How do I airbrush Tam X-18 Semi-Gloss Black?

[Cobus]

Here is an example of my efforts airbrushing X-18 thus far:

The photo exaggerates the graininess a bit, but it is there. I built it up using several mist coats, followed by a 'light' wet coat.

Is that the actual finish or can I improve it?

Further info:

This is in Khobar Saudi Arabia, temp mid 20 degrees Celsius. I used AK-Interactive Retarder in the mix, and thinned with Tam X-20A acrylic thinner.

Would it improve the finish if I thinned the paint with Tam Lacquer Thinner perhaps?

Edited November 20, 2015 by Cobus

[jbryan911]

What are you using for thinner? I looks like it might be drying before it hits the surface, or it may not be thinned enough. Try using either Tamiya's Lacquer thinner (yellow cap) or even better, Gunze Mr Color self leveling thinner. I've used both and the Gunze works wonders with Tamyia paint, smooth as the proverbial baby's bottom. In either case, I thin it close to 50/50. If you haven't primed the surface, give it a light coat for tooth, and then a wet coat. Windex or ammonia based window cleaner will strip the paint right off if you are not happy with it. Practice on a paint hulk, and you'll get a feel for how

wet to apply it.

[Air-Craft]

I would try a combination of increasing thinner, reducing distance & reducing pressure - It looks like the paint is drying before hitting the surface & leaving a roughcast effect.

[Craig Baldwin]

Lacquer thinner can not be used with water-base acrylic based paint. Sometimes different brands of acrylic paints/thinners/retarders are not compatiable, this is what I think is the problem here. But definitely drying as it hits the surface. Do you have Tamiya acrylic thinner to use. Mid 20's C temps is okay for successful airbrushing. Remember air exiting the nozzle of the airbrush is even cooler due to air going from high pressure to low pressure.

[Dmanton300]

Lacquer thinner can not be used with water-base acrylic based paint. Sometimes different brands of acrylic paints/thinners/retarders are not compatiable, this is what I think is the problem here. But definitely drying as it hits the surface. Do you have Tamiya acrylic thinner to use. Mid 20's C temps is okay for successful airbrushing. Remember air exiting the nozzle of the airbrush is even cooler due to air going from high pressure to low pressure.

Lacquer thinner will work absolutely fine with Tamiya acrylics (and GSI Aqueous Hobby Color for that matter), in fact it's a better thinner than any of the alcohol based acrylic ones.

[Craig Baldwin]

Lacquer thinner will work absolutely fine with Tamiya acrylics (and GSI Aqueous Hobby Color for that matter), in fact it's a better thinner than any of the alcohol based acrylic ones.

Ooops, my mistake.

[86Sabreboy1]

Lacquer thinner can not be used with water-base acrylic based paint. Sometimes different brands of acrylic paints/thinners/retarders are not compatiable, this is what I think is the problem here. But definitely drying as it hits the surface. Do you have Tamiya acrylic thinner to use. Mid 20's C temps is okay for successful airbrushing. Remember air exiting the nozzle of the airbrush is even cooler due to air going from high pressure to low pressure.

You are correct in that lacquer thinner can not (or shouldn't) be used with water based acrylics. What does that information have to do with Tamiya Acrylic paints??? Tamiya Acrylic paints are not water based. They are alcohol based and yes lacquer thinner can be used with them. Why anyone wants to use an acrylic paint and increase the toxicity of it with lacquer thinner is beyond me but it can be done.

If anything 91% Isopropyl alcohol works perfectly with Tamiya Acrilics. I've used it for my personal model building as well as when I conduct airbrush demos and workshops. It's cheap per quantity and is available at just about any drug store or grocery. Some like the 71% watered down alcohol but I've not found it to perform as well as the remaining 29% is in fact water. Thinning Tamiya Acrylics with water is not going to result in good results either.

[Joel_W]

I've used Tamiya acrylics for years. 1st I used their X20-A, then switched to their Yellow cap Lacquer thinner. Thinned 1:1 and a flow rate of 16 osi should yield the results you're looking for. Try to stay with a few inches max of the surface. A few lite tack coats, followed by a few wet color coats will do the trick for you.

If you're priming 1st, you need to polish out the primer till is smooth, or you'll end up with a rough surface no matter what.

Joel

[viper730]

Thin your paint more I spray X-18 all the time. Try a 60/40 thinner to paint ratio at 15-20 psi. 2 or 3 light coats... If you can get the Tamiya Lacquer Thinner(yellow cap) your results will vastly improve...it works much, much better than their original thinner....

[MoFo]

Stupid question: (round bottle) acrylic, or (square bottle) enamel paint? Tamiya make both, and that *could* be a source of problems.

Otherwise... the paint is drying before it hits the model's surface - or more precisely, the paint isn't sufficiently fluid when it hits the model's surface - so you'll need some combination of more thinner, lower pressure or a shorter distance to the model. I'd probably start with more thinner; typically you want it the consistency of milk.

[jinmmydel]

You are correct in that lacquer thinner can not (or shouldn't) be used with water based acrylics. What does that information have to do with Tamiya Acrylic paints??? Tamiya Acrylic paints are not water based. They are alcohol based and yes lacquer thinner can be used with them. Why anyone wants to use an acrylic paint and increase the toxicity of it with lacquer thinner is beyond me but it can be done.

