Post by sfcmikej on Dec 22, 2012 18:45:37 GMT -5
OK folks. I need some help/guidance on paints. I am getting back into the hobby after decades of absence. A few years back I dabbled getting back into aircraft but did not stick with it nor finish anything.
I did buy tools, brushes, paint and other things back then. I am using Model Master enamels. Two reasons for this. They are the most available locally and secondly, it was what I used decades ago. I have a few Acryl colors but haven't used them.
In working on my PzKw Iv F2 I decided to practice detailing the bow machine gun. I base coated it with Flat Black that wasn't really Flat Black. So there is my first problem. My Flat Black dried semi gloss. Then went on a light coat of Gun Metal. Although this seemed somewhat flatter it was very dark and not really gun metal color as I remember it. Lastly a dry brush of steel. This helped some but the end result was not satisfactory to me.
I store the paints upright inside the house avoiding extremes of heat and cold. I have used an old trick of putting a BB in the bottle to help in mixing similar to a rattle can. An I thoroughly shook the paint before use.
So my thought was "what is the self life of this stuff?" Maybe the paint is just too darn old. So off the LHS to restock. Replaced my Flat Black, Gun Metal and Steel colors. Picked up some others that I need for the F2 build. One of the colors I got was Panzer Interior Buff. Although the build will be buttoned up I thought I would paint the breech end of the gun and the interior of the turret front plate to use as a practice area for washes and pin washes which I have never tried and other weathering techniques.
I brush painted the turret stuff with a brand new bottle of paint and the results where not good. Obviously airbrushing would be better and I have a Badger airbrush but I have not re-acquired a compressor and canned air is way too expensive so I have to be judicious in it's use. Here is a pic of the breech after one coat of Buff:
My apologies for being long winded in this explanation in my attempt to be thorough. I am using some Westwater and Loew-Cornell brushes. These are not top shelf but neither are they trash.
What should I be doing to preserve/prep the paint to avoid the above problems and results? Is there some painting techniques that I am missing that would have been better with the Buff? It was used straight from the bottle.
Thanks for looking and any help!
Mike
I did buy tools, brushes, paint and other things back then. I am using Model Master enamels. Two reasons for this. They are the most available locally and secondly, it was what I used decades ago. I have a few Acryl colors but haven't used them.
In working on my PzKw Iv F2 I decided to practice detailing the bow machine gun. I base coated it with Flat Black that wasn't really Flat Black. So there is my first problem. My Flat Black dried semi gloss. Then went on a light coat of Gun Metal. Although this seemed somewhat flatter it was very dark and not really gun metal color as I remember it. Lastly a dry brush of steel. This helped some but the end result was not satisfactory to me.
I store the paints upright inside the house avoiding extremes of heat and cold. I have used an old trick of putting a BB in the bottle to help in mixing similar to a rattle can. An I thoroughly shook the paint before use.
So my thought was "what is the self life of this stuff?" Maybe the paint is just too darn old. So off the LHS to restock. Replaced my Flat Black, Gun Metal and Steel colors. Picked up some others that I need for the F2 build. One of the colors I got was Panzer Interior Buff. Although the build will be buttoned up I thought I would paint the breech end of the gun and the interior of the turret front plate to use as a practice area for washes and pin washes which I have never tried and other weathering techniques.
I brush painted the turret stuff with a brand new bottle of paint and the results where not good. Obviously airbrushing would be better and I have a Badger airbrush but I have not re-acquired a compressor and canned air is way too expensive so I have to be judicious in it's use. Here is a pic of the breech after one coat of Buff:
My apologies for being long winded in this explanation in my attempt to be thorough. I am using some Westwater and Loew-Cornell brushes. These are not top shelf but neither are they trash.
What should I be doing to preserve/prep the paint to avoid the above problems and results? Is there some painting techniques that I am missing that would have been better with the Buff? It was used straight from the bottle.
Thanks for looking and any help!
Mike