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General Ship Modeling
Discuss modeling techniques, experiences, and ship modeling in general.
Which type of paint?
rtread
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Texas, United States
Joined: February 23, 2011
KitMaker: 31 posts
Model Shipwrights: 31 posts
Posted: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 - 12:45 PM UTC
I'm not talking about brands or colors of paint....just type I should use. Acrylic, lacquer or enamel? I have been going in a big circle reading numerous posts, don't know which is best for me.

Here's my project:

1/350 resin kit
Full hull
My first kit
Will use a recently purchased airbrush after practicing

What would be your recommendation?

TracyWhite
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Washington, United States
Joined: January 18, 2005
KitMaker: 527 posts
Model Shipwrights: 464 posts
Posted: Wednesday, March 02, 2011 - 11:11 AM UTC
Acrylics are less toxic (still have to take care with them) but I dislike them.. they dry too fast for my taste, making airbrush cleanup more involved. I've also had issues with adhesion; they have less bite than other paints and are easier to damage with tape or rough handling.

Lacquers are tough but "hot" and can damage models if not used correctly.

Enamels I find to be the easiest to get and a good medium ground between the two. Model Master's line is ubiquitous... it's just about everywhere that sells paint. They have had quality control problems from what I've heard lately, but nothing I've experienced (specifically I know of two people who had problems with recently-purchased gunship gray taking a long time to fully dry). I haven't noticed much variation between paint bottles in terms of color, I've heard other companies have more problems.
Gremlin56
Joined: October 30, 2005
KitMaker: 3,897 posts
Model Shipwrights: 3,301 posts
Posted: Friday, March 04, 2011 - 07:42 AM UTC
It's a question of taste really. I haven't used enamels for years now. I prefer acryllics, (Vallejo, Lifecolor and Tamiya). I also use oil paint, water colors and Indian ink.
Cheers,
Julian
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