Freak Flex

jowman · Post by **jowman** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:41 pm

I have a lot of bottles of Freak Flex paints. I figure I should start finally using one of the airbrushes that I have. I have heard bad things about Freak Flex; is there anything that I should do or know, before I start using them?

kenlilly106 · Post by **kenlilly106** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:34 pm

I seem to remember for some reason that the Freak Flex paints were latex based, which usually means they dry on the tip easily and you can't use rubbing alcohol to thin them.

I've had some success using Windex to thin latex based craft paints, standard 50-50 mix works well, coverage is so-so, I've found that multiple coats over a light colored primer coat works the best.

Ken

rpauly · Post by **rpauly** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:54 pm

Mix some Badger Extender in your paint cup to keep it from drying too quickly and clogging the needle.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:11 pm

Just as a note, latex paints (like latex house paints) are acrylics. They contain no actual latex.

Freaky but true.

Lt. Z0mBe · Post by **Lt. Z0mBe** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:34 pm

HAve you thought about adding Future to them as a stabilizer and retarder? Test it first, but it may be worth a try.

I hope this helps.

Kenny

jowman · Post by **jowman** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:14 pm

Thanks for the tips. I just ordered some extender.

kenlilly106 · Post by **kenlilly106** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 5:30 am

Kylwell wrote:Just as a note, latex paints (like latex house paints) are acrylics. They contain no actual latex.

What about paints that label themselves as acrylics but ball up into a clump when cut with rubbing alcohol?

The only paints I know of that clump when exposed to alcohol are latex paints, any other acrylic paint such as Tamiya, Gunze, even that junk that Testor's sells will thin out with alcohol.

Ken

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:40 am

kenlilly106 wrote:
Kylwell wrote:Just as a note, latex paints (like latex house paints) are acrylics. They contain no actual latex.
What about paints that label themselves as acrylics but ball up into a clump when cut with rubbing alcohol?

The only paints I know of that clump when exposed to alcohol are latex paints, any other acrylic paint such as Tamiya, Gunze, even that junk that Testor's sells will thin out with alcohol.

Ken

All depends on the binders used.

When latex labeled paint first came out, real latex was the newest snazzy thing and given that the paint was flexible and water soluble (unlike the common oil based paints) they jazzed the name up by calling it 'Latex Paint'. Lt. Zombie has some great home thinner recipes for thinning just about any acrylic paint, including latex house paints.

jowman · Post by **jowman** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:24 pm

Is Freak Flex a bad paint? Does it work good on some materials and bad on others, or should I get rid of it and get some different paints.

rpauly · Post by **rpauly** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:46 pm

Actually, Freak Flex is a very good paint. The thing is, it's formulated specifically for figure modeling, where you generally spray a lot less coverage at a time than other genres. It purposely dries quickly for that reason. Badger's Extender is made to compensate for that quality in "wider" applications. When dry, the finish is smooth and durable.

About the only thing I've found that I like better on figures is Freestyle Paints.

Post by **TER-OR** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 9:25 pm

I diluted with water and added Slo-Dri and Flow-Aid from Liquitex. They sprayed pretty well then, though were a bit on the thin side. For figures thin is good, though, allowing good layering and blending.