Vallejo paint

[Heavy 7]

Hello
I see many using this product. My question is a simple one. Using an airbrush, do you thin your paint? I assumed it was airbrush-ready, but it didn't live up to that claim.

Pep

 

[Jakko]

Vallejo has many ranges of paints, some of which are airbrush-ready and some which require thinning before they will spray properly. "Model Color" is not airbrush-ready, "Model Air" is, for example.

 

[Pantherman]

Hello
I see many using this product. My question is a simple one. Using an airbrush, do you thin your paint? I assumed it was airbrush-ready, but it didn't live up to that claim.

Pep

I almost always use vallejo. It's great for hand brushing but takes a little getting used to for airbrushing.

I generally thin it 50/50 paint/thinner but if it struggles to airbrush just add a little more thinner.

Vallejo air will airbrush out of the bottle if using a .5 needle but just add a little thinner for a smaller needle.

It just takes a bit of practice. Pantherman

 

[ulvdemon]

Depending on which range you use will it be airbrush ready. Even if it is, I would still thin it. I will say the only time I've never really had to thin something from Vallejo was some of the colors from their metallic line. That is just my experience though.

 

[Pantherman]

Depending on which range you use will it be airbrush ready. Even if it is, I would still thin it. I will say the only time I've never really had to thin something from Vallejo was some of the colors from their metallic line. That is just my experience though.

Have to agree, don't thin vallejo metal color. Pantherman

 

[the Baron]

I use Vallejo's Model Color, which is formulated for hand-brushing, with a wet palette. So the paint is thinned, but to a consistent....consistency. It works well enough, but it's not the only water-based acrylic I use.

I don't use the Model Air line, for two reasons. First, I have plenty of other brands that I use for airbrushing, and don't have a need to add one more. Second, from reading posts online from people who use Model Air, and discussions with other modelers, it seems that people get their best results using the proprietary thinners, retarders, etc, for Model Air. I don't feel the need to add the Model Air suite to my paintbox, either.

 

[stevethefish]

I've had at least two people tell me that after airbrushing with Vallejo, they had masking tape yank the paint off all the way to the bare plastic. They used Vallejo's primer. Someone said that it works better with a regular primer instead. Any opinions? Vallejo is slowly becoming popular, even here in Japan.

 

[Jakko]

Vallejo airbrushable primer is junk. Some years ago, someone asked me for my opinion on it, as he had bought it to prime metal and plastic wargames figures with, but he could rub it straight off them again with his fingers even after he let it dry for days. I gave it a shot, and even on plastic that already had paint on it, I had the same experience.

Vallejo primer from an aerosol can is totally different and works very well, but I wouldn't spend a cent on their airbrush primer.

 

[ulvdemon]

I've had at least two people tell me that after airbrushing with Vallejo, they had masking tape yank the paint off all the way to the bare plastic. They used Vallejo's primer. Someone said that it works better with a regular primer instead. Any opinions? Vallejo is slowly becoming popular, even here in Japan.

I've had no issues with using tape with airbrushed Vallejo paints/primers. The only caveat is that you have to let it dry completely, which could be a couple of days. I have used tape and sometimes it pulls and sometimes it doesn't (dependent on the tape used), I have found it depends on how aggressive I am with laying the tape down and taking it off. heck, sometimes the actual brand of tape itself can eb an issue. 3M's blue tape pulls paint for me, another brands blue tape doesn't. Tamiya's tape doesn't pull for me either.
Now, just to be clear and I am not a Vallejo die hard only fanatic. I've used Tamiya's acrylics plus Model Master in both enamel and acrylic. I am limited in what I can use due to smells and not bothering my family so I have found that Vallejo works (I can pick it up in stores locally and order online).
So as with all things you may just need to sit down and practice and see how things work with your way of doing things and see what paint fits with how you do things.

 

[Littlemarten]

I'm a former material scientist with experience in the paint industry. The first thing I want to say is:

"Paint" covers a vast area of different materials. Pardon the pun, if you must.

I use Vallejo almost exclusively. Like most acrylic paints, it requires a clean surface, more so than Tamiya and Gunze, which use alcohol as the primary solvent. This is very different from the enamel paints most of we old fogey's grew up with.

Most of the time, follow Vallejo's directions, most of their products work very well on a clean surface. The primers are an exception. I have found that their primer is necessary for the best bond to the surface. I use their proprietary thinner. I normally don't like proprietary thinners because they are outrageously expensive, but in this case it's worth it. For the primers, first coat diluted 1:1 and kept light. Second coat either 1-2 drops thinner to 10 drops primer, plus 1-2 drops flow improver, especially in dry conditions; or 3 parts primer to 1 part thinner.

For Vallejo Air, 1-2 drops thinner and flow improver as needed to prevent tip dry, especially under dry conditions (RH below 50%) or very warm conditions (Temp ≥ 75°F).

