I'm about to paint my Marine D9R with AK Interactive Acrylic paint. I've prepped the sponsons, blade and arms with appropriately worn colors and sealed them with a couple layers of Dullcote lacquer. My next step will be a layer of hairspray.

My question: Is there a limit on how long the AK Acrylic can stay on before it gets moistened and chipped back?

I don't usually do a lot of weathering, but since this is an earth mover, it seems right.

Hi Al,

I can't comment on chipping AK acrylics specifically, as I don't use them but I can say that using Tamiya paints, I can still chip the top coat for days after with no more effort than doing it the same day.

In fact, I find the longer I let the paint sit, the more control I have over the process. I am currently working on a model that was painted over hairspray on Saturday, I just did a small test before responding and it still chips just as easily as it did Sunday morning and today is Thursday.

Just like if you put hairspray in your hair Friday afternoon it would still breakdown in the shower and wash out days later. I don't subscribe to the 'limited time' idea that I have read about as experience has shown me that you can continue to chip the paint for extended periods of time.

Now the density, size, shape and ease of release of these chips will vary due to the brand of paint, thickness of it's application etc. so I would recommend to test your paints on a scrap piece before committing to your D9 just to be safe, but I have never experienced a cut off point in when you can no longer chip.