Vallejo Paints/thinner etc

[JohnSimmons]

So iv picked up quite a lot of Vallejo model paint, and I'v sprayed with my air brush 50/50 with water with good results (just blocked up my airbrush nosel in about 5 mins!) so I'm going to use Vallejo's own thinner. Any hints and tips with using this paint? Do you use the thinner 50/50 like tamiya? And what about the varnish Matt/gloss/satin do they need to be thinned also? And can they come out milky/misty if not sprayed/thinned properly? Sorry for all the questions but I'm really starting to like this brand and I want to know all the pro's and cons, hints and tips and pit falls etc. Cheers!

 

[JMac]

I've been using the Vallejo 71.161 thinner, varies a little, but I seem to have the most success when I use a mixture of about 75% thinner & 25% paint roughly. I use a small cough medicine measuring cup to ratio out the paint and thinner. I've had no real problems with clogging. My compressor regulator is set just under 20 psi (it pulses a bit).

The only thing I've noticed is that I have to really shake up the paint super well before adding it to the thinner - if I don't I will have an adhesion problem. Not sure if that is an issue with some other variable, but the problem seems to go away when I really, really mix it up.

That being said, I'm slowly shifting over to the Model Air (I like the convenience).

JMac

 

[JohnSimmons]

Thank Jmac, I'll try your mix. Can you get the same colours in model air? And is it pre mixed (silly question I know) and does it apply just aswell off the brush? Ie no brush marks.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Ok....answer some of your questions........


Use your Vallejo thinner to thin the Model Color paint. It will vary from color to color, as some colors have more pigment to create said color (white and tan colors require less thinning than say black and blue colors) but 75% thinner is a good starting base. To be honest, I just add thinner to my color cup first, then add what paint I feel is good, stir in the color cup and try it on a scrap piece. Too thin, add more paint, too thick, add more thinner, otherwise I don't really measure.

Model Air is pre-thinned, no need to thin them more, if you find your airbrush clogging with the Model Air...you can add a drop or 2 of thinner, or if you are adventurist, add a drop of retarder. Model Air will brush paint, but you have to be a little more careful with it.

As far as their varnishes go....straight out of the bottle, no thinning necessary.

Make sure any of the paint is shaken up well, including the varnishes, as well it doesn't hurt to give the thinner bottle a quick shake before using as well.

 

[JohnSimmons]

Thanks very much guys you've been more than helpfull!

 

[sunsanvil]

Its worth noting in these conversations that the THINNER needs to be shaken as well. It is not a solvent but rather an acrylic medium (sans texture or pigment ingredients). It separates so if you don't shake it you will get mostly the clear fluid off the top which will act like an infinite retarder. I did this once by accident and several days later the paint could still be wiped off with a finger!

 

[Ballsnchunk]

I've been using the Vallejo Flat and satin varnishes and no matter what I seem to do they go milky, I've altered the mix, altered the pressure, I accept that it must be something that i'm doing wrong, experimented with mixing up a real thin mix and brushing it on to an old project and this goes on fine albeit with slightly noticable brush marks, so the problem is with my airbrush technique and/or my mix, must confess I'm mixing with water as per their destructions on the pot but if you get any solution to this please let me know, I've just ordered some Xtracrylix flat and satin with thinner as I've all but given up on the vallejo

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

I've been using the Vallejo Flat and satin varnishes and no matter what I seem to do they go milky, I've altered the mix, altered the pressure, I accept that it must be something that i'm doing wrong, experimented with mixing up a real thin mix and brushing it on to an old project and this goes on fine albeit with slightly noticable brush marks, so the problem is with my airbrush technique and/or my mix, must confess I'm mixing with water as per their destructions on the pot but if you get any solution to this please let me know, I've just ordered some Xtracrylix flat and satin with thinner as I've all but given up on the vallejo

Are you giving the Vallejo varnish a good shake before using?

While it does say on the bottle "can be mixed with water" I have never done this, and have just sprayed it neat right out of the bottle with no problems...no milkyness, nothing....always comes out great.

 

[sunsanvil]

While it does say on the bottle "can be mixed with water" I have never done this, and have just sprayed it neat right out of the bottle with no problems...no milkyness, nothing....always comes out great.

