I dont know what happened, but a small disaster that was, at least, easily rectified, by knowing some tips!
I have an old bottle (about 10 years) of Tamiya German Grey. I used it last night (air brushed) as a primer coat, also with the idea as a pre-shading.
This morning I could easily wipe it off with little effort with my fingers!
What happened? I thinned it with Tamiya thinner, they way I always do. Is it because it's so old? Is it possible it lost it's adhesion properties with age?
Oh well, at any rate, I easily cleaned it off with a little help from "Tilex", made by the Clorox Company. Thank goodness for small tips! :-)

Ken,
10 year old vintage eh? I think I do remember hearing that Tamiya Grey '92 was a bad year. I may be wrong about that though. hehe

It was probably the age.

Jim

Did you mix it up throughly? If kept air-tight the acrylic base should hold up to at least 10 years. The base is heavier than the combining agent and color pigment and tends to coagulate. My guess is that the base had almost had it, but had enough adhesion to spray. Was the residue on your finger wet or a powder? I bet it was a powder. I would test mixing some Tamiya flat base with your German Grey, this should revive the adhesion, but the mixture cannot be that lean. 70/30 or 60/40 color/new flat base.

You bought the color what 10 yrs ago? That could mean the color was between 1 and 2 yrs in storage or on the shelf, ´before you bought it. That is why I think manufacturers should put a manufactured date on the product!

Good Luck!!

I too think it was age. It was a "Brand New Bottle" never opened. It mixed perfectly fine. Yes, everything that coagulated on the bottom was mixed. Yes, it was like powder when I wiped it. Oh well. Funny though...I don't normally use Tamiya, MM mostly.

...but check this out! The vinyl tracks were air brushed with the same paint last night, and I can't scratch it off if I had too.
I guess every cloud DOES have a silver lining! :-)

Vinyl is a softer material and therefore has more pores. It is probably both the chemical make up of the vinyl that helped out and the adhesion level of the paint even though it was low.

Did you try to mix and paint with the flat base. Theoretically it should work. I have revived enamels in that way before.

Oh well...

Gentlemen,
there may be something else here that has caused this problem. I have had this problem myself once with a BRAND NEW bottle of Tamiya paint. I asked the same question on rec.models.scale and someone replied I had probably thinned it too much and used too high an air pressure to spray. The paint apparently dries in mid-air and hits your model nearly dry. Effectively you have just applied a dust coat
Change your thinning ratio and less air pressure and you should be home free :-)
The fact that it DID adhere to the tracks might be an indication that it was an airbrushing problem the first time.
HTH

Yeah, I see your point, but that seems almost unbelivable that you could the settings exactly to make that situation happen.

Kencelot did you sign up for the lottery too!!

I used the same thinner/paint ratio I always use. The same air pressure, and the same distance from AB to model. Afterward I brushed some on a test model...same effect! Still no rhyme nor reason.
Yes, I did play the lottery here, was up to 85 mil., I got one number! I'll stick to funky paint luck.

Guess it was the age then....
Oh well, the effect can be replicated with new paint too. Other than this I have never had any problems with Tamiya paint. It sprays like a dream (handpainting is not easy though, Pactra and Polly S are much better in that area). I use Tamiya thinner to thin it, but I use windshield wiperfluid a lot too (VERY cheap ).

It's the most reliable...

Hey, what ever you do, don't drink that stuff. I hear 92 was a bad year. Good luck to you.
Chris (Tiger 1) Carney. PS, if you'd like, I could send a small (meager) donation for your updated paint collection. What are model pals for right?

Kencelot!!

Why didn't you tell us you needed help? Was this a woman's language way of saying you don't have the funds for new paint? You know the venus and mars thing "Oh isn't that a nice looking restaurant over there??="I'm hungry lets go to that restaurant over there!!" How much you need buddy? :-) :-) :-) :-)

Tiger I - I think you hit on an interesting idea there. Maybe Jim might be inclined to setup a Motor Pool section of the website where little parts and quick fixes could be posted by the members, and answered by those willing to lend a hand. I don't know anyone who hasn't wished they could get Part #6B for their kit without having to splurge for another one...

Jim
http://www.guntruck.com

Oh my gosh!!!!!! Where do I begin on that one????
Okay, I stpped laughing.....not yet......okay, now.
LOL LOL
Phewwww! (my sides hurt)
Thanks so very much for the more than kind offer. I'm in no need of paints...thank you!
Let me try to explain...I had only one bottle of black that I wanted to hold onto just in case I did'nt get a chance to get to the store for more. I had and still have a very old bottle of Tamiya's German Grey. Now, I wanted to prime coat, and do a shadow coat on the M4 I'm building. I figured why not use the Tam. Ger. Grey, it's dark enough, and will let me hold the black till Till I get more. Bla, bla, bla...you know the rest of story.
After reading the post from Chris, I thought nothing serious of it so I left it alone. Than I read the other posts, and really lost it over here.LOL
For the record, I have plenty of paints and other supplies (always looking to expand stock, LOL), that was a good one Brian!!!!!!!!!! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
But!!!, that is a good idea JIm, a motor pool of sorts to help those who might need a little something! Count me in.
Thanks guys!!!! still laughing....................

That's a fine idea Jim. I've got more spare parts for various german ww2 armor then I'll ever use. Lets do that. Dang your good. That's why your the boss. I was just trying to help a fellow modeler out. How do you suppose to get the ball rolling on that one, cause I sure could donate. Chris (Tiger 1) Carney.

Hey Jim - 'ya reading this idea?

Jim