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Mixing Gunze for airbrush


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Hi I want to ask for tips on how to mix Gunze paint for airbrushing. I've bought one of those standard size gunze paint, and I've tried to mix them for airbrushing. Unfortunately I've always had problems doing it properly, and it's costing me a lot of efforts and paints because I can't get it right, and I'd end up needing to wash it all off and restarting everything from scratch. Sometimes the airbrush clogs up, and sometimes it's running and dripping.

I've tried 1:1 with eyedropper, but it takes forever and the not always working. Can you guys give me some tips?

Also if I mix one whole bottle of those gunze paint with another whole bottle of thinner, will that work as well?

What is the best way to go abouts to doing it

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What thinner are you using?

I mix about 50/50 with Tamiya X20 thinner and it sprays beautifully. I just eyeball it.

Is your airbrush clean and have prestine tips and needles?

How about your air pressure?

Edited by toadwbg
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There are two types of Gunze paint: Mr Color (lacquer) and Aqueous Hobby (acrylic). Which one are you using? Also, what problem(s) are you experiencing thus far?

For now, I'm assuming Aqueous Hobby.... I've been using Tamiya X-20A acrylic thinner to thin Aqueous Hobby for airbrushing. The ratio I've been using is typically 60:40, and sometimes 50:50 (paint:thinner). I've also used denatured alcohol to thin quite successfully, using the same ratio. I use gravity-fed dual action airbrush, sprayed at around 12 Psi.

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my PSI is around 25 because I was told that's the healthy air pressure. i used the paasche talon double action airbrush, and i've been cleaning it multiple times lately

as for thinner i use the mr color leveling thinner

i didn't know there's a difference between mr color and aqueous hobby, but as of most recent i'm using the mr color gunze paint. im building a revell mudhen (f-15e) and bought some 305 that was aqueous hobby. the color came out too dark, and i wasn't aware of the color problem until i bought some mr color 305. i had switched over to mr color since then

my major problem is i can't get the paint to come out like how an ideal mixture or spray should look like. mine would either drip(resolved that by tightening the tip), or too wet, or simply clogged up. i suspect it's the paint mixture ratio's problem.

so what happened would be, first of all, the paint that i got previously (gunze aqueous hobby) would be very thick and sit at the bottom of the container with the thinner that came with the container sitting on top.

that said, i dont know what my first step should be. do i mix the thinner and paint together? previously i'd do that, then use an eye dropper to mix the paint. however the eye dropper can only take very little out each time, and also the paint usually is still very thick, so it takes a long time to mix, and can't extract much each time. so yea, what should i do? how do i do this?

or alternatively can i take one whole container of paint and mix with another whole container of thinner of the equal ratio?

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If you follow Mike C's suggestions above you should have no problems. I'm still confused as to which paint you are using. Is it Aqueous or Mr Color? It sounds like you are now using Mr Color (Lacquer)? If so you must ensure you are using a lacquer thinner for lacquer paints (Mr Color) or an acrylic thinner for acrylic paints (Aqueous Hobby).

With paints, step one is stir the paint in its container thoroughly. Paints will often settle on the bottom with the thinner on top. This isn't unusual. Stir it till you get a smooth consistency with no lumps (use a cocktail stick). Then pour some paint into your airbrush's paint cup. Add a similar amount of appropriate thinner. Mix thoroughly using a cocktail stick. Keep your pressure at around 15 psi and you should have no problems. If problems persist, it is an issue with your airbrush.

As for mixing a full bottle with equal amounts of thinner; I remember reading somewhere here on the forums that it's a big no no. Not sure why exactly. Having said that, I've have mixed container fulls of custom colours with equal amounts of thinner and have used these over a few years without any issues.

Edited by Crazy Snap Captain
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Personally, I never mix paint and thinner in the airbrush cup, because it's harder to stir. I always pre-mix around 4ml in spare empty paint bottle ready to use. As CSC said, mixing paint thoroughly by stirring every time is a must. I reckon one of the best "stick" to use for stirring is a cut off sprue bit, it's abundant and easy to clean.

