The Little World

Recently I was given a bum steer, but fortunately it was not fatal.

I’d purchased a silver-coloured paint to spray a small model airplane, and since I normally work in acrylic paints, I wanted assurance that the bottle I’d bought was acrylic. I was told it was.

When getting ready for the spray job tonight I got suspicious and started sniffing the bottle. Then I tried cutting a ml. of it with Humbrol enamel thinner. A quick coat on a test piece showed that it flowed well, but confirmed that it was oil enamel, not water-based acrylic.

The actual work was then done with the Mr Metal Color cut with GSI Creos thinner and has gone on magnificently. It’ll be dry by morning and the masking tape peeling can begin.

Sooo glad that I suspected the paint – I’ll take other advice in the future.

Note: As a confirmed paint whore, I tend to go off and pick up any stray bottle that I find. They are frequently touted as the best thing since sliced bread, but I have found that it pays to be careful what you spread your jam on. I’ve quietly shelved at leat three systems and brands after testing them out – one for poor performance on the models, one for poor drying characteristics, and one for gumming up the airbrush. I will still go home with any bottle that calls to me, but I test them out in a stainless steel cup before I commit them to either the brush or the plastic.

For the record, I am still using up some Tamiya acrylic to advantage, but place most of my hopes with Tamiya lacquer and Mr. Color lacquer. And Testor’s Dullcote for military finishes.