Mission Models Paint - bottle gone bad?

[kernsc]

I'm getting back into the hobby after a 15 year hiatus and one of the first things I realized is that I'd need to find a new go-to paint given the demise of Model Master.  No problem, as I was starting to dabble in Acrylics anyway.  I've been using a combination of Vallejo and Mission Models, both fully stocked by my LHS, to good effect.

 

However, I have one bottle / color, FS36270 where the drops are coming out very thick, yet upon thinning the pain turns excessively thin and lays down watery.  Yes, the bottle is mixed / shaken quite thoroughly, and I've tried a few different thinning ratios (using Mission's thinner), but this bottle just isn't behaving like all the others.  The drops from the bottle come out almost like mucus and then with just a touch of thinner it turns into the consistency of a wash (initially, I thought I'd need more thinner given the thickness).  With and without Poly doesn't seem to matter.

 

The paint is doing ok on the model, it just took many very light coats and was a bit trickier to spray because it would pool much easier than normal, but I think I'll source another bottle from a different hobby shop and see what happens.

 

Just curious if anyone has experienced anything like that before?

[Dave Williams]

I haven’t had issues with the paint itself, but I have had bottles of the poly intermix go bad, thickening into goop, even never opened bottles.  I use MMP a lot, and also use Ammo Mig and AK interactive paints.  Recently started trying the AK Interactive 3G paints.  Have gone full in on acrylics as I hate the lacquer smell.

[Ken Cartwright]

Sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but I didn't want to start a new one and clutter up the forums.

 

I recently tried using Mission Models paint and while it came out of the airbrush well, and seemed to cover well, I was able to wipe it off with a wet paper towel, even after it had dried for days.  I did not use a primer coat, but I used to use Testors Model Master acrylics and never had an issue.  Is there a trick to using these paints? I'm concerned that they may be easily wiped off even with a  primer coat, given how easily it came off the parts I've tried.  As an example, I had washed my hands once before handling a part and I guess had just a little moisture on one finger and the paint came right off at the spot where I touched it.

 

Thanks for any insights!

[Dave Williams]

Their FAQ says always use a primer.

 

https://missionmodelsus.com/pages/tips-and-tricks-faq

 

Always prime your model!  Paint always sticks best to primer.  Primer offers bite for the paint. The paint will not adhere properly to bare plastic.  Painting on bare plastic and expecting it to properly adhere is like painting on glass. 
 

You don’t have to use their primer, but the only other primer I’ve used with their paints is Badger Stynylrez, and it works fine.  Also, are you using only their thinner for their paint?  You need to.

 

I’d highly recommend reading their FAQ, if you haven’t already.  I follow it, and I’ve never had a problem using MMP.  Of course it’s possible the paint could go bad (their poly intermix has a bad habit of sometimes thickening up over time), but make sure you’re using the paints properly first.

[Ken Cartwright]

Thanks for the info! I had just seen them at the local hobby store and didn't know much about them, and didn't do much searching before posting here because I was interested in hearing input from people who've used their stuff. I doubt it's paint that went bad, it's just my lack of knowledge - I was basing my approach on my experience with other paints.  I'm sure using a primer is good for a lot of painting situations, I just never needed it before.

 

The paint just turned into liquid as soon as moisture touched it, which is why I wasn't sure if a primer would even make a difference.  Plus, as mentioned, I had use the Testors Acryl paints for years without primer and never had an issue.  I'm not very good at this, obviously, so I'm sure I'm just ignorant, but I have to wonder, if they can make a primer that can stick to the plastic, why can't they make a paint that sticks to the plastic? That is a somewhat rhetorical question...

[Geoff M]

I tried Mission Model paints when I was thinking of switching to acrylics.  I went to there website and read all the instructions and warnings.  I could never make them work right.  And they require too much prep and mixing just to paint.   I gave up which is a shame because they have a very extensive range of paints.  I switched again to Mr Color and Tamiya Lacquers.  No mixing besides just thinning them.

 

Geoff M

[spejic]

I've had adhesion problems as well. The only place I use them now is to paint the white inside jet intakes. It does a remarkable job of not running when airbrushed which is a useful trait for tricky inside corners and shapes, and I'm not touching or masking over it in there.

 

[lockheed2004]

I've used them in the past over Mr Surfacer without issue.  After having 2 bottles of the poly go bad just sitting on the shelf, I switched over to MRP and have not looked back.

[Ken Cartwright]

Just as a quick follow-up on this, I was looking for light ghost gray (fs 36375) in acrylic, and was hoping to find it at my LHS, but the only acrylic they had was from Mission Models. 

 

Tamiya doesn't make it in their standard acrylic line, but I found that if I mix their white (X-1 or XF-1) with a small amount of their Medium Blue (XF-18) I seem to get something close enough to light ghost gray for me to use. I sprayed it on bare plastic and it's solid and doesn't come off easily. It's nice to not have to buy some extra primer nor have an extra layer of coating that might impact panel lines, etc.

