Global Scale Modeller

Hiya.

I've tried a few times to master this now without much success.

Well I say without success, the end result turns out, shall we say, realistic looking. But the process for getting there is never the same as what I see on the multitude of tutorials and YT videos that I see.

I always, and will be on my next project, using the following:

Ultimate Primer.

Either Mr Hobby OR Tamiya through an airbrush. MR Hobby thinned with Ultimate Thinners & Tamiya thinned with their own X20a.

I want to be able to use a simple thinned down Tamiya paint as my wash.

So my question is:

After priming and colour coat, I know I need to gloss coat, but should that be an acrylic or enamel gloss?
What should I use to thin the Tamiya paint for the wash? Their thinners or water?
How long after washing that on does it need to dry?
What should I then use to remove the wash?

The videos I watch show it wiping off beautifully, but I don't have that experience. In fact it is a total bitch to remove for me, so I am clearly going wrong somewhere


Any help would be appreciated. I am only 40 and I don't want to go bald from pulling my hair out

My 2 cents.

Since most washes are enamel based I find that an acrylic gloss coat works best. I have tried Lacquer gloss coats and the enamel/oil based washes just stripped the stuff off. I personally like the Tamiya clear gloss (X-22) and Gunze Clear Gloss which is H-30. You could also try an acrylic semi-gloss/satin but I have never tried that so can't offer and experience there. For aircraft I like the gloss anyway as the washes flatten the sheen and depending on how many passes you do can leave a bit of a satin finish which many WWII aircraft had. And let it cure for 24 hours.

Good luck.
Dave.

You don't need an enamel gloss, an acrylic gloss like Alclad Aqua Gloss will do the job. Leave it a day and its fine to put a wash on.

The real issue is the wash you're using. because its paint based, regardless of how much you dilute it, once its dry, or even starts to cure, it will not want to come off. You're much better off going with a clay based wash like Ultimate's washes. If they're too expensive, buy yourself a pack of pastel chalks and make your own washes by grinding the chalk into a little pot and adding water and a drop of washing up liquid to break the surface tension. Brush on to the model, allow to dry then wipe off with damp tissues / kitchen towel and cotton buds. The wetter you have the tissues / buds, the less wash you will leave on the kit's surfaces.

That's my twopennyworth of advice - based purely on my own experiences. Others will certainly differ

Thanks.

What is the best thing to thin enamel down with? To be honest I don't have much enamel based left, as I changed everything to acrylic. I don't have any enamel thinners. I have about two dozen revell tinlets left and that's about it. All I have is some cheap DIY shop white spirit...

I've decided to get Ammo Mig Jimenez Black wash, it says to remove with an "enamel dilutant" . That's not a phrase I've heard before so I assume that means enamel thinners, such as Humbrol thinners right?

*blonde question* ?

Mig Ammo do their own enamel thinner as do AK it's all the same stuff.

hmm..I'm not a fan of AK based on my experiences so far...but that's only with their gloss. It seems to dry instantly unless I spray it on heavy.....and even then when it dries it's more a satin than a gloss.

But that's for another topic lol