EchoCharlie

I take the view that all 'bare metal' PE parts should be 'primed', even if there's no painting. This is because in my tropical region, PE parts can discolor, and even rust(!) over time. However, I only prime with Mr Hobby's Mr Metal Primer (rattle can), because it uses a different chemistry which dries like a thin film of silicon, and it dries CLEAR, as compared to Tamiya's grey and pigmented primer. I get no problems with chipping paints after the PE is pre-coated with Mr Hobby.

You may find me queer, since I use all sorts of glue to get the job done. White craft glue for that transparent part against a solid back, super glue for entire 1:72 to 1:48 aircraft. But how do you manage loose fittings and gaps? I sometimes also use 2-part 5-min epoxy from Araldite. Just last week, I had to put the poor fitting 1:144 submarine hull together. I super-glued only half of 1 side and let it cure; then 2-part epoxy the other side. The beauty here is that as the excess is being squeezed out when pressed, just clean it off with a rag spot soaked with Mr Color Thinner or Tamiya Lac

May I ask what scale is the P-51 project? I might.... and I say 'might' only consider some of the suggestions depending on the scale. It is my humble opinion that I would only try gentle and patient dry brushing with a very worn flat-tipped brush...(like very used and old tooth brush, where the bristles are in all directions). If not, I would take the similar view with Jerry, that it may not be worth the while and effort. But yeah, good luck, if you really must do it. Let us know the outcome and method used. Eric

Hi Jerry, I'm cool about it, no worries. Eric

Paul, normal Tamiya Grey Primer rattle can (and not the 'Fine' grade) is exactly what I use, and I always keep extra cans. They cover blemishes much better than the Fine grade..... which I think is pointless and just as good as spraying matt grey paint; although Mr Color's Surfacer 1000 comes close. Perhaps I'm biased, but the normal Tamiya rattle can primer, although cures rough at times on some spots, is a breeze to use and more forgiving. A gentle very fine sandpaper will solve the rough spots. Eric

Hi dragonfly, Perhaps I have used the word 'tacky' inappropriately. I am trying to describe a surface like the clean touch-screen of an I am a spammer....please report this post. or the finger-pad of a MacBook. When I describe 'smooth', I mean looking at the cured surface at an angle against the light to see how consistently flat the coating has settled down, and the other extreme is orange skin surface. Another example I can think of is: our dinner plate china/porcelain is extremely smooth. When dry, running a finger along the surface gives you that 'resisting' feel; as opposed to slippe

Hi guys, In my humid and tropical near-Equator climate, somehow different brands of lacquer and enamels cure differently. Some cure super smooth and 'tacky' (which I mean there's this subtle friction when you gently glide the finger across the surface), and some other brands cure with a rough (orange skin) surface which has no friction. This can happen for both spray cans for cars, and airbrush work for aircraft. Recently I did a Testors C-119 Boxcar for a friend, who had provided me after-market decals. I used both the kit decals and the after-market decals, over the gloss varnish (cured 2

Even within the same brand, using the acrylic thinner to thin the acrylic will give you loads of problems, although I cannot understand why the hell they had come up with this formula in the first place. The thinner has a funny viscosity to it..... and the thinned paint dries fast from an open mixing pan, and looked to me like some synthetic alcohol. My first bottle of this thinner is still sitting on the shelf relatively unexpended for 2 years now. The lacquer thinner is still the way to go...... just like I similarly shoot Gunze Sangyo with Mr Color thinner. So don't worry about it, and you

You guys are really funny, and I do enjoy it. I just like the convenience of spray cans with primers, and leave the more precision colors for airbrushing.

Hi richter111, What the guys are trying to say is that your paint is drying and clogging at the airbrush nozzle, faster than you are able to keep the fluidity with spraying of the paint. This can manifest (as what they have said) from too thick paint/thinner ratios, room temperature, and pressure settings. Simply put: try just spraying thinner, and you have no 'spitting'; try just spraying paint, and you have complete clogging. Airbrushing is an art about understanding the 'characteristic' of the paint/brand, relating to mixing thinner ratios and pressure settings. The higher the air pressur

Actually, I agree totally with Big Kev, as I only prime all my models with spray cans since they cover large areas thicker, faster, and more evenly. The only other thing I believe is that never prime a model too thin.... and of course too thick creates other problems, so usually a wet one layer of spray can primer is good enough, and does the job better and faster than an airbrush..... with less hassle of cleaning up after a basic and yet important step. I also tend to prefer Tamiya's normal grey primer, as compared to Fine Primer or Surfacer 1200. The 'thicker' pigments cover microscopic gap

Hi, I have yet to meet or know of a great or best white painter..... to which I assume you mean painting manually with a brush, so I'm the same with you on painting very poorly with whites. 'ed s' describes best as to why you should still paint and never leave bare plastic even if they coincidentally match the colour. The easiest way is to experiment with spray cans, like what 'Graemeb' as described, although all modern American fighters have gloss whites for the areas which you have described (and not flats..... although flats/matts cover better and dry faster as compared to gloss). Try Tam

Hi guys, I'm sharing based on my own disaster experiences and have formed my own conclusions from better successes. The cause of cracks, wrinkles, and bubbling (or boils) are due to the lacquers and also enamels REACTING to the chemicals and films used by different decal manufacturers. Even with the correct steps of gloss coat, decal steps with Micro Set/Sol procedure, you will find different degrees of the problem with different decal brands..... and the greater risk is with using lacquers or enamels to 'final' seal the decals, although a glossy and sticky surface before decaling minimises