Enamel Paints

Thomas E. Johnson · Post by **Thomas E. Johnson** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:03 am

Its been over 20 years since I last used enamel paints as I couldn't stand them. They clogged my airbrush regularly no matter how much I thinned them, and smelled really bad and gave me headaches even in a ventilated area.. I prefer acrylics for models, with a good lacquer primer underneath. Now I see that Model Master is bring the marine colors line back in both acrylic and in enamel, with most all of the colors being in enamel and only a few in acrylic. Since I build ships also this means I won't have to mix colors to get what I want if I use them again.

So my question, more or less is how user friendly is the current generation of Model Master enamel paint, for both airbrushing and hand brushing?

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 1:56 pm

MM enamels are certainly better than their little brethren but they still smell the same and are long to cure.

I have heard tho', of people thinning with MM enamels with lacquer thinner to speed the cure time and get them to lay thinner & smoother.

southwestforests · Post by **southwestforests** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:53 pm

Probably ought to add a note that lacquer thinner is pretty potent in the aromatic realm.

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:53 pm

Kylwell wrote:MM enamels are certainly better than their little brethren but they still smell the same and are long to cure.

I have heard tho', of people thinning with MM enamels with lacquer thinner to speed the cure time and get them to lay thinner & smoother.

That's what I do on the rare occasion I A/B them. Of course, I strain the frak out of them too and shoot at around 15 psi or so.

Kenny

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:34 am

yes, forgot about that, thank you Kenny. Strain them. I even strain my Vallejo if I'm going to a/b it. My Tamiya & Alclad II on the other hand....

Thomas E. Johnson · Post by **Thomas E. Johnson** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:05 am

Tamyia and Polyscale acrylics are my preferred paints.

Since straining the MM enamels has been brought up, can I take that to mean they are not a fine pigment grind?

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 11:40 am

They just clump on the odd occasion. Vallejo does it also, once you've opened them. Sometimes a vigorous shaking can emulsify them but it's just safer to run them through a strainer.

irishtrek · Post by **irishtrek** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 12:12 pm

Almost any paint has little tiny clumps and will eventualy clog ones airbrush.

Thomas E. Johnson · Post by **Thomas E. Johnson** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:53 pm

Kylwell wrote:They just clump on the odd occasion. Vallejo does it also, once you've opened them. Sometimes a vigorous shaking can emulsify them but it's just safer to run them through a strainer.

I always stir my paints heavily.

Thomas E. Johnson · Post by **Thomas E. Johnson** » Sun Aug 05, 2012 4:54 pm

irishtrek wrote:Almost any paint has little tiny clumps and will eventualy clog ones airbrush.

I've yet to have that issue with Tamiya acyrlics.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 5:13 am

Kylwell wrote:MM enamels are certainly better than their little brethren but they still smell the same and are long to cure.

I have heard tho', of people thinning with MM enamels with lacquer thinner to speed the cure time and get them to lay thinner & smoother.

That's what I do too. Lacquer thinner works really well with MM enamels, I thin them at least 1:1, or even thinner, and shoot at about 10psi. I don't always strain my paint, but I do put a 1/4" stainless nut in the bottle and shake the living daylights out of it.

And yeah, lacquer thinner stinks and is probably poisonous as hell. If you have a good spraybooth this won't matter. I wear a good respirator.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 12:12 pm

Oddly enough, acetone is less poisonous than common paint thinner.

JohnInVT · Post by **JohnInVT** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 1:55 pm

Kylwell wrote:Oddly enough, acetone is less poisonous than common paint thinner.

I was surprised, based on the odor, that an acetone bottle was not covered with warnings. But it's used as nail polish remover! Turns out acetone is common in the body, and not particularly dangerous - largely an irritant and highly flammable!! It's a powerful solvent of plastics, and I believe it's the media for the "Mr surfacer" line of products.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 3:33 pm

I was surprise myself having been told in high school that aerosoled acetone is incredible poisonous. Yes, it'll make you sick but your body will readily eject it before it becomes deadly.

Yes, it's the solvent in the Mr. Color line of paints & primers.

TREKKRIFFIC · Post by **TREKKRIFFIC** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 4:24 pm

JohnInVT wrote:
Kylwell wrote:Oddly enough, acetone is less poisonous than common paint thinner.
I was surprised, based on the odor, that an acetone bottle was not covered with warnings. But it's used as nail polish remover! Turns out acetone is common in the body, and not particularly dangerous - largely an irritant and highly flammable!! It's a powerful solvent of plastics, and I believe it's the media for the "Mr surfacer" line of products.

I always thought of acetone as being highly corrosive to flesh yet a modeller on another forum regularly used his fingertip to appply it when smoothing polyester based putties for seam filling. Still don't think it's a very good idea though when you can use a swab.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Aug 06, 2012 6:52 pm

It'll suck the moisture and destroy the oils in your skin and prolonged exposure will make you sick as the body rapidly ejects it but for the most part causal exposure to it isn't an issue. The toluene in your glue will kill you faster.

Wug · Post by **Wug** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:44 am

Acetone

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0004.html

Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0359.html

Am I reading this right?

Mike

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:48 pm

Yup.

Now read the one for Mineral spirits, the most common paint thinner.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0569.html