What's "buff" and why/how is it used?

thx

Come on now,you got to give us more then that.

Tamiya Buff ?? Panzer Interior Buff.

Go to Tamiya's web site and check their paint guide.
I would say it's a light tan paint.Wierd question. ,
Used for a ton of things.

Tom

"Big-Ulgy-Fat-F***er" ?

Vietnam era slang for B-52

Never thought of that J. .

Tom

It's a light tan, what Americans call khaki (in Europe, khaki is a darker brown, sometimes olive, shade, while the lighter color is called khaki drill or buff).

Hi, assuming you are referring Tamiya's buff (XF-57), as Gerald mentioned it is a light tan colour. It's good for weathering; I like to mix it with Tamiya's flat earth (50/50) for a good dusty colour

Hope this helps

Thx all.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it can be used as a very thin layer to simulate dust? I didn't realize it was just another color, I thought it was some special weathering product.

Yes it can be used as dust, best applied with an air brush or a thin wash. Just be careful when using it either way. It is hard to see the effect and can quickly overpower your other weathering. (Also a note of caution, do not apply it in the buff, the wife will never understand)

I use a "dust" glaze all the time over my models, usually as one of the last steps in weathering, but before any final pastels or pigments.

I use Tamiya XF-57 "Buff" colored paint, reduced to about 5% paint and 95% thinners and clear. Since I measure paint by the drop and mix directly in the paint cup on my airbrush, this mixture works out to something like this:

8 drops of X-20A Thinner
8 drops of lacquer thinner
4 drops of X-22 Clear
1 drop of XF-57 Buff

(Yea, I know, that works out to something like 105%, but that's what I use...)

This mixture will dry with a very slight eggshell sheen, so if you want a dead-flat finish (I do), an overspray with something like Testors Dull Coat flat lacquer will work.

The clear gloss (X-22 Clear) in the mixture is the "secret" to using this. If it's not added, the pigment in the Buff will tend to settle out of the mixture into the bottom of the AB paint cup making the glaze inconsistent in coverage. Also, the clear gives the mixture some "body" and helps it to atomize and spray better.

Build up the layers of the dust glaze gradually, allowing each layer to dry before you spray the next in order to judge how opaque you want to make it. You can also vary the opacity, say from the lower hull and sides getting more transparent to the upper hull and turret. Spray it on lightly and don't let it puddle or run, especially at first as you learn how it works.

The dust glaze will help to blend and reduce the sharp contrasts between your other finishing layers - detail painting, decals, color modulation, washes, chipping, streaking, etc. It really helps to tone-down bright colors on markings and gives the appearance age and wear without over weathering.

You can also use different colors besides the basic Tamiya "Buff." I occasionally use "Flat Earth" or "Deck Tan" either alone or mixed with the "Buff." In any case, the paint ratio in the mixture should be kept to 5% or less so that the gaze remains semi-transparent.

HTH!

its how I read the posts on armorama!