Same here. Even though it seems too thick to spray, that's the right consistency. Even with the fine (.21mm) nozzle on my 105 it goes on the very best.

 

[f2k]

While it does say on the bottle "can be mixed with water" I have never done this, and have just sprayed it neat right out of the bottle with no problems...no milkyness, nothing....always comes out great.

Same here. Even though it seems too thick to spray, that's the right consistency. Even with the fine (.21mm) nozzle on my 105 it goes on the very best.

I've been having problems spraying it straight from the bottle. A few drops of water seems to help things along nicely. Still clogged up my nozzle within minuttes though...

 

[sunsanvil]

Although not categorically necessary, try a higher pressure than you might be used to. Makes it a little more forgiving (counter to normal acrylic behavior you may realize less tip dry at say 25psi compared to 20 with these varnishes).

 

[Ballsnchunk]

Are you giving the Vallejo varnish a good shake before using?

While it does say on the bottle "can be mixed with water" I have never done this, and have just sprayed it neat right out of the bottle with no problems...no milkyness, nothing....always comes out great.
[/quote]

Hey,
Yep gave the bottle a real good shake, left it and shook again just to make sure, This is with the satin finish, I gave up on the flat about 3months ago! The bottle says dilute with water which I do, just a few drops in my cup before I add the Vallejo then a good stir, starts off great but within a minute or so clogs up, Have to pull right back on the trigger to free the airbrush up and its fine for another minute before it starts spluttering again, nice thin passes and then when I stop to look, Bang it looks almost dusty at the right angle. usually spray the Vallejo at about 20-22psi to try and keep it moving but not so high that it dries before it hits the model, which is what it seems to be doing.
Just taken delivery of Xtracrylix's Flat XAFF and Satin XASS and their thinner and have to say they're fantastic! used them to finish off my Hasegawa P-40E and the flat seems to really bring it all together, no milkyness, dustyness.

Still love to know what I was doing wrong with the vallejo though!!

 

[JohnSimmons]

Well I just used Vallejo Air (german grey) not thinned through my airbrush, I shook the bottle well and when I poured it into the airbrush bottle it was quite thick. But I thought nothing of it (its called Vallejo Air right? its not meant to be thinned ???), I sort of got the result I wanted, then cleaned out the airbrush with celloulose thinners as I always do recardles of what type of paint I'm using, then went to use some enamel through it and BOOM! loads of tiny bits of 'string' flying out. Had to clean the whole airbrush and still its 'sputtering' even just running thinners through it. I really want to like Vallejo but I think I may have pissed it off cos its not being my friend!!!
Any thoughts (obviously next time I'll thin it more as you guys have suggested with Vallejo thinners but I thought I didnt have to with V AIR)?

 

[spud]

use water or an acrilic ab cleaner. use the cellulos to clean up after enamell paints. this is what i do and have no issues, only real issue i have is acrillic paint beading in teh cup if its not cleaned out propper after cleaning with cellulos

 

[RocketSilo]

separate airbrushes for water based paints and solvent based paints( a good excuse to get another airbrush..hehehe)

 

[spud]

Lol I manly use acrylic if any thing ild like a second cup for my ab

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Yeah ditto what others have said.

Clean out your Vallejo with an Acrylic AB cleaner, once that is done, if you want to throw some cellulose thinner through it to get that last little bit, sure, but to get the acrylic out, use an acrylic cleaner. What you did is like mixing oil with water, and it no likey!!

 

[JohnSimmons]

Thanks for the comments guys I thought cellulos would get rid of everything, any recomendation's for acrylic air brush cleaner?

 

[sunsanvil]

Vallejo's AB cleaner is about the best I've found. Its a mix of booze, small amount of glycol ether, and I think maybe a detergent. Cuts the paint like crazy, even looooong dried stuff. I use it at the start of my cleaning (to break up the dried bits and dump them out of the cup), then I switch to less expensive ordinary alcohol from the drug store for all the "flushing", then finish with the Vallejo again after doing any break down of the gun.

 

[spud]

I use Vallejo ab cleaner also It seems pretty good and it's cheap.