Hornby, Airfix and model railway colours

Well, I don't know if everyone will laugh at this but I use Dulux and British Paints test pots for my spraying. I do mix colours up and before weathering they don't look that great (way to bright), but after weathering they do come up really well. I had only done buildings but have started on my scratch built Oe wagons now as well.

Why do I use test pots? Well with young children, SWMBO got a good deal on a big box load of the stuff. When I got my Airbrush, I "needed" to try it out and since it was an Acrylic air brush (until I read the insructions I had no idea there was such a thing) they were to hand so I thought I would try them out and se what they were like.

I have done one wagon so far. A dark grey base coat, then a forest green top coat.

I use Floetrol to "thin" the paint. It is an Acrylic Paint Conditioner.

What I am interested in though is some sort or clear top coat to over spray the wagons once the decals have been put on them. Would dullcoat be any good? Does anyone know of a brand of clear top coat I could use?

Cheers

John

QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 2 Jul 2008, 05:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The question:

I airbrush a lot of models and can do it well - I tend to use humbrol, scalecoat or humbrol enamels plus the odd citadel colour acrylic but am very impressed by some of the airbrushing with acrylics that I've seen demonstrated lately.

It made me think and realise that I actually only use enamels because I've always used them, not because they are better or worse than acrylic.

What sort of paint do YOU use and why do you use it?

Richard
DCCconcepts

Richard Hi,

Paints are an inseparable part of our hobby. One way or another everybody who is dwelling in modelrailways has used one sort of paint .

I have preferred to use water based acrylics all the way thru. In kitbashed, scratchbuild structures, whatever you can think of its all acrylics with me.

Airbrushing to me requires skill and patience ( of which I lack), cleaning up the brush etc... my only experience and closest I got with airbrushing was doing some spraying with Tamiya can sprays.

Model painting started off with enamels all synthetic , you know the Revell planes and Tanks but once I discovered the merits of water based acrylics there was no returning back, only just on special certain occasions.

Reasons:

Mainly because its water based. You no longer have to thin the paint with synthetic smelly thinners but with plain old water.
You do not like what you have painted? Just rub it off.
Always used Matte types of acrylics.
However the main reason is that when applying with brush on a surface it glides smoothly and you have no streaks of brush seen on the surface after it drys.

I started off with an unkown brand Kenz, than to Tamiya and finally settled with certain Revell Mattes and all the Vallejo range.

One thing I hate is using Varnish ( matte or shinney ) that people so often use to coat and so to protect their finished painted objects. It simply kills all you have done it one way or another blends with the paint and spoils what you have done , at least changes the tone of the paint. So I stay away from these protective agents.

Baykal

Richard, I think that they have reached the same conclusion as you in re railway paints:

http://www.ontracks.co.uk/index.php?page=c...ue&cat=1353

As for what paint I use, I use enamel and brush it on, mostly because my local model shop (which doesn't actually do any railway stuff ) has a good range of Humbrol, Revell & Tamiya enamel tinlets.

QUOTE (ebaykal @ 2 Jul 2008, 15:05) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>One thing I hate is using Varnish ( matte or shinney ) that people so often use to coat and so to protect their finished painted objects. It simply kills all you have done it one way or another blends with the paint and spoils what you have done , at least changes the tone of the paint. So I stay away from these protective agents.

Baykal

*** John: try spraying Johnsons Kleer floor polish or similar, thinned with a little water and meths as a clear coat if you want gloss..... for matt or semigloss, I'd use a mix of branded (ie tamiya or similar) clear coat. generally if you've used a water based paint then don't use enamel clear top coats

Baykal... I agree with you: I use clear coats only as protection for complex lettering or lining - they take a different approach to normal paint, and getting the right level of matt or gloss needs some careful experimentation.... as does the amount of thinners and air pressure when spraying.

I agree they kill weathering as they take away the texture differences that are as important as colour subtlety on good weathering, so never use them as a final coat at all.

The exceptions: I do use Gloss as an initial or temporary shinyundercoat (gloss) for waterslide transfers and as a final coat (semi gloss or satin-ish) pre-weathering on passenger coaches - in general coaches were always high gloss rarely very dirty on the bodywork and I think that a slightly higher gloss level than that used by most RTR makers is usually an improvement.

The other time clear coats do help is after changing numbers on an RTR model - this usually makes the area around the new decal dull, and a spray over the whole panel or loco will "even up" the finish to make it look ex factory.

Richard

QUOTE (cig1705 @ 2 Jul 2008, 16:19) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Richard, I think that they have reached the same conclusion as you in re railway paints:

http://www.ontracks.co.uk/index.php?page=c...ue&cat=1353

As for what paint I use, I use enamel and brush it on, mostly because my local model shop (which doesn't actually do any railway stuff ) has a good range of Humbrol, Revell & Tamiya enamel tinlets.

***Thanks for posting that - I'm really delighted to see it!! I see the release timing is there too, so I'll be keeping an eye on the magazines for some more data + the humbrol website!

many thanks for the info and link!

regards

Richard

QUOTE (21C1 @ 3 Jul 2008, 08:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Unfortunately the smallest tin size is 1/2 litre.

Tony.

Buy a tin last a life time?

John