Hi,

I have spent the last few weeks working on Academy's M3 Stuart.
To make sure this is my "best one yet"

After reading a huge amount of articles on here it is (was!) looking pretty good. Just the final stages to go.

So, I have just sprayed some thinned down Tamiya Base (X-21) to remove the shine from the Klear coat, but oh my giddy aunt my desert yellow tank is WHITE It looks as though it has come from Siberia!!

Please can someone tell me what I have done wrong - and is there a way to correct this (apart from re-coating the whole thing!)?

Any help will be greatly appreciated
Chris

The Tamiya flat base is meant to be mixed with other paint to make them flatter, everytime somebody uses it as a flat coat, this happens. Solutions? Try and spray a very, very fine misting of Tamiya X22 Satin over it, this might reduce the 'whiteness', but try in a small hard to see area first. Other than that I can think of nothing except to strip and repaint. I'm sorry!

Vinnie

Thanks for this Vinnie - I s'pose this just goes into the "experience" lesson!

Oh well, live and learn!

What would you recommend I can use as a flat base? I did read that Klear mixed with Flat Base could be used, but am a bit nervy of that mix!

There are many to choose from. At the moment I'm using Humbrol. I have tried many others but keep returning to it, although there are flat coats available from Testors in a spray can, and nearly all the different paint manufacturers make some kind of flat coat.......except Tamiya!

Vinnie

Hi Chris,

i've never had a good experience with Tamiya Flat Base - I stay well clear now. And I used as it is meant to be :-) :-) not as a standalone flat coat!!

I can heartily recomend Testor's Dullcote in a can - shake it well (and I mean really well - strenously for a full minute) and it has always delivered the goods. I have had mixed results with other brands.
Cheers

A-ha
A Yellow Ochre oil paint wash looks to have done the trick - a bit dark and patchy-ish, but adds character :-) (and the cat has now come out of hiding )


Think I will invest in some Dullcote - cheers chaps

CB

yeah, i've had this problem before, someone told me you should mix this with tamiya's clear (X-22) but not more than 50-50 mix to use it as a dullcote.

as for your problem, i am speculating that you can try to spray on some clear coat on top of your whitened model, my logic being that the clear coat will fill in the gaps of the dull coat's rough surface and thus allow you to see thru it

besides, what have you got to loose at this point?
though, I'd try it on a small area first...might even try to just brush the clear coat on top of the dull coat to test the theory

http://fichtenfoo.com/02GiantRobots/02c-future.html

^^ good link many tips

Another victim of Mr Tamiya's evil plot to sell more model!

A gloss coat over the Flat Base whitened finish will fix it. I had this same problem once too.

Thanks for everyones advice - am now realising how big a "doughnut" I was!! :-) :-)

The oil wash has come out okay - gonna need some tidying up, but all good experience:





Still have the lower half to sort out, but (if these pics show!) you can see what it was to how it is now.

Looks like your id number decal is peeling up.

"Looks like your id number decal is peeling up. "

aaargh - gonna take up knitting I reckon!!
Looking closer it is just a lump of "non too thin" oil paint. Looks like this kit is going to be another practice tank!!

Just tried painting the lower half with gloss as suggested by Sonny and Bruce - perfect, the wheels are now as they were. Thanks guys.

Time to hit the beers now I think :-)