If anything 91% Isopropyl alcohol works perfectly with Tamiya Acrilics. I've used it for my personal model building as well as when I conduct airbrush demos and workshops. It's cheap per quantity and is available at just about any drug store or grocery. Some like the 71% watered down alcohol but I've not found it to perform as well as the remaining 29% is in fact water. Thinning Tamiya Acrylics with water is not going to result in good results either.

I use Mr. Color (lacquer) and Mr. Hobby (acrylic) pretty much exclusively and thin both with Mr. Leveling Thinner and it promise you they both spray better than with anything else. I don't generally worry about the toxicity because I don't drink the damn paint.

Alcohol will thin Tamiya, it will also leave a chalky finish and cause it to dry even faster than their own thinner because it lacks the retarder and flow agent that X-20A has...but I'm glad it's working for you. I would not recommend it for someone already having drying issues.

[airea]

I have just painted the exact same part of Tamiya Panigale kit:)

I either thin x-18 with tamiya yellow cap (I also add just one drop of 2k auto gloss coat's thinner, which is a very strong stuff. It melts plastic if applied too much) or I thin tamiya paints with my homemade acrylic thinner.

Add 40 ml of water to 20 ml of isopropyl alcohol and add 1 ml of acrylic flow improver and 1 ml of acrylic retarder. Now you have homemade tamiya white cap thinner...

[86Sabreboy1]

I use Mr. Color (lacquer) and Mr. Hobby (acrylic) pretty much exclusively and thin both with Mr. Leveling Thinner and it promise you they both spray better than with anything else. I don't generally worry about the toxicity because I don't drink the damn paint.

Alcohol will thin Tamiya, it will also leave a chalky finish and cause it to dry even faster than their own thinner because it lacks the retarder and flow agent that X-20A has...but I'm glad it's working for you. I would not recommend it for someone already having drying issues.

I've heard of a chalky finish when 71% Isopropyl alcohol has been used. The water content doesn't really do anything to benefit the result. However, working with students I've instructed close to a hundred so far in our workshop program and have yet to see a distinctly negative performance with 91% Isopropyl in terms of paint quality. I can't control exactly how much each student thins their paint and each performs to their individual ability but overall the results are surprisingly good even for those with little to no prior experience. Given we're talking about a faster drying time with alcohol it would make sense a negative performance would manifest during the 4 hour class time but I've not seen it occur. Perhaps chalkiness occurs when painting general coverage over broad surfaces. It's just a guess as everything we do in my workshop is layering of very thin coats of paint to get effective weathering effects, both top and bottom of the model.

[jinmmydel]

I've heard of a chalky finish when 71% Isopropyl alcohol has been used. The water content doesn't really do anything to benefit the result. However, working with students I've instructed close to a hundred so far in our workshop program and have yet to see a distinctly negative performance with 91% Isopropyl in terms of paint quality. I can't control exactly how much each student thins their paint and each performs to their individual ability but overall the results are surprisingly good even for those with little to no prior experience. Given we're talking about a faster drying time with alcohol it would make sense a negative performance would manifest during the 4 hour class time but I've not seen it occur. Perhaps chalkiness occurs when painting general coverage over broad surfaces. It's just a guess as everything we do in my workshop is layering of very thin coats of paint to get effective weathering effects, both top and bottom of the model.

I don't know about all of that. All I know is I tried 91% alcohol once and the finish was instantly chalky...as soon as I laid it down on the model. Not minutes, or hours later...instantly. I don't really have any need to try it again since I have a process that works. If it works for you, and you like the results that's great. There's a lot of things that contribute to how paint sprays and dries including environmental, so I'm in no way saying my experience will be everyone experience.

[86Sabreboy1]

I don't know about all of that. All I know is I tried 91% alcohol once and the finish was instantly chalky...as soon as I laid it down on the model. Not minutes, or hours later...instantly. I don't really have any need to try it again since I have a process that works. If it works for you, and you like the results that's great. There's a lot of things that contribute to how paint sprays and dries including environmental, so I'm in no way saying my experience will be everyone experience.

That's fair. Sorry you had that experience. As you say there are many variables involved. Should I see that performance myself or with one of my students I'll be sure to evaluate and consider what may have caused it.

As an aside, I spoke with a gentleman at the IPMS Nationals in Hampton, VA a couple of years ago. He said he was having trouble spraying Tamiya paints. I asked how he was thinning and with what. So he told me he was thinning with alcohol (or Tamiya thinner I forget which) but that he was adding a percentage of water as well. I asked him, "What is the purpose for the addition of water?" He couldn't answer me, all he could say was he just does it. So no justification. I said, maybe try thinning without the water and see how it performs. Adding water to Tamiya Acrylics is like adding alcohol to Testors Acrylics. One is water based, the other alcohol, it just doesn't work,,,lol.

[Spectre711]

I use X-1 but figure it would probably similarly. I mix 1 part X-1 to 2-3 parts of Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. I shoot it through a Badger 200 single action siphon feed cup at about 18-20 and always get a nice smooth finish all day long.