As far as thinner goes, I heard that Mr Color Levelling Thinner works with BOTH lacquer-based Mr Color and water/alcohol-based Aqueous Hobby. Although I have not personally proven it myself.

I also have the same experience as CSC in terms of having thinned paint in bottle still being good to use even after a few years.

EDIT: forgot to add... eye dropper may be a bit too small for this purpose. I recommend you to get yourself a bunch of plastic pipette. I bought 100-pack for less than $2 from eBay. Something like this: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/100PCS-0-2ml-Graduated-Pipettes-Dropper-Polyethylene-for-Experiment-Medical-TN2F-/281215234311?pt=AU_Candle_Soap_Making&hash=item4179bbf107&_uhb=1

Edited by Mike C
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Well, Gunze (acqueous) can be thinned in many ways... water, alcohol, their tinner, tamiya, but...

Couldn't believe it when I was told the first time.... but the lacquer Mr. Color (that should be used for the lacquer mr color range) works as well... correction... works great!

I always had problems with gunze (mainly the gloss ones) not being "hard" enough when dried... with some manipulation you could leave fingerprints and "smudges" on a gloss coat even after days...

Then tried the lacquer thinner... of course this way the color is more nasty and smelly... but the results are wonderful... covers well, levels out nicely and more over... dries rock hard! Just thin it 50/50 with plastic pipettes as others suggested and it works great...

AND CUT DOWN AIR PRESSURE... 10-15 PSI are all you need to spray with a double action airbush... higher pressures will only mean the paint will dry while travelling or splatter on the model.

Edited by Yuri
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It may have been mentioned, but NEVER, NEVER add thinned paint back into the original container. Once you thin paint, the paint starts to break down. It's good for a few days, but after that, you simply need to pitch it in the trash. Only mix up a little bit more than you think you will need. Again, if you add thinned paint to the original jar of fresh paint, you will ruin the whole lot of paint! Good Luck!!!

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It may have been mentioned, but NEVER, NEVER add thinned paint back into the original container. Once you thin paint, the paint starts to break down. It's good for a few days, but after that, you simply need to pitch it in the trash. Only mix up a little bit more than you think you will need. Again, if you add thinned paint to the original jar of fresh paint, you will ruin the whole lot of paint! Good Luck!!!

I don't add thinned paint back into original container, BUT... thinned paint can definitely be kept for quite sometime without its "going bad". At least this is my experience with acrylic anyway (Tamiya, Gunze Aqueous, LifeColor, and Citadel).

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Couldn't believe it when I was told the first time.... but the lacquer Mr. Color (that should be used for the lacquer mr color range) works as well... correction... works great!

For the record, would that be regular 'Mr Color Thinner' like this one?

Thanks for the advice!

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For the record, would that be regular 'Mr Color Thinner' like this one?

Thanks for the advice!

Mine is in a glass bottle like this one

$T2eC16dHJGgFFm-PwjCGBSdT-f6q+w~~60_35.JPG

the one you posted seems is in a plastic bottle, but yes, it should be the same thing

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Mine is in a glass bottle like this one

the one you posted seems is in a plastic bottle, but yes, it should be the same thing

Yeah, I think the bigger volume packages are plastic. Mucho thanks; I've just received some Aqueous colours so I'm all set up now.

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Yeah, I think the bigger volume packages are plastic. Mucho thanks; I've just received some Aqueous colors so I'm all set up now.

For airbrushing I would STRONGLY recommend this type of thinner

t106.jpg

It is much better than the regular thinner and the surface is way smoother.

All the rest like ratio and usage with both Mr.Color and aqueous is the same.

A.

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For airbrushing I would STRONGLY recommend this type of thinner

t106.jpg

It is much better than the regular thinner and the surface is way smoother.

All the rest like ratio and usage with both Mr.Color and aqueous is the same.

A.

I second this... I only use levelling thinner and have great results..... Best paint I have ever worked with... I find That it behaves better thinned alot more than usual,...

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When first starting, never, never use any thinner other than what the manufacturer recommends; when you've gained some experience, that will be the time to experiment to your heart's content.

