushes (A430 and A470). I've been using the former for 5 years now without any trouble at all. I've recently acquired a Sotar 20-20, which is a beautiful brush to use. I'm happy to recommend any of these, but would repeat what has already been said - KEEP IT CLEAN! I use cellulose (lacquer) thinners and Badger's 'SprayAway' for my cleaning routine, and make sure that any 'brush I've used is thoroughly cleaned and LUBRICATED at the end of each session. HTH