Model Master Acryl - suggestions?

[roguepink]

I am trying to get away from enamels and into acrylic model paints. I have access to the Model Master Acryl line so please limit advice to general acrylic advice or to that brand specifically.

Where I am so far.

Although I've been happy with enamels up till now, I have avoided doing any metal on metal applications because I found that Testor's/MM metal colors do not hold up to masking tape. I use Tamiya yellow tapes. As I am doing a commission of a 1:48 B-29, I need to have this ability. I bought three colors: Aluminum, Silver, Steel. Yesterday I applied each color to a spare wing and then masked and painted secondary metals on each. I used a Paasche VL siphon dual-action at about 20 psi. I did not use primer, it was never needed with enamel paints, I like to use the LEAST coats of paint possible. I applied a coat of Testor's Gloss Lacquer over all.

The results.

The metal colors look fairly good though perhaps not as good as the enamels would. The masking tape did not mar the finish of the metals. However, the tape lifted the paint from the plastic in several places. The gloss lacquer dried smooth and even making a good base for applying decals.

Questions.

Do I need a primer for Acryl on plastic? If so, what are my best choices?

If the paint lifting is NOT an issue of primers, am I just not letting the paint dry long enough? What is the minimum dry/cure time for Acryl paints?

How do I get the most convincing bare metal aircraft look out of this brand of paint?

 

[SingleSeat]

ehh, try it! The smooth plastic should be good-to-go, but if you have big seams that you sanded and such, priming might be a good route so long as you sand (preferably wet sand) it to a polished-to-the-touch finish with say 600-1500 grit. Metallics can really highlight differences in substrate finish. Maybe try stepping down your pressure to the 15-18 range and allow the paint to saturate a little more rather than dust the surface to avoid a granular metallic look? But big solid strokes would be called for here so as to not produce a splotchy coloration.

About all I think of, if you're locked into that paint, is a nice prime of gloss black. If it must be coated, I guess you could also try a coat of Future floor polish rather than the Lacquer spray? Maybe you've already thought of that.

I would suggest different tape too...plain-old opaque scotch tape. It's not the stickiest to start with, but you can take some tack off on your shirt or pants if you're paranoid. And only really press it down along your masking line rather than the whole piece of tape. That way you'll get some sharp reliable lines (assuming you pick off the lint along the masking line, haha).

 

[Gigatron]

ok Rogue, forget everything you know about metalized paint.

All you need to know from now on, is this place http://www.hawkeyeshobbies.com/

I've used both the acrylic sprays and the powders. They are hard to beat as far as finish, durability and ease of use.

Here's an F8F Bearcat I did using only the polishing powders

I was able to mask using tamiya tape with no problem.

You can thank me later :lol

As for priming, you should always prime - especially when doing a BMF. Metal finishes magnify flaws. If nothing else, a coat of primer will help you more easily see where the problems are. And if you want a deep shine, put a coat of gloss black down before your metal paints (lacquer is preferred, but enamel will suffice).

-Fred

 

[roguepink]

Gigatron -- That looks like a great way to go. I will see if I can order Talon Acrylics and SnJ polishing powders through the store I part-time at. If we can get it at a good price through a regular distributor, I bet I can even get the boss to stock it regularly. Thanks.

Nice looking Bearcat!

 

[yt]

Amazing I had no idea!

 

[roguepink]

I have not tried the SnJ paints yet. This is my results from today using Model Master acrylics. This is also my first attempt at pre-shading. I have been building models for 30 years, some as a professional, and this is the first time I've used pre-shading. What the ---- is wrong with me?

This is a spare wing for practice. Using all Model Master "Acryl" paints: white primer, silver base, gunmetal panel shading, steel panel details, gloss lacquer over all. The decals are throwaways, I just wanted to test how the decal solvent worked on the finish.

All comments and destructive criticisms are welcome. We learn by our errors.

For my own part, I think the steel colored panels are too much contrast. I'll tone it down in the actual build.

 

[Gigatron]

Hey Rogue,

Pre-shading and NMFs don't work together. They work on painted sufaces because of what it's supposed to represent. For whatever reason, a painted panel fades faster in the middle than it does along it's edges. There two ways to represent this on a model, that is pre-shading the panel lines, or post shading the center with a lighter shade of the base color. On darker paint jobs, like dark sea blue (think late WWII corsairs), you can't pre-shade because it wouldn't be seen, so you have to post shade with a lighter color.

See this corsair I built a while back - the fading is more evident along the top sides of the wing, which is where the most sun fading would have occurred

Now, since a NMF doesn't have any paint on it, there's nothing to fade, so the entire panel weathers at the same rate. Unless it's cleaned and waxed, it would start to oxidze with a slightly white haze.

-Fred

 

[roguepink]

Good point. Thank you. For that matter, my customer wants a museum presentation quality, no weathering, just shiny like new.

I enjoyed doing it, though. I'll have to find excuses to use it on other builds.

 

[Gigatron]

Good point. Thank you. For that matter, my customer wants a museum presentation quality, no weathering, just shiny like new.

I enjoyed doing it, though. I'll have to find excuses to use it on other builds.

If they want factory fresh, I'd look into using Alclad II Polished Aluminum (especially with a bird as large as the B-29). Once cured, it can be masked over with no marring. Follow that up by doing panel variations with some of the Talon polishing powders, like steel and flat aluminium.

-Fred

 

[roguepink]

Okay, next question. I typically seal over my decals with a clear lacquer, either gloss or flat. I've noticed it subtly alters the quality of metallic paints, making them look less... metallic. I'll try an acrylic gloss (Future) today and see if I like the results.

I really will try the Alclads and SnJ's at some point but as I said in the beginning, I'm limited to Model Master paints at this time and acrylic in particular.

 

[Gigatron]

Try brushing the Future over just the decal because anything will change the reflective properties of the metallic paint.

-Fred