Hi all,

did any of you dare to use lifecolor with his airbrush?

Recently, I had a most unpleasant expericence, as I tried to airbrush LIFECOLOR acrylics!!

Either it clogged my IWATA HP-C Plus and thinning it with ORIGINAL LIFECOLOR thinner didn't help, as the solution got too thin!!!!

What I learned is, that Lifecolor acrylics aren't that easy to use than TAMIYA acrylics!
It's a shame, as LIFECOLOR is offering a nice variety of color sets.

Did anybody of this community face the same problem or can offer me a solution for airbrushimg LIFECOLOR acrylics?

Otherwise I'll stick with TAMIYA.

Regards

Hauke Krapf

I've had no issues with airbrushing Lifecolors range of paints. I just thin with a few drops distilled water. Most say thin like 2% milk.

I also spray Lifecolor with Iwata HP-C+. I thin with original thinner and had no major problem with this paint. I have tried water, but noticed that paint tends to form droplets on fresh plastic surface. Primer recommended or maybe a drop of detergent.
As with the most acrylics, it tends to clog the AB tip during longer session, but then I just blow it out on a piece of tissue, fully retracting and returning triger several times and gently wipe needle tip with Q-tip. Usually it's enough.
You can also try adding some Tamiya retarder for acrylics.

I've shot a lot of Lifecolor 70/30 with distilled water and always had excellent results. Lifecolor thinner makes it even nicer. Still thinned 70/30.
If your airbrush is clogging, keep a little cup of airbrush cleaner and a Q-Tip handy. When it clogs, clean the needle/nozzle with the cleaner in a twirling motion and continue spraying.

Personally i find Lifecolor a very nice paint to airbrush - allso better than Tamiyas paints.

Only downside I can find is, that it doesn´t seems to be so strong as Tamiyas - so care is needed handling the model after painting and a overspray with future before masking.

I think you should give it a try more.

Cheers/Jan

Hi Hauke

What ratio paint-thinner did you use? Maybe you should paint with more diluted mixtures.

If you have a 0,2 nozzle the risk of clogging is higher with lifecolor paints because they are a little bit thicker than the Tamiya ones

Anyway as Raimondas and Matthew have told you, cleaning the nozzle with a Q-tip damp in water or thinner is a good advise because lifecolor paints tend to dry in fast times.

Adding screen washer (NOT ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL) and paint retarder in the mixture are also very good tips in my opinion

I thin LifeColor paint 50/50 so when you say 70/30 is that paint to thinner or vice versa?

70 paint / 30 thinner.

Thank you Matt.