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AFV Painting & Weathering
Answers to questions about the right paint scheme or tips for the right effect.
Airbrushing Vallejo Model Colour
vonMarshall
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United Kingdom
Joined: July 30, 2010
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Posted: Sunday, October 03, 2010 - 09:14 PM UTC
Hi there

I have used a few Model Air variants and always enjoyed using them, but for me next project they do not have the right colours.

I am considering their Model Colour range but want to be able to airbrush it. Is there any reason why I should not thin some Model Colour paints? Or would I be better off using Tamiya or LifeColour paints?

As an aside, I have been experimenting with Tamiya Laquer Thinner with acrylic paint and loving the results so I would probably thin the Model Colour with this stuff.

looking forward to your thoughts.

Noel
gaborka
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Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010 - 01:00 AM UTC
Hello,
while it is probably easier to airbrush Tamiya acrilyc than Vallejo Model Color, it is not impossible. My experience is, if you thin Model Color with the Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner liquid rather than the white Vallejo thinner, it is possible and gives a good result. In this case it behaves similarly as Model Air, ie. likes low pressure (12-15 Psi).

Hope it helps.
Bigskip
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Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010 - 01:25 AM UTC
Model colour with lacquer thinner = big mess of gloop.

Either use vallejo proper thinner, or distilled water.

Andy
vonMarshall
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Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010 - 02:07 AM UTC
Thanks for the replies.


Quoted Text

this case it behaves similarly as Model Air, ie. likes low pressure (12-15 Psi).



Can you tell me why Model Air likes low pressure. Is there a guide anywhere to helping work out which pressures suit which paints / thinners?
creativemodels
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Joined: January 02, 2008
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Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010 - 03:24 AM UTC
Vallejo have now started to publish some tutorials which you may find useful.

Model Air Blog

regards

Stuart
viper29_ca
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Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010 - 03:44 AM UTC
While I have not tried this myself, there is a group in Japan that swears by a mixture they have come up with.

8 parts Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner with 2 parts Vallejo Thinner. Mix the 2 together and use the mixture to thin the Vallejo Model Colors.

The problems with the Model Colors is that the viscosity between the colors is not uniform, as it takes more or less pigments in the different colors to create the color....so there is no steady and fast rule of a 50/50 thinning ratio like there is with Tamiya.

Like I said, I haven't tried the above myself as of yet, but I will be, sounds like it should work.....like using Tamiya Lacquer thinner to thin their acrylic paints with....doesn't make sense, but it works.
gaborka
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Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010 - 06:53 AM UTC
I am not sure why Vallejo Air is sensible for pressure, but that's the way it is. At higher pressures the paint blows itself off from the surface. While, at low pressure the paint seems to be grainy first but quickly levels out, that is my experience.

Other paints are not so, for example you can spray Tamiya acrylics or Gunze Aqueous at anything between 15 and 40 Psi. I guess it comes from the composition of the paint.

Actually it is not a big problem, you just have to remember to set down the pressure on your compressor when spraying Vallejo Air.

bellers
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Posted: Monday, October 04, 2010 - 08:47 AM UTC
hello mate i thin my model colour with distilled water 30 paint 70 water with realy nice results.a mix that looks like semi skimed milk seams to be the way to go hope this helps
Paul-H
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Posted: Monday, October 11, 2010 - 10:05 PM UTC
Another vote from me for using Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner as a thinner for Vallejo Model Colour Paints, I find that Vallejos Thinner because it is white affects the colour of the thinned paint.

Paul
Phil_H
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Joined: November 10, 2005
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Posted: Monday, October 11, 2010 - 11:11 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Another vote from me for using Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner as a thinner for Vallejo Model Colour Paints, I find that Vallejos Thinner because it is white affects the colour of the thinned paint.

Paul


Paul,

The regular thinner is white when liquid, but dries clear. While it may affect the appearance of the paint when wet, the paint dries to the intended shade.
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