RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Hi All

I bought a 1/16 H/E engine M1A1 to use for practice with the airbrush, a £5 off e-bay and it works So what do you think Vallejo or Tamiya paints..Is one better than the other..

I prefer tamiya because I find they spray better and can spray out the pot. Vallejo need more thinning and you might need to use an inhibitor to stop it drying mid air and giving a rough surface

I'd second that Tamiya paints, the acrylics anyway, are designed for air brushes. Don't use them ever to brush paint unless you add a paint retarder. If you've got a good airbrush they don't even need to be thinned to spray on but generally I go with 50% X-20 Thinners and spray at about 9-11 PSI on my Iwata which means 23ml pot can do an entire 1:16 tank.

If you do go Vallejo get the model air ones. The normal ones do not spray at all well even when thinned and require quite a high pressure to atomize. Even on a good dual action brush high pressure means lack of control and potential pooling.

Also pick up some air brush cleaner. I use this: and it works a treat. Spray through at high pressure and it will clean the brush. When I'm done for the day I leave my brush in a pot of it and next time I come to use it, its like new.

3 for 3, Tamiya paints.

Thanks for the reply fella's

Tamiya acrylic it is..

Although my Porsche king tiger was done with Vallejo, to this day I don't understand how it sprayed so well when my subsequent attempts with Vallejo failed so epically.

If you can get them TAMIYA paint is best ...very easy to work with...vapors aren't toxic... good to wear a mask anyway though
I can't get them so use normal Acrylics... I can shoot it straight from the bottle... they mix well....but you have to wear a mask...the particulates are larger...so can be dangerous

ALPHA

ALWAYS WEAR A MASK WHEN AIRBRUSHING

ALPHA wrote:If you can get them TAMIYA paint is best ...very easy to work with...vapors aren't toxic... good to wear a mask anyway though
I can't get them so use normal Acrylics... I can shoot it straight from the bottle... they mix well....but you have to wear a mask...the particulates are larger...so can be dangerous

ALPHA

ALWAYS WEAR A MASK WHEN AIRBRUSHING

If you need the Tamiya paints ALPHA just let me know. My local shop has a pretty good supply. I would be happy to mail them to you. Postage shouldn't be that prohibitive from CA. to Hawaii for a 3oz. bottle of paint. Now the cost of the paint is a different matter, I'm paying $3.89 for 3oz.

Joe

Fyi Tamiya and most other brands of paints are classed as dangerous goods and therefore can not be mailed. If you mail them and something were to happen you could be on the hook for the costs.
Its not worth it. Only couriers and the proper declarations are acceptable methods of shipping paints.

jtracks wrote:

ALPHA wrote:If you can get them TAMIYA paint is best ...very easy to work with...vapors aren't toxic... good to wear a mask anyway though
I can't get them so use normal Acrylics... I can shoot it straight from the bottle... they mix well....but you have to wear a mask...the particulates are larger...so can be dangerous

ALPHA

ALWAYS WEAR A MASK WHEN AIRBRUSHING

If you need the Tamiya paints ALPHA just let me know. My local shop has a pretty good supply. I would be happy to mail them to you. Postage shouldn't be that prohibitive from CA. to Hawaii for a 3oz. bottle of paint. Now the cost of the paint is a different matter, I'm paying $3.89 for 3oz.

Joe

FreakyDude wrote:Fyi Tamiya and most other brands of paints are classed as dangerous goods and therefore can not be mailed. If you mail them and something were to happen you could be on the hook for the costs.
Its not worth it. Only couriers and the proper declarations are acceptable methods of shipping paints.

jtracks wrote:

ALPHA wrote:If you can get them TAMIYA paint is best ...very easy to work with...vapors aren't toxic... good to wear a mask anyway though
I can't get them so use normal Acrylics... I can shoot it straight from the bottle... they mix well....but you have to wear a mask...the particulates are larger...so can be dangerous

ALPHA

ALWAYS WEAR A MASK WHEN AIRBRUSHING

If you need the Tamiya paints ALPHA just let me know. My local shop has a pretty good supply. I would be happy to mail them to you. Postage shouldn't be that prohibitive from CA. to Hawaii for a 3oz. bottle of paint. Now the cost of the paint is a different matter, I'm paying $3.89 for 3oz.

Joe

Yup...Reason I was going to tell jtracks..it wasn't worth the risk...there are some sellers on EBAY... I rather take the risk through one of them Thanks for the 411 though Freaky

ALPHA