Also, there is no perfect mix, since it depends entirely on your environment. Paint in Honolulu will, because of its ambient temperature, have less viscosity than paint in colder Alaska. The consistency will also differ in summer and winter, even in the same town. Mixing becomes largely a matter of (yet more) experience, which is why I have always found the old transparent 35mm cassette cases invaluable, since I can check the mixture by "swishing" it round inside the (firmly closed) container, then judge its behaviour on the wall. Too thick, and it just sticks, too thin and it falls off, but just right and it will stick, then slowly slide down, leaving an opaque residue.

Edgar

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I got simular problem ,but in my case,it's about GSI Mr.Metal Color 214 - Dark Iron.

Usually I use Model Master ,Humbrol or Alclad Metalizers,but Dark Iron I got only GSI.

I didn't thinned it,put it directly to airbrush,and after 10 seconds,my airbrush was completly clogged. Nozzle was full of clogg and I spent

over 10 minutes to fix it. Never happend before with MM,Alclad or Humbrol (which I didn't thinned also,of course).

Anyone maybe have some ideas about that?

Thank you in advance for the response,

Regards,

Woody

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I got simular problem ,but in my case,it's about GSI Mr.Metal Color 214 - Dark Iron.

Usually I use Model Master ,Humbrol or Alclad Metalizers,but Dark Iron I got only GSI.

I didn't thinned it,put it directly to airbrush,and after 10 seconds,my airbrush was completly clogged. Nozzle was full of clogg and I spent

over 10 minutes to fix it. Never happend before with MM,Alclad or Humbrol (which I didn't thinned also,of course).

Anyone maybe have some ideas about that?

Thank you in advance for the response,

Regards,

Woody

I use Mr Metal Color quite a bit too. These are meant to be ready for airbrush straight from the bottle. I too experience bad clogging after a few seconds of spraying. So, I generally avoid spraying Mr Metal Color. Instead, I simply dry-brush it on using soft-bristled brush. Basically, you load up the brush with the paint, brush on a piece of paper to remove excess paint, then lightly brush on the subject in circular motion. You'll be surprised by the result. :thumbsup:/>

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It may have been mentioned, but NEVER, NEVER add thinned paint back into the original container.

I agree with you but, in order to preserve a Gunze color from drying out, simply because you're not using it very often, it is a good idea to throw in the jar a few drops of Mr. Leveling Thinner. At least, this is what I do.

Edited by SERNAK
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When first starting, never, never use any thinner other than what the manufacturer recommends; when you've gained some experience, that will be the time to experiment to your heart's content.

Edgar

I agree, if you don't want any surprises during airbrushing/finishing your model, always use the manufacturer's recommended thinner.

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From my experience, these are the paint / thinner ratios for Gunze acrylics - 1:1 to 2:1.

The pressure part is a little bit tricky!!! It always depends on what kind of effect you're trying to achieve (very sharp camouflage edges, very thin lines, etc) but, generally speaking around 10 to 15 psi is good for airbrushing a color. Of course, there are other variables that you should consider and that affect your job such as, temperature, humidity, dust, etc.

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I use the Aqueous colour paints a lot, and I've had great success thinning it with X20A, Tamiya Lacquer thinner and Mr Colour Levelling thinner.

It does take a few days to cure fully, I've had the finger mark problem as well, but once cured it is rock hard and far more durable than Tamiya paint.

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For airbrushing I would STRONGLY recommend this type of thinner

t106.jpg

It is much better than the regular thinner and the surface is way smoother.

All the rest like ratio and usage with both Mr.Color and aqueous is the same.

A.

Many thanks. Duly ordered (and received in ONE DAY from eModels -nice one!) Probably only of interest to customers this side of the Pond, though...

Also, I found this very old thread on Britmodeller regarding Mr Metal Color -it reflects some of the concerns here, but check out the brush-applied work! :woot.gif:/>/>

Edited by ChippyWho
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Also, I found this very old thread on Britmodeller regarding Mr Metal Color -it reflects some of the concerns here, but check out the brush-applied work! :woot.gif:/>/>/>

Yep! Mr Metal Color is best applied with brush. Fantastic result. Just like that old thread said, I never prime either. Although.... once finished, you'd need to spray clear coat to seal it in.

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