I've got 3 cans of Tamiya Spray paint, the TS-61, TS-62 and the TS63. What's the correct way of using these paints and to get the right effect that a tank is suppose to have? I'm planning to spray paint my new Leopard 2 A5. Also, Do you guys usually spray paint all the parts before assembly?

hmm, iv sprayed mm spray cans jsut like that, and got okay results, but that was a few years back when i realized the paint could be used to paint the exterior of a plane :-) :-)

iam not to sure about paint cans, but i heard soem guys warm them up in hot water before spraying, so the paint is thinner and flows better i guess ( thats what they do with primer spray can)

trying out on old modelis is always a good idea

Frank

hi beginner...

I presume you are going to do cammoflauge painting on your leopard tank. Just like 3442 mentioned, it's better to give the can a warm bath.... put it in a warm container for a few minutes ..say 10-15 mins..this to provide better flow of the paint...

one more thing you have to look :
the nozzle of the can is a bit wide....so you might expect overspray on your models.... you will do masking before commence spraying....this to eliminate overspray..
and when you spray, point the nozzle in a angle to the surface and point away from the mask..

hope this help


[edit] to see my king tiger masking technique, pls click here

i guess ive been listening to all your post very well :-) great palce to learn aint it? lol

there's an article in the aircraft forum on how to mask with paper, maybe give it a try? or thumb tak works good

Frank

Shake cans really well ... for a few minutes. Steep in warm water for another few minutes but not boiling water .. extreme temps could make the can explode.
Spray from a distance of no less than 12 inches. Its better to spray twice or three times to get a good coverage rather than trying to spray all at once and have paint running.
To spray a camo with spray cans, good masking is very important. Blue tack rolled into long sausages and placed, and then cover the areas not being sprayed with white masking tape as used by painters.
Try and aim away from the masking as paint could bleed under it. Let paint cure for a few hours before lifting the masking and re-masking, as it the blue tack could lift the previous coat. Another option is to use "post it" notes as they have very little tackiness.
Good luck!

Thanks guys... I began spraying and after it dried, I noticed that there are alot of crack-like lines on the inside of the hull. However, there is not visible damage on the outside. What does this mean? Have I been spraying too much paint?

as long as the outside looks good, your fine to go, once the turrett is one no one will see the inside

Frank