 

All of this being said with the caveat that I am not very good nor experienced at this 🙂

[Gwen Phoenix]

Hi there,

My input has very little to do with paints, but more about Mission Models' awesome mini-chisel and the unavailability of their spare 2mm flat/round and 1mm flat blades, which seem to have been nowhere to be found for more than four years now.

Anyone know whether Mission Models have discontinued them?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Gwen

[Dave Williams]

3 hours ago, Gwen Phoenix said:

Hi there,

My input has very little to do with paints, but more about Mission Models' awesome mini-chisel and the unavailability of their spare 2mm flat/round and 1mm flat blades, which seem to have been nowhere to be found for more than four years now.

Anyone know whether Mission Models have discontinued them?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Gwen

You might want to start a new thread.  I’m not sure the mission models that does acrylic paint has anything to do with the mission models who made the chisels and other tools.

[Kurt H.]

On 6/14/2023 at 7:23 PM, Dave Williams said:

You might want to start a new thread.  I’m not sure the mission models that does acrylic paint has anything to do with the mission models who made the chisels and other tools.

 

As I recall, it is the same person behind the mission models who made the tools, but he shifted the business to paint. I think You might find it on the website, or I heard it in an interview with him. 

[Curt B]

On 5/16/2023 at 9:30 AM, Ken Cartwright said:

Just as a quick follow-up on this, I was looking for light ghost gray (fs 36375) in acrylic, and was hoping to find it at my LHS, but the only acrylic they had was from Mission Models. 

 

Tamiya doesn't make it in their standard acrylic line, but I found that if I mix their white (X-1 or XF-1) with a small amount of their Medium Blue (XF-18) I seem to get something close enough to light ghost gray for me to use. I sprayed it on bare plastic and it's solid and doesn't come off easily. It's nice to not have to buy some extra primer nor have an extra layer of coating that might impact panel lines, etc.

 

All of this being said with the caveat that I am not very good nor experienced at this 🙂

AK Real Colors make Light and Dark Ghost Grey, AK251 and 252, respectively.  These paints are acrylic, in the same way as Tamiya paints are acrylic (i.e., not water based).  They are available online at Megahobby, Michigan Toy Soldier, Burbank House of Hobbies, and many EBay sellers (and probably many more).

[Ken Cartwright]

Thanks, I just found that brand at my LHS, and bought some flat black.   I've already used some of my mix on my current build, so I'll stick with that for now for consistency, but will definitely look at their stuff for next time. Thanks again!

[Dave Williams]

AK real colors are acrylic lacquers, while Tamiya normal paints are an alcohol based acrylic.  You’ll be getting the lacquer smell with the AK colors, in case that’s something that you’re trying to avoid.

[Ken Cartwright]

Thanks again for the info! When asking about it at the LHS their information was a little confusing, but they said the AK would be the same as the Tamiya acrylics, and said I could thin it with the Tamiya acrylic thinner, but it sounds like that may not be the case.  My concern would also be keeping the type consistent so using washes, etc., would not impact different paints differently.  I only used the AK flat black with a brush for some small parts and noticed the smell, and I was OK with that, but wondered if it was really the same as the Tamiya.

[spejic]

I've used Testors acrylic thinner and Tamiya acrylic thinner on all my various acrylic paints and they work equally well on everything. In fact, I think my current bottle has a mix of both.

 

[Curt B]

8 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

AK real colors are acrylic lacquers, while Tamiya normal paints are an alcohol based acrylic.  You’ll be getting the lacquer smell with the AK colors, in case that’s something that you’re trying to avoid.

That's true to an extent.  There is more odor to AK Real Color paints than Tamiya acrylic paints, I"ll give you that, but not quite as bad as the odor from Gunze lacquer or MRP paints, which I use lacquer thinner to clean my airbrushes after use..  Nonetheless, some type of respiratory protection, such as a half mask with filter canisters, should be used with any of these paints.  This is just my experience and opinion.

Edited June 20, 2023 by Curt B

[spejic]

I want to modify my posted opinion of Mission paints. In my original testing, I found that I could not mask over them and they scratched off easily. That was after a day or two drying. But I was playing with the broken model I use to test paints recently, and was trying to scratch off the Mission paint section so I could do a different test and found it would not come off, even with hard scratching. So I guess you just need to let it dry longer - somewhere between two days to 14 months. Somewhere.  I can't get more accurate than that at the moment.

 

[andrew.deboer]

My Mission Models thinner went bad. The sides of the bottle caved in over time, for whatever reason, and the thinner causes the paint to separate into globs. It was stored in the same drawer with a lot of other types of paint and thinner, so perhaps it absorbed some VOCs from other types. I tried thinning with Tamiya X-20A and it worked fine. Threw the thinner in the trash (@&$%#*) and kept the paint.

 

The Light and Dark Ghost Grays from MM have a violet hue to them compared with other brands. I bought another bottle of LGG just to make sure I hadn’t gotten a bad batch, but it was the same. I contacted them and they told me I was wrong and that it was accurate. I’ll use up what I have, but I won’t feel the need to buy any more.