For Vallejo Color, dilute as with the primer for airbrushing.

Masking: I've never had Tamiya tape pull it off once fully cured. Acrylics often dry quickly, but cure slowly. I wait at least a day before masking, or use gentle heat to accelerate curing. "Patience, young Padawan!"

 

[Heavy 7]

Depending on which range you use will it be airbrush ready. Even if it is, I would still thin it. I will say the only time I've never really had to thin something from Vallejo was some of the colors from their metallic line. That is just my experience though.

I am seeing this with outer paints as well.

 

[Cameron38]

Whilst we are on the subject of paints, drying and curing, I have recently purchased a dehydrator, what is the correct time to have a car body in it to dry and can it be used to cure? I've read a few opinions all seem different. I mainly use acrylics.
Cameron

 

[Littlemarten]

Whilst we are on the subject of paints, drying and curing, I have recently purchased a dehydrator, what is the correct time to have a car body in it to dry and can it be used to cure? I've read a few opinions all seem different. I mainly use acrylics.
Cameron

I assume this is a forced air dehydrator with a heating element?

 

[Cameron38]

yes it is. I run it at 35 deg cel, which I think is about 100 F. For acrylics I've been running it for about three hours, but this is all guess work.

 

[stevethefish]

I picked up a Flanker color set made by Mig. Those paints are completely compatible with Vallejo thinner, right?

I think I should commit some time to just trying these out with my airbrush on some plastic spoons. Then I wouldn't be such a noob.

I was surprised that the bookstore near my in-laws' place in Nagano Prefecture carries so many Vallejo paints. It's not usual to find Vallejo paints aside from the major hobby stores here in Japan. Here is a blog post I made of that experience if you enjoy looking at photos of hobby shops in Japan.

 

[Jakko]

color set made by Mig. Those paints are completely compatible with Vallejo thinner, right?

They mix well enough when I try that, in any case. Since they're both Spanish and the bottles and caps look identical, for all I know they come from the same factory

 

[WtShark]

I'll be the first to admit, I'm a neophyte when it comes to paint, but I have had fantastic luck with Vallejo paints. I was primarily a brush and rattle can painter until the last couple of models, when I dug out my 30+ year old Paasche airbrush from the garage and started using it again. After downloading the user's manual, ordering several replacement parts, and a new state-of-the-art compressor from Amazon, I started off experimenting (with several miserable failures at first) with some very old Testor's acrylics (not recommended btw), then moving to Tamiya acrylics, (which worked, but required varying degrees of thinning) and ultimately to Vallejo Air, which does work out of the bottle for most applications.
I did find (as previously stated) Vallejo Model Color to be VERY thick, (requiring so much thinner it wouldn't cover), but I was also using a .3 needle.
I have since transitioned to Air, or Tamiya for airbrushing, using mostly a few drops of Vallejo thinner.
I have found that Air covers/flows very well and used it exclusively on the last couple of vehicles. I have also purchased mixing balls, (tossing them into bottles as I use them or purchase new colors) and continue to experiment with new colors and options.
I have not had it pull with either masking tape or AK's putty, (which I used extensively on a snow camo and Great White Shark), but as opinions will vary greatly, so will your results.
Depending on your budget, I suggest experiment with what you have, invest in what you need and always keep a pad of paper next to your airbrush to check your flow, color and variation. I tend to look for a specific color in Air, (knowing I can brush it if I need to) but also spray it. I haven't yet hit the custom color mixing point yet, and may never get there. I'll just keep buying more colors.

 

[Heavy 7]

A lot of good content has been posted; I'm going to stick with solvent-based paints. Which seem to be more durable than the acrylics.
Pep

 

[Glenn S]

I picked up a Flanker color set made by Mig. Those paints are completely compatible with Vallejo thinner, right?

I think I should commit some time to just trying these out with my airbrush on some plastic spoons. Then I wouldn't be such a noob.

I was surprised that the bookstore near my in-laws' place in Nagano Prefecture carries so many Vallejo paints. It's not usual to find Vallejo paints aside from the major hobby stores here in Japan. Here is a blog post I made of that experience if you enjoy looking at photos of hobby shops in Japan.

I have found the plastic spoons to be a good way to try out different paints, and then keep the spoons as a trusted reference of the colour and thinner mixtures. The problem I now have with this approach is that I recently ran out of my stash of white plastic spoons.
A few years ago the Canadian government passed legislation against the sale of plastic cutlery and straws (the legislation has since been struck down by the courts). Anyways, I have spent the last couple of months searching the stores for plastic spoons.
This past week my father-in-law tipped me off to a local dollar store that had restocked their plastic cutlery. I zipped down and bought two bags of plastic spoons. About the same time, my wife also bought me a bag of the same plastic spoons. Ahah! I now have well over 100 plastic spoons.
I washed up the first bag of spoons, let them dry, and then started to spray them with the grey primer. Hmmm...
The primer doesn't stick to the plastic anymore. It turns out the new plastic spoons are made of a "compostable" plastic. It seems to be smoother, softer and a bit slippery, unlike the older plastic spoons.
Anyone have any suggestions on what they are using to spray their test/reference colour samples?

