Need a little help

[Guest]

Hey all, I have just bought my first model and couple of brushes and 10 colors of enamel paint,

I have began by painting some of the small components for the aircraft I bought but I was wondering is enamel supposed to be watery? I do one coat and you still can see the plastic, is this normal? also is warm water okay to use for the brushes because I dont have any thinner yet

thanks

Scott

[Guest]

Hi Scott

First it is best to wash down the plastic while it is still all attached to the sprue. This gets all the factory process residue off to give a good painting surface.

Also to give a light rub down with a 1200 0r 1500 wet & dry paper using water to lubricate the surface.

Then you need a primer to prime the surface. If you are using oil paint then an oil based primer. Wait until this is perfectly hard before further painting. You will then find that the oil paint finishes will begin to cover. But you may have to recoat.

This painting thing is a large subject & you would do well to trundle through the paint section here to get more info.

Also go to Flory Models website as he does some good tuition videos.

Last I would consider on your next model trying acrylic paints which are water based. I find them much better than oil but only you can decide on that. By the way if you do not have thinners leave the brushes in water but obtain thinners quickly to avoid your brushes going hard. B & Q have white spirit which will do they have a less odour type which is better.

All the best

Laurie

PS just thought make sure you really stir the paint well otherwise it will be thinner near the top & thick on the bottom

[spanner570]

Hi Scott, I think you might have not stirred the paint enough. If they have been on the shelf a while they do need to be stirred for quite some time.

You will never clean brushes that have been in enamels with warm water...... It is quite o.k. to use ordinary turpentine, even turps substitute to both thin and clean your brushes. You don't need to buy expensive thinners....but water? No!lol

Cheers,

Ron

[spanner570]

Oops! Sorry Laurie, I was typing as you replied to Scott's question, so I didn't realise you had already answered his query!

[Guest]

Hi Scott,

In addition to Laurie's good advice, how you thoroughly mixed the paint?Tins of fresh enamel will usually have all the heavier pigment at the bottom & the lighter thinning agent at the top. That might be why it seems so watery. Mix, mix & then when you think you're done, mix some more!

To clean your brushes of enamel paint, you need white spirit or a brush cleaner such as the stuff that Revell make. Then wash the residue off with warm soapy water, stand upright to dry.

Patrick

[Guest]

Hey, Thanks for the great comments both of you did not think I would get such a quick response, on this model I have painted a bit already, should it be okay to still do what you said? then repaint it?

[Guest]

It should be fine to repaint, if necessary wait till it's cured, then lightly sand back to key the surface. Get some white spirit for cleanup.

I find that Humbrol enamels brush better when thinned, white spirits is OK for this but ideally you should use himbrols own proprietary enamel thinner, theres no magic ratio, just to a point where the paint flows and self levels, don't try to lay too thick a coat on at once, better to paint two or three thinner coats with drying time in between.

Most important, get a stirring stick, (i use a metal rod with the end flattened), pop the lid off and stir thoroughly, you'll notice how watery the upper layer looks and how thick and gloopy it becomes after stirring.

pop the lid back on firmly and shake well for a couple of minutes, when stirring BTW ensure that you scarpe all around the bottom edges of the tinlet to thoroughly mix the pigment in.

Clean your brushes after with white spirit, then in warm soapy water as has been said, rinse and form the bristles into a point with wet fingertips then sit upright in a pot to dry.