Help with Tamiya Metallic paints

hackercat13 · Post by **hackercat13** » Fri May 30, 2008 5:23 pm

While I have been shooting Tamiya acrylics for years, I had never tried metallics before. I had always hand painted those parts before.

I tried spraying Tamiya gunmetal gray, and it was a disaster! I thinned like normal, Tamiya thinner 3 parts paint to 2 parts thinner, shot at 18 psi. It wouldn’t spray unless I had my airbrush wide open. I thinned further, 1:1, when it did spray, lots of splatter. I even bumped up the psi, no luck!

Anyone with experience shooting Tamiya Metallics please sound off!
Thanks!
Chris

macfrank · Post by **macfrank** » Fri May 30, 2008 6:11 pm

I painted the base of this Earth vs. The Flying Saucers dio with Tamiya gunmetal acrylic.

You really have to mix the paint well. I thinned it quite a bit with denatured alcohol (don't remember the exact ratio - about 1:4 paint:thinner or higher). I also checked it in the cup to see if it was the consistency of skim milk and may have added more thinner. These metallics take a bit more thinning than usual. But once I had it to the right consistency, it sprayed beautifully.

Frank

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:16 pm

I used Metallic Gray mixed with black to spray these Viper engines:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/u ... ineson.jpg

Frank is right, you have to mix well just before spraying. Otherwise just thin down till it does spray.

hackercat13 · Post by **hackercat13** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:21 pm

USSARCADIA wrote:I used Metallic Gray mixed with black to spray these Viper engines:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v72/u ... ineson.jpg

Frank is right, you have to mix well just before spraying. Otherwise just thin down till it does spray.

Thanks, that's waaayyy thinner than anything I usually shoot, but I'll try!

OMG that is BEAUTIFUL weathering on that viper!

Chris

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:25 pm

Tamiya uses what must be the largest flake size in hobby paint. The only metallic colors I can get to paint easily are the Ti silver & Ti gold. Everything else is a crap shoot. As Frank said, thinning is critical. Too much and the bush doesn't pick up enough flake, too little and the thing gets gummed up.

Gunze metallics spray much easier. Alclad is the easiest (but is lacquer based so has a more difficult clean up).

hackercat13 · Post by **hackercat13** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:31 pm

Kylwell wrote: Gunze metallics spray much easier.

Isn't Gunze and Tamiya basically the same paint? I have been told it comes from the same factory.

What about MM Acryl? I don't need to shoot much metallic, but would like a good option for when I do!

I definatly want to avoid laquer based paints, wife gives me enough grief about "stinky" paints when I shoot Tamiya!
Thanks!
Chris

macfrank · Post by **macfrank** » Fri May 30, 2008 8:59 pm

hackercat13 wrote: What about MM Acryl? I don't need to shoot much metallic, but would like a good option for when I do!

IMO, the Testors Acryls are the best commonly available acrylics around now; the Polyscale acrylics are very similar but harder to find. Tamiya and Gunze are easy to work with, but Acryl has a wider range of colors and the paint sticks about as well as enamels. The Testors Acryl white is one of the few white acrylic paints that doesn't need 3 - 4 coats to become opaque.

The Tamiya metallics just don't cut it in the long run. Like Robb said, the flakes are just too big to allow for easy painting. I've heard good things about Hawkeye Hobbies Talon Acrylic metallic paints, but I haven't tried them yet.

USSARCADIA - that's a great job on that Viper!

Frank

USSARCADIA · Post by **USSARCADIA** » Fri May 30, 2008 10:32 pm

Thanks for the compliments guys.

I guess I got lucky with the mix cause it sprayed great the first time. Gunze paints do spray a little different, I just can't find them anymore. It's hard enough to find Tamiya paints. The local Hobby People is slowly running out.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri May 30, 2008 10:57 pm

hackercat13 wrote:
Kylwell wrote: Gunze metallics spray much easier.
Isn't Gunze and Tamiya basically the same paint? I have been told it comes from the same factory.

What about MM Acryl? I don't need to shoot much metallic, but would like a good option for when I do!

I definatly want to avoid laquer based paints, wife gives me enough grief about "stinky" paints when I shoot Tamiya!
Thanks!
Chris

You can have glue produced in the same factory that is vastly different so why wouldn't paint be also? Tamiya & Gunze lids are somewhat cross compatible and you can intermix the paints but in all honesty they are not the same paint repackaged.

And you need a spray booth. Even if you're just spraying acrylics.

hackercat13 · Post by **hackercat13** » Fri May 30, 2008 11:34 pm

[/quote]
And you need a spray booth. Even if you're just spraying acrylics.[/quote]

Amen! I am deciding how to build one right now, mainly I use tha garage with an open door and a fan, but a booth is a HIGH priority for me!

Thanks to everyone who shared some knowledge! You guys rock!

Post by **TER-OR** » Sat May 31, 2008 8:02 pm

I do find the Gunze paints better than Tamiya. The flats are less flat - which is good, IMHO, and the pigments are finer.
Just because they're made in the same factory doesn't mean the specifications are the same.

The Talon products seem to be quite good. I've seen them demonstrated, but haven't used them myself.