 

[the Baron]

Do you still have plastic milk jugs in Canada? You can use those for test sprays. I've sprayed onto those for testing.

Another suggestion is plastic yard signs from the hardware store, like "For Sale", "Keep Off", etc. Not cardboard ones, but the plastic ones. They're styrene. They're also a cheap source of styrene sheet or card, too.

And those fake credit cards and similar cards that come in your junk mail can be used to test spraying paints. They're more likely to be pressed paper or cardboard these days, but they're all good for spray testing. They also make good palettes for mixing things like 2-part epoxies.

 

[49thStateRT]

I have found the plastic spoons to be a good way to try out different paints, and then keep the spoons as a trusted reference of the colour and thinner mixtures. The problem I now have with this approach is that I recently ran out of my stash of white plastic spoons.
A few years ago the Canadian government passed legislation against the sale of plastic cutlery and straws (the legislation has since been struck down by the courts). Anyways, I have spent the last couple of months searching the stores for plastic spoons.
This past week my father-in-law tipped me off to a local dollar store that had restocked their plastic cutlery. I zipped down and bought two bags of plastic spoons. About the same time, my wife also bought me a bag of the same plastic spoons. Ahah! I now have well over 100 plastic spoons.
I washed up the first bag of spoons, let them dry, and then started to spray them with the grey primer. Hmmm...
The primer doesn't stick to the plastic anymore. It turns out the new plastic spoons are made of a "compostable" plastic. It seems to be smoother, softer and a bit slippery, unlike the older plastic spoons.
Anyone have any suggestions on what they are using to spray their test/reference colour samples?

Do you not have Amazon in Canada? I think if you did you could order the most environmentally destructive made in Vietnam or somewhere 500 plastic spoons for like $20.

 

[Littlemarten]

yes it is. I run it at 35 deg cel, which I think is about 100 F. For acrylics I've been running it for about three hours, but this is all guess work.

That's pretty much what I do. Have to be careful if there's PE installed. CA has very high tensile strength, but poor shear strength, and if the PE expands too much it will pop off. Trying to reinstall a tiny PE part in a surprisingly cramped cockpit can be … aggravating, and should never be done in polite or young company.

 

[Littlemarten]

Anyone have any suggestions on what they are using to spray their test/reference colour samples?

I use old aluminum blind slats, cut to length and cleaned. They make good test strips.

 

[Jakko]

They also make good palettes for mixing things like 2-part epoxies.

I generally do that on receipts

 

[Glenn S]

Do you still have plastic milk jugs in Canada? You can use those for test sprays. I've sprayed onto those for testing.

Another suggestion is plastic yard signs from the hardware store, like "For Sale", "Keep Off", etc. Not cardboard ones, but the plastic ones. They're styrene. They're also a cheap source of styrene sheet or card, too.

And those fake credit cards and similar cards that come in your junk mail can be used to test spraying paints. They're more likely to be pressed paper or cardboard these days, but they're all good for spray testing. They also make good palettes for mixing things like 2-part epoxies.

Sorry, no plastic milk jugs in Ontario, Canada (for some reason we use 1.3 liter bags for our milk).
The other ideas are something I can make use of. Thanks!

 

[BarleyBop]

1.3 liter bags

Haha, those and electric kettles are a mystery to our southern neighbours... with a 'u'!

 

[Littlemarten]

Haha, those and electric kettles are a mystery to our southern neighbours... with a 'u'!

Be careful. Down here, if you send someone for a "bag of milk" they may bring home the whole cow. How's that for udderly absurd?

 

[Bob T]

Haha, those and electric kettles are a mystery to our southern neighbours... with a 'u'!

Agreed on the bagged milk, but I use my e-kettle every morning...

 

[MJY65]

A lot of good content has been posted; I'm going to stick with solvent-based paints. Which seem to be more durable than the acrylics.
Pep

That's what I've done. I use MRP. It's dry to the touch in minutes and I can mask with low tack in 30 min and Tamiya tape in a couple hours. If a spray booth with outdoor venting is available, use lacquer and live a happy life.

 

[Glenn S]

Do you still have plastic milk jugs in Canada? You can use those for test sprays. I've sprayed onto those for testing.

Another suggestion is plastic yard signs from the hardware store, like "For Sale", "Keep Off", etc. Not cardboard ones, but the plastic ones. They're styrene. They're also a cheap source of styrene sheet or card, too.

And those fake credit cards and similar cards that come in your junk mail can be used to test spraying paints. They're more likely to be pressed paper or cardboard these days, but they're all good for spray testing. They also make good palettes for mixing things like 2-part epoxies.

That is a really good idea! They would neatly nest together and not take up much space.