Tamiya X-21 WARNING!!

[Rammit]

I'm sure the seasoned modellers are laughing right now as it seems that coating your model in X-21 is some form of rite of passage...

If you're new to modelling (like me) and come across Tamiya X-21 and think it can be used as a form of varnish you are MISTAKEN!!! It dries to a white powder which is extremely difficult to get off without damaging the underlying paint work.

I recently managed to coat Tamiya's 1/35 Panther Ausf. G with it after 6 months of painting and weathering, apparently there is a warning on the bottle, but this is in Japanese (helpful...), so for the love of god, don't mistake it for a varnish or gloss (as I did), thank you for listening to this public service announcement

[MarkVerploeg]

I know
I made that mistake
Lee explained it to me later
It is used to alter the finish of other tamiya paints
So use it to make a gloss paint flat when it dries
Too bad you found out this way
In my case it actually destroyed the paint under it and i had to repaint a wing of a build
The best option is to look for products that clearly have the name varnish
Still thanks for sharing maybe someone else doesn't try it
Cheers Mark

[Neils]

oh no!! Disaster Really sorry for you

[Switcher]

It's been a while, couldn't pass this one up. Thanks for the heads up!

If you are not familiar with the "paint" industry as in "artist", then the mistake is just waiting to happen. A flat base X-21 as stated on the bottle = a matt medium in oil painting, dulls the paint down, it is used with the paint as Mark mentioned.

Tamyia sells X-22 = clear coat, XF-86 = Flat clear, the latter is what you want.

That being said, do not use XF-86 (bottle) TS-80 (spray can) over a Matt finish it will turn it cloudy (ask me how I know) LOL. Apply a clear coat over the paint, then apply the flat clear = no prblems (cloudiness). I use flat paints 98% of the time. Because I use oil washes and filters, the model gets clear coated anyway, after initial paint and in between coats. A Matt fiinish gets applied after I am all done.

Hope this is helpfull.

[Rammit]

Thanks for the condolences gents

A small turn of events has meant my Panther no longer served in France in 1944, now it inexplicably survived to street fight in Berlin in mid-'45, and will be weathered to the point of destruction so you can't see the appalling surface underneath

[schweinhund227]

It sux that you ended up learning the hard way !


I used it once to Flatten a shinny (X) paint and it worked great !

hence the word.. FLAT BASE !

too late now but... I hope your Post will educate the none Initiated !


All the best to ya !


oh! I no longer use that product and have gotten rid of it....
I find it pretty much useless... if you have the XF version of a colour ! if not ?
then it has its uses... but I would fear it none the less !

Take care.