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 Hi guys , since the Gunze H series paint is getting difficult to find, I am looking at the possibility of using the MM. Acryl for RLM 76.

 

 Can you thin it a good bit so it can be sprayed in small and thin patterns  ? And so, what do you recommend for the thinner ?

 

 Regards, Christian 

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I had trouble with Tamiya acrylic and MM acryl. The finish I obtained was like a dry orange peel or crazing. I had this issue with a few of their paints on different aircraft. This however could be due to me over-thinning the paint. Ymmv

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 I sometimes use the  91 %  alcohol . Providing I'm looking for a dead flat finish . It shoot very well with Tamiya & Gunze.

 

 Does it work with the MM. Acryl as well ?

 

Cheers, Christian

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Here's a few pointers:  

 

Use a primer, don't spray MM acrylics on bare plastic.

 

Use some Vallejo "Flow Improver" 

 

*THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT* Use an airbrush nozzle of 0.4mm or larger.  I find if I use the small 0.2 nozzle, at least for my Harder & Steenbeck it results in the paint either building up and then blasting out, or, to combat this problem one is inclined to add more thinner to prevent this.  The only problem is the paint becomes then too thin for close in fine detail, mottling (think WWII Luftwaffe), or even in general it would take forever to cover things.

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 6/7/2017 at 11:23 AM, Chris L said:

 

 I sometimes use the  91 %  alcohol . Providing I'm looking for a dead flat finish . It shoot very well with Tamiya & Gunze.

 

 Does it work with the MM. Acryl as well ?

 

Cheers, Christian

Acrylic paint generally speaking is formulated with one of three types of vehicle. Alcohol, glycol or water. Glycol usually requires the proprietary thinner formulated for that particular line of paint. Sometimes water can be used with limited success but we're only talking drops of water. Any more than that and the paint is likely compromised. In the case of MM it's best to use either their airbrush thinner or airbrush cleaner. The airbrush cleaner is the same formulation but a bit "hotter" than that of the thinner. 

 

Alcohol based is the easiest to determine simply by sniffing it. If it smells like alcohol,,,then its thinned with,,,,,,,,you guessed it,,,,,alcohol. Model Master smells nothing like alcohol. 

 

Testor's Acrylics have a very weak binder. It doesn't take much in the way of thinning (even with their thinner) for it to stop performing like paint. If you shoot directly on the surface of the plastic model and then use Tamiya Tape, the tape will easily lift the paint even after a reasonable cure time. A primer is almost essential for generally good results. If you try using alcohol with MM Acrylics you'll only curdle the paint and spend a good amount of time cleaning your airbrush wishing you had listened to this post.  

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On 6/7/2017 at 11:27 PM, dsahling said:

 

 

*THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT* Use an airbrush nozzle of 0.4mm or larger.  I find if I use the small 0.2 nozzle, at least for my Harder & Steenbeck it results in the paint either building up and then blasting out, or, to combat this problem one is inclined to add more thinner to prevent this.  The only problem is the paint becomes then too thin for close in fine detail, mottling (think WWII Luftwaffe), or even in general it would take forever to cover things.

 

 

While I agree with the issue of attempting to use an airbrush with a .2mm needle, which is primarily best used and intended for inks and dyes, paints, especially acrylic paints comparatively have a much higher viscosity. Yes over thinning will result in paint performing properly as the binder is unable to function properly during the drying and curing process. 

 

However, to say a .4mm needle or larger is purely an arbitrary statement. Model builders are notorious for getting hung up on nomenclature when it comes to needle size. It comes down to the engineering of the actual needle per the manufacturer. If you look at an Iwata .3mm versus a Grex .3mm  needle there is a visible difference between the two. This isn't to say one is better than the other, merely different. The Grex needle has an almost straight taper from it's largest diameter down to the point of the needle. The Iwata needle has a compound taper. That is to say it has one taper from the largest diameter, then a sharper taper just before getting to the tip of the needle, (think of the Saturn V rocket as it has multiple tapers up to the capsule). How one performs versus the other can be significantly different when doing detail work with paint. Perhaps going to a .4mm needle for the Iwata is necessary but isn't automatically the same for the Grex. I should also mention it's not just the needle size but the engineering of the fluid nozzle and how they interface with each other as well. These attributes are going to vary from one manufacturer to the next. 

 

Again, this isn't to say one airbrush is better than the other and granted I'm only using two airbrushes as an example. What is important is to know what needle size is best per the manufacturer of your airbrush. Again the "size" of the needle should not be arbitrary across the board for all manufacturers. Try to reach out to other model builders who use the same airbrush and hopefully the same paint you use. You'll get much better and accurate information as to what will work best for your needs. 

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On 6/7/2017 at 9:31 AM, 82Whitey51 said:

Try it with just 91% alcohol, I've heard people say it reacts well with it. (same with Gunze Aquesous...)

+1 ! I have had good results using a 75/25 91% alcohol to denatured water mix as a thinner for MM acrylics. 

As stated above, you need a primer coat (applies to almost all acrylic paints). It sprays wonderfully and you can get thin coats. 

I sprayed a 1/48 tamiya FW-190A-8 with MM acrylic and free handed the whole camo including mottling on the sides. 

If I'm able to do that with my ham-fists, then it must spray well!!

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