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I'm considering switching to acrylics, however I find that Tamiya's line while numerous in colors, don't very closely match the FS colors which I use the most...is there a brand/line that offers a more closely matched group to the FS or BS (British Standard)?. I've got 5 drawers with enamels all Testors MM, or Mr Color. Acrylics would be better the family won't complain about the odors when I'm thinning, though I keep them warned that I'm firing up the compressor to start the airbrush flinging paint.

Edited by #1 Greywolf
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I'd recommend Mr. Hobby (Gunze) if you're somewhere where you can get it. It's not readily available in the US, at least not from US based vendors, but you can get it imported. It sprays just as well as Tamiya. In fact it's very similar in formula.

Different people like different things, naturally, you may try Model Air. They have a huge range, but I hate the stuff for airbrushing.

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I'll add another vote on the Gunze Aqueous line. Great stuff. I thin it with 90% or 93% alcohol and it lays down great. Availability is an issue, I buy from eBay or HLJ. I also use Tamiya and for the love of me, I don't know why they don't do a FS line...probably the same reason they won't do a two seat F-16. Some Tamiya greens and grays are pretty close or a little mixing will put you in the ballpark. I use the Tamiya thinner (X20) with it.

I'm a recent convert myself to the acrylic side, within this past year. I had always been an enamel user (MM or Humbrol) simply because it was what was most readily available to me. A model buddy turned me on to trying acrylics (more like, he kept ragging on me for using model Master but...) and I liked the fact that I could paint indoors at my bench vice going out to the garage and dealing with the elements. I'm convinced and it's what I'll stick with.

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Where I live, Gunze and Sangyo (not even sure how to spell that one) are not available. I use ModelMaster Acryl. They come in a huge variety of FS, RLM, and other colours. I love the way they spray, and in conjunction with Tamiya primer from the rattle can, they are trouble-free. I also use Tamiya, but I hate that they are a very poor match for what I need to do, like FS colours.

ALF

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I tend to use Tamiya for the basics like black, white and red. Gunze goes on beautifully and there are good matches to many of the popular FS colors, but don't spray Future over Gunze (especially the satin and gloss finishes), you'll get hairline cracks that become visible when washing. I have also tried Lifecolor since they have matches to some FS colors that others do not, that also goes on beautifully.

Congrats on the move to acrylics, I switched about 2.5 years ago, its the best modelling move I ever made.

Marcel

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I grew up using the Gunze aqueous paints and loved them. But when they became virtually impossible to find I switched to Tamiya, Testors Acrylic, and very recently I have started using Vallejo (I quite like them). I also use Tamiya primers but spray them in my garage and not my hobby room. I love using acrylics and don't miss having the smells of the enamel based products in the house, especially with little ones around.

As an aside, many moons ago I sprayed Future over the Gunze aqueous paint and I got the tiny cracks "Marcel111" mentioned. It made me so gun shy of spraying Future that I haven't used it since for anything but dipping old canopies in. Does it react adversely over Tamiya?

:cheers:

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My preferred acrylics are Tamiya, Gunze Aqueous, Akan, LifeColor, Vallejo Model Color, and Citadel (Games Workshop). I have some stock of each of these and use them all on almost every build. I don't touch the Vallejo Model Air as I just can't get along with them. I had some and sold them all off!

In my experience - regarding the hairline cracks with Gunze Aqueous, it happens if they aren't allow to fully cure. I had the same issue with them cracking when I hand painted some Vallejo Model Color over them (some cockpit detail). Once I let the paint fully cure, I had no more issues (even with Future over it). Unlike most other acrylics, Gunze Aqueous takes a while to fully dry/cure.

Rob

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FWIW:

I mixed some homemade thinner for Tamiya acrylics not too long ago using distilled water, 91% IPA, a few drops of acrylic retarder, and Vallejo flow improver, and am getting really good results (I use Tamiya for base coats and spraying white). For final coats, I use MM Acryl, and the same formula needed extra flow improver to stop from clogging the tip of my airbrush. I mixed some Acryl thinner using distilled water, 70% IPA, the retarder and flow improver, and spraying Acryl is a breeze. I masked over it a bit with tape and poster putty, and didn't have any issues with pulling up paint.

All that said, if Tamiya got on the ball and produced an FS range of acrylics, I'd never look at MM again :rofl:

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Gunze Aqueous are by far my favorite brand of acrylics; Tamiya would be right there too if they would do FS and BSC colors. I've never had an issue spraying Future over either of them, but I also tend to wait a day or two before I clear coat them. There used to be a pinned thread on ARC about working with acrylics and which ones play nice together, mainly based on what medium is used to suspend the paint pigments.

Regards,

Murph

Edited by Murph
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I used future on the mr color line without issue...was it the aqueous version you shouldn't use future on?

I have had the Gunze/Future cracking issue happen on two builds, on a variety of their acrylic colors, eg H308. In fairness, I really bathed the area in Future, which is not necessary on their semi-gloss finishes anyway since they are so smooth.

:cheers:

Marcel

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