AK white spirits

[craigcole20b]

ok working the the M113 today doing the dark green wash from ak along with their white spirits over future gloss why can i see where i have cleaned off the wash?i dampen the place with ws before the wash to help it flow then after it dries go back with ws to clean making sure i clean the brush every time
is this tide marks?iam i doing something wrong?



i know its not the best pic but you can see what iam talking about on the hatch and around the tie downs

[TRM]

Hi Craig!

That is pretty tough to tell in the picture but I will trust you on this one.

First, you really shouldn't need to 'pre-wash' the wash, meaning placing White Spirits to aid in the flow. A couple of options to choose from. If you are attempting to pin wash all raised surfaces and recessed panels, mix up the AK medium you choose and apply with a fine tip brush around the raised and recessed objects and lines. Do not worry about minor excess of the wash building up around these objects. These will clean up after. You allow the AK to set up a bit for about 5 to 10 minutes, then taking a flat brush...barely damp (no wet, humid) with White Spirits and the excess will clean up nicely leaving the wash in the crevices.

Secondly, if the AK wash does not flow easy, try mixing a couple of drops with a drop or two of the white spirits in a separate mixing cut of sorts. Then apply in the same manor I described.

What I think is happening is the WS you applied are separating the AK when you apply it. AK washes respond rather well with the WS and can be manipulated up to a day or two with no problem to clean up any unwanted wash bleed over.

Please watch this 18 minute video that Ken Abrams posted on SMA. This is a youtube video where Mig Jimenez gives a short tutorial on applying AK Interactive washes. Well worth the watch!!

youtu.be/sj3S9J06jiM

Hope some of this helped a bit!!

Good luck!!!

[wing_nut]

TRM has you pretty well covered. I will add only that I have not seen the need for a Future or any other gloss coat unless you are sealing an enamel base coat for the use of the WS. On armor I mean. Aircraft is another kettle of fish.

If you are using acrylic leave it flat. That will work in your favor. As you watch the video note how the wash spreads on the flat surface. When you go back for clean up that helps the blending as you pull it out and away from the area.

[craigcole20b]

TRM thanks for the link that helped out a bunch with understanding that product a bit better
wing nut so you are saying that i can skip the gloss step all together?
so after i apply my base coat i can do my chipping ect.. and apply decals then flat ,washes,filters streaking ak and or oil dot and then pigments and call it done

[bigjohn]

Hey Craig, The gloss coat my still be necessary to keep the decals from silvering. If no decals are used, you should be able to skip the gloss coat, but I still use enamels, so I still have to seal them.

[TRM]

The fellas have it right hear too Craig. You can go directly from an acrylic stage of paint, right to the enamel work. If you intend on adding decs you will want to add a clear coat like BJ stated. I, personally, will use future when adding decals as the smooth base it gives allows me to manipulate the decals much easier...not to say that any clear coat will work as well. You will want to reapply a clear coat over the decal also to seal them in. From there you can go where ever you wish. I tend to go with a wash or filter after the decs...this adds some weathering to the decal and will flatten the clear coat out some. Each layer you add will dull the clear coat down and add depth to the project.

[wing_nut]

Craig whether you future the whole thing while likely have more to do with the number of decals than anything else. When you are stenciling an a large F-15 with over 100 decals a gloss coat is essential. But on an armor piece with just a handful... set and seal each individually as TRM said with Future. Works a treat.

[DennisM]

Craig,

Are you using Tamiya acrylic as a base coat? Whenever I have tried Tamiya acrylic paints they always leave a powdery finish. Could be the humidity here in Florida as I have heard great things about them. Just don't work for me. Anyway I found that if I had the powdery finish I would get really bad tide marks. I do put at least a thin satin finish on before AK washes/effects as I find that they will stain almost filter like without it.

Dennis

[craigcole20b]

TRM and wing_nut thanks for all the help and the link to mig using this product
i have not yet started the wash on the stryker yet it has a full gloss coat on it i have testors dull coat and vallejo matt coat should i go back to flat on the stryker to start the weathering (decals sealed)

DennisM i use tam paint thinned with yellow cap thinner works great i have had some turn out that way real grainy but i have taken warn water and a flat brush and have knocked some of that back not sure if that is the correct way but works for me i have done a few in model air thinned with water and works great to i shoot my tam at 10 psi and about four to five inches away the when i use model air its more in the 15-20 range

[bigjohn]

Hey Craig,

I prefer to do my pin washes on a gloss coat. Then flatten down with testors dullkote after pin washes. Give it a try on the Stryker. I think you'll like this aproch much better.

[craigcole20b]

hey big john
that is how i have been doing all my pin washes but the last three models have been showing i guess tide marks or the ws is burning the the future because you can see where i have cleaned up the extra wash i have been doing it with adding ws before the wash to help move the wash but that has thinned out what i have done
but when you hold the tank ect to the light you can see the brush strokes.
i have been going about everything is like this
1.prime
2.base coat chipping and other painting small stuff
3.gloss decals gloss pin washes
4.flat filters streaking ect
5.pigments then done

not sure what iam doing wrong as far as seeing where i have cleaned as far as the finnished product i guess you cant really see that because it has been buried under layers.
but i came real close on the ztz for it showing
is this normal as far as seeing where i have cleaned the wash

[bigjohn]

Ah, ok Craig, I understand now, I think thats pretty much normal, I see it happen on my stuff. Pretrty much the wash is going to act like a filter where ever the brush drags it. For me, it blends in when doing further wearthering.