I just got back into building model armor, last time i built was when i was 16.....now 58!

Its winter here in Chicago and i can't spray paint outside (unless someone can suggest a way to do it) and was wondering if i could get good results painting 1/35 and 1/72 scale tanks by hand? I saw another thread about which paint to use when hand painting, but was unsure if this would work for model tanks and how to do a camoflage paint job by hand.

Thanks in advance for any help!

You can paint anything by hand if you choose to it just depends on the paint brand, however if you use acrylics you may be able to get away with spraying indoors.

Do you have a room that you could install a vent into a window?

This is a popular spray booth. As long as you only sprayed acrylics, I think this would allow you to spray inside without too much issue.

http://www.amazon.com/Airbrush-Spray-Booth-Paint-Extractory/dp/B004ZH7RSM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324925777&sr=8-1

Otherwise, do you have a garage available?

The spray booth, a good used airbrush from ebay (Paasche VL is a good started double action and new needles are pretty cheap) and a small compressor (walmart or home depot for under $100) would get you a great set up and eliminate a lot of frustration and time. If you can invest the money for the initial set up go for it.

Chicago? Winter? Spray-painting outside? You'll likely need a pre-heater for the paint! (yeah, and a heated suit!) LoL!




Gunther:

Hi, and WELCOME BACK into the (armor) hobby! I'm 1 year younger, dropped out when about 18, came back 2 1/2 years ago! Oh, and I grew up in Chi-town! And did most everything back then with the brush. So I can IDENTIFY!

For brushing, answer is YES - You CAN (and get good results): use enamels and soft-bristle brushes for the best effect. Acrylics are very tough to get good, even brush-coat coverage, but several brands of enamels (Humbrol, Floquil, Testor's ModelMaster, in my past and recent experience) yield good results.

I mostly do air-brush now-a-days, like probably most armor modelers doing 1/48 and larger scales, but still do some brush work to do "hard-edge" camo schemes, etc. (and of course the detailing! ). The guys talking vented and filtered spray-booths and using acryls indoors have it pretty right, IMHO. IF you want to spray enamels with organic solvents and thinners, you need to vent outside or you'll create a toxic and explosive atmosphere in your abode .

I don't know anything about the modern Chicago-area hobby scene, but down here in the Gulf (Lafayette, LA) our local model club (IPMS chapter) puts on a show / contest every year with a contest category focused on show-casing hand-painted/brush-painted stuff! So I'd say we "officially" indorse brush-painted armor as a way to go!

Cheers! And, again, Welcome back in!

Bob

Yes, you can get some good results painting by hand. Though slightly tricky. While I do have an airbrush setup I still like painting by hand better. Though some effects like soft edges would be next to impossible though.

Here's some of what I've painted lately:

thanks for the quick response!

I have a Badger airbrush and a 1-gal compressor that i used when i was building my remote control model airplanes, no paint booth though, i could buy one if i thought they would be "wife approved", but i was worried about the fumes and overspray that might occur if i painted in the house, as far a the garage its not heated, it has a 1968 roadrunner in it and a motorcycle and there is no way i would paint in there with them in there, they are winterized so i cant move them.

Thats what made me think if there are paints that would look the same if you sprayed them or hand painted, long shot i know but i had to ask.

those were hand painted? what kind of paint did you use, brushes, did you have to thin the paint?

I really am impressed!

Yep, hand painted. Slowly and carefully. Priming helps but the first two had no priming, just paint. I am a big fan of Tamiya acrylics (though some colors are hard to find right now in shop, where are you Tamiya Olive green?) thin them out with Testor's Universal Acrylic thinner (really love the bottle with dropper tip!) Been getting good results with Testors paints as well. The brushes I use are some artist's brushes I bought in a wal-mart some time ago.

While the paint paint job doesn't look as nice as air brushed paint, you can't really tell the difference once you put some lacquer on it (I use Testors glosscote), this I do airbrush. I've also used Acrylic sealer from a rattle can and it also works.

Nowdays I use an airbrush but I brush painted all my models for many years with great results. The paint I used was Modeler's/Testors with one of the simple hobby brushes available.

I would paint the model in sections, turning the area to be painted upright and as horizontal as possible. Next I would thin the paint considerably, say to the consistency of whole milk. I'd then brush paint the area watching to make sure that each stroke flows into the others and that the paint flattens itself out with no brush strokes left behind. If brush strokes remain then reduce the paint a little more until the paint flows into one continuous, super thin pool.

With this technique I was able to fool everyone for years until I finally got my airbrush setup which is far less labor intensive.

Hope this helps.

Jim
Large Scale Armory

Here's a few I hand painted.

I sprayed the green base coat on the tank, and hand painted the red brown camo. All the wood armor was hand painted as well. Base color is Tamiya, camo is Lifecolor.



On this one I sprayed the whole tank tan, then brush painted all the other colors. Base color is Tamiya, camo is Vallejo.



I also hand painted a AAV7A1 in four color MERDC camo, again spraying the base color and handpainting the remainder.

There is no reason you cannot brush paint the entire thing. Careful thinning, repeated light coats, and good brushes will be the bast way.

G

Gunther,
You can read my review of that spray booth a few posts down on this forum. Everybody is buying one. It is multiple-wife approved and odor free when spraying acrylics. No overspray, no mist, no odor, and no eyesore when you fold it up and slide it under your desk.

i read the review on the spraybooth......its in my "cart" at amazon, gotta wait a couple of weeks to order, i spent to much during Christmas

If I can hand paint 'em anyone can. i use the paint thicker than you may think, i use, Tamiya and Lifecolour for main coats.

Have a look at the models in my gallery, everything is handpainted! I don't possess an airbrush and never have.

Enamels, acrylics (Tamiya and Vallejo mainly) washes, weathering etc can all be done easily with the right equipment. Good quality sable brushes (use old ones for weathering!) are essential and use the longest brush strokes possible to get the smoothest finish.

When it is too cold(actually it's never too cold here), you can get everything ready to paint inside. Take the piece to be painted outside and follow up with you ab setup. Paint on. Disassemble and bring back inside, leaving the newly painted piece outside to dry.
BTW You have a roadrunner in your garage? You wouldn't be able to get me out of that even if you used the jaws of life. Got to love that shaker hood.