UK Importers ,wholesalers and distributors of plastic model kits, jisaw puzzles, board games, embroidery, paints, tools and glues. Thinner amount and type - I wasn't thinning the XF-19 enough. Your 4:6 paint to thinner ratio contained much more thinner (and I hadn't tried the Tamiya yellow-top stuff, I forgot all about it) than I had been using. But regarding the Alclad dull aluminium, all i can say is that it's VERY dull. Actually it's perfect to paint engines as it really looks like cast aluminium, but for an airframe i doubt it would really match a nice "silver" finish, even if you want something matt. I think a "standard" aluminium finish coated with matt varnish would be better. No matter what I've tried, the results always end up with an uneven, grainy, and overall poor appearance. Be aware that paints take varying amounts of time to dry. Do not touch the pieces you have just painted, you will leave traces that should be removed by sanding. Also, don’t try to apply a new coat of paint until the previous coat is completely dry.

Tamiya Acrylics 10ml - XF-16 Flat Aluminium - SnM Stuff

The parts of a model must be cleaned before applying the paint. This can be done using a suitable cleaning product, but you can also sand the parts or apply a primer. The best solution is to apply a primer as this will provide better adhesion to the paint layers you will apply later. If there are any bumps or imperfections of any kind after cleaning with the special cleaner or after priming, you can use a fine-grit sandpaper (2000 grit or above) to remove them. Note that the etchings will remain visible after priming with a spray gun. Paint selectionTamiya Acrylic Paints are made from water-soluble acrylic resins and are excellent for either brush or spray painting. I've found that it is very difficult to get a completly smooth finish with it even if you thin it more than 50%. I will usually just use X-11 Chrome Silver instead. It's not very chrome like at all and the metallic flakes are a bit finer. When airbrushing be certain to use any of the following Tamiya thinners: Items-81020, 81030, 81040, 81520, 87077. Well, magical is probably putting it a bit strongly, especially if you're looking to achieve a highly-polished natural metal finish (there are better options for that). But, it's great for giving a more restrained finish, either as weathered aluminium, or to represent painted aluminium lacquer (RAF High Speed Silver, for example), or even silver dope finishes. It's also very easy to apply right out of the can, and as you mentioned, it can be decanted for airbrushing. It dries fast and tough, and can be masked over with