Hi All
I am having a problem. When I paint, using either acrylic or enamel paints, I have trouble getting it to stick well. Any time I mask a color, (Tamiya masking tape) to paint another color, the paint lifts with the tape. I guess the paint is not biting well enough into the plastic. The smallest bump will scratch the paint. I use mostly Model Master and Tamiya paints. And my latest project is a Japanese Zero which I first painted MM metalizer aluminum over which I spray painted some Future, when that dried I then painted MM enamel Japanese Navy green on top, and on the underside Japanese Navy gray. What am I missing, or doing wrong.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks!!!

Metalizer is by nature delicate, desppite being laquer based. That may be the problem. IIRC, most Japanese camo was soft edged, so masking should be minimal. If you have a good airbrush, you should be able to get close enough in any commone scale to freehand the camo you're trying to replicate.

Do you wash the model prior to painting it with warm water and dish soap ant then rice it wit warm water and let it throughly dry? This eliminates the grease accululated from the casting process and during the building process. If you do it try to prime it with something like the Tamiya primer. It bites the plastic (without damaging it and without hiding detail - if you do not exagerate) and the paint you spay on it gets the right grip...
Ciao

Hi tek2

Metalizers are notoriously delicate, but you shouldn't have trouble with normal enamels or acrylics...

As Scoccia says -make sure the model is clean. I always wash the parts on the sprues with detergent before building, and give a final clean with isopropyl (denatured) alchohol before painting.

You can thin both enamels and acrylics with cellulose (laquer) thinners for a "hot" mix that bites better... don't try to hand-brush this though... airbrush only! :-)

All the best

Rowan