dragonfly Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I've seen lotsa chatter bout Tamiya smoke used as a wash and I can see why. It's just a good oily dirty color. I usually make my own wash with acylic paint, water and dish soap and it works fine. Unfortunately my tried and true wash formula doesn't work for the tamiya smoke. The excess doesn't want to come off. Fortunately I got after it before it sat for long but it was a real effort to remove. What's the secret formula for easy removal. Jerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jay Chladek Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Was your item gloss coated or painted in gloss before the wash was added? If it was, the smoke tends to come off easier then off of a flat color. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theseeker Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Depending upon where and how you are using it, it mat need some thinning. It works great out the bottle on a steel painted cylinder prop cylinder, but if you are using it for panel lines you will need to thin it. Rocky Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragonfly Posted August 27, 2009 Author Share Posted August 27, 2009 I used it on a Hornet landing gear. I'm well aware that you must go over a gloss and that a wash needs to be thinned. It's just that it's not working with Tamiya Smoke as it does with other acrylics. The parts were painted with a very smooth and glossy white paint. The Tamiya smoke was thinned as I always do to make a wash with acrylics. 5 parts water, 3 parts Dawn (soap), and 2 parts paint. The wash apeared to go on as nicely as any before but when dry it was very stubborn to remove. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GGoheen Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I had the same problem years ago Jerry and am sorry to hear of your plight with Tamiya Smoke. I just stick to either the "simplistic wash" method Steve Bamford talks about in the tips section (since it's water soluable and truly fool proof) or a true oil wash using artists oils thinned heavily with turpenoid. The Tamiya Smoke is....well...just sticky and hard to remove as a wash. Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragonfly Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 Thanks Greg....I've heard and read about guys using smoke for a wash and I thought I'd try something new. Nope!! Never again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GGoheen Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 No problem at all Jerry. Most of the guys I've read that use Tamiya Smoke are on the "other side of the pond", over in the U.K. and know Osprey has published some stuff stating that Tamiya Smoke works. I threw mine out years ago after ruining a build trying to use it for a wash. Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
graves_09 Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) The problem might be that Tamiya acrylics don't like to be thinned with water. I tried it once in my airbrush and it was a disaster. Try using the Tamiya thinner or isopropyl alcohol. Then use the same thinner to whip off the excess. Edited August 28, 2009 by graves_09 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I tried Tamiya Smoke as a wash on my L-39 Albatros and the result was not far from a disaster. Sticky stuff, I must say. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Matt Roberts Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 (edited) I have never liked 'Smoke' - both of the bottles I have had were the consistancy of molasses. And both of the kits I attempted to use it on were 'Hangar 13'ed as soon as I was done. I use either a sludge wash with Polly Scale or my current fave the ProModellers wash that is available thru Spreu Bros. Not 100% how it'd do as a point wash like around gear though. But if screwed up one can simply immerse it in water and the clay washes right off (mostly - nothing is perfect....) http://www.spruebrothers.com/Nexternal/mis...ous-cat-186.htm It's in the miscelleneous tools section as it really isn't a paint. Matt Edited August 28, 2009 by Matt Roberts Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragonfly Posted August 28, 2009 Author Share Posted August 28, 2009 No...I don't think it's neccessary to buy a store bought wash. That stuffs a little pricey. I've been making my own for years and it works just fine and it doesn't cost a thing really. It's just that I wanted to try something new with the Tamiya Smoke. Someone out there uses it , likes it, and doesn't have any problems. The Ospry books are a good example. A lot of builds in those books say they use Tamiya Smoke as a wash. Maybe the secret is Tamiya thinner, but I'm not gonna go there cause I'm not sure how it would react to my clear coats. Guess I'll stick with water and acrylics. Thanks for the feedback though! Jerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tom_Kness Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Yea it could deffiantly be the thinner, I know it claims water wash up but I've tried with brushes just washing with soap and water and it never works. Not sure what rubbing alchol would do to a clear coat, but thats what I use to clean all my brushes after using Tamiya paints, works like a charm. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Kev Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Tamiya Smoke works really well for me as a wash (thinned of course!) over natural metal areas - particularly engine and landing gear parts, where its oily sheen is really effective. However, I wouldn't use it as a general wash (I still use oils for that). Where Tamiya Smoke really comes into its own for me is for post-shading. It's a very translucent colour, and takes a few passes with the airbrush before you start to discern a shift in colour. This makes the effect highly controllable and difficult to ruin. Kev Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragonfly Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 Tamiya Smoke works really well for me as a wash (thinned of course!) over natural metal areas - particularly engine and landing gear parts, where its oily sheen is really effective. However, I wouldn't use it as a general wash (I still use oils for that).Where Tamiya Smoke really comes into its own for me is for post-shading. It's a very translucent colour, and takes a few passes with the airbrush before you start to discern a shift in colour. This makes the effect highly controllable and difficult to ruin. Kev Thinned with what? Don't say water...that doesn't work. If you read my initial post, I put the wash on landing gear parts. I didn't use it for a general wash. That would have been a real mess. The builders in the Osprey articles use the wash on landing gear legs and bays. If I were to apply and leave it, fine, i.e. radial engine cylinders. But I want to remove the excess and darken the receesed areas only in a white painted landing gear bay. When this stuff drys....it doesn't want to be removed. I must assume then, that the wash must be thinned with Tamiya thinner or alcohol and the excess removed with the same making sure that the thinner doesn't react to my clear coat. Thanks for the feeback fellas! Jerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Graemeb Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Of Late I have just been using the Mig washes and they seem to work just fine. Straight out of the bottle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EricYY Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Thinned with what? Don't say water...that doesn't work. If you read my initial post, I put the wash on landing gear parts. I didn't use it for a general wash. That would have been a real mess. The builders in the Osprey articles use the wash on landing gear legs and bays. If I were to apply and leave it, fine, i.e. radial engine cylinders. But I want to remove the excess and darken the receesed areas only in a white painted landing gear bay. When this stuff drys....it doesn't want to be removed. I must assume then, that the wash must be thinned with Tamiya thinner or alcohol and the excess removed with the same making sure that the thinner doesn't react to my clear coat. Thanks for the feeback fellas! Jerry would like to clarify if you are using Enamel X-19 Smoke on your work, and what is the type of paint of base color? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragonfly Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share Posted August 30, 2009 would like to clarify if you are using Enamel X-19 Smoke on your work, and what is the type of paint of base color? Yes...X-19 Smoke over Model Master White Gloss Enamel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EricYY Posted September 7, 2009 Share Posted September 7, 2009 Yes...X-19 Smoke over Model Master White Gloss Enamel. If you cannot remove the Enamel X-19 by its Enamel thinner, better to repaint if you use Enamel X-19 as wash, it works well on Mr Color (Solvent based) and gloss Mr Hobby Color (water-based) and probably other acrylic color (gloss), do not leave the x-19 on painted model surface for a long time Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dragonfly Posted September 7, 2009 Author Share Posted September 7, 2009 The X-19 wasn't on the model for more than ten minutes....just long enough to dry, then was very stubborn to remove excess. I wouldn't call ten minutes very long. I'm giving up on this stuff and going back to my old "tried and true wash brew." thanks to all who offered suggestions, Jerry Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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