Hi everyone. I've been trying to paint some model cars lately but I've been having a few difficulties. First I tried using Tamiya lacquer spray cans but they cost too much for my taste, are a bit fiddly to work with (I can't get them to spray well into nooks and crannies and they catch dust something chronic), and I'm now banned from using them because I accidentally sprayed italian red too close to the cream pool fence. I then gave Tamiya acrylics a go but they turn out far too grainy and bumpy for my liking and applying the Future that I use (Passt) over it doesn't seem to give me a nice glossy finish, even after about 20 or 30 coats through an AB (actually it looks like the model has developed acne).

So, would anyone recommend that I try using Tamiya Enamels? Do they give a decent gloss finish? And can you apply Future over them?

Any input would be greatly appreciated

That's quite a problem you got there, bud. I can't personally say anything for Tamiya paints, though I know tons of people who'd recommend them. I understand the can troubles, so they're out...the acrylics may be grainy just because of the pigment's ability to dissolve in a water-based medium, so maybe you just have to thin them out a bit and/or mix them up thoroughly before spraying. In my personal (and frequent) experience, the problem usually isn't with the product, but with the hardware and the user (sorry ). Is your AB cleaned out thoroughly? How about the siphon tube, if you have one? Is the needle still straight, and is the nozzle completely clear of any and all past paints? And how's your compressor? Is it strong, or is it giving you a weak and wavering air supply? Do you have a moisture trap? How well do you know your tools? You don't have to answer all these questions...simply rhetorical. And I don't mean to imply anything, but nearly every time I've had a problem with my airbrushes, the solution was to take a day off from modeling and just clean the AB...set the pieces in thinner, get a replacement needle, and gently polish any and all surfaces I can reach with a Q-Tip. Let it all sit in clean thinner overnight, and in the morning, a quick rub-down and it's all good to go!

If it really is just crappy paint, however, go to http://www.scifigenre.com and buy yourself some Vallejo paints already!

Uh I think my main problem is that I am trying to achieve a relatively high-gloss finish using flat Tamiya paint . However, I clean the AB out fairly thoroughly in between coats and after I'm finished with it, I remove the needle during cleaning every single time I use it and check it; the compressor is only a year old, works well, has a moisture trap and I run it at about 15psi; and I mix the paints up in the pot before thinning them and I thin the paints down a lot with Tamiya's thinner. I haven't soaked the AB in thinner yet, although I might go and buy a bottle of Methylated spirits and soak the AB in that (I use metho for cleaning out the Ab because it's cheaper and has more bite to it than the Tamiya thinner).

I have used Vallejo paints in the past (under the guise of Citadel paint) with a brush and they were great to use, but when I tried to use them through my AB they clogged it up something terrible, although this might have something to do with me using metho as thinner. I can't actually find Vallejo paints locally under "Vallejo" labeling, and I likewise can't find any thinner to use on the Citadel paints.

Overall though I think I might try using gloss Tamiya paint for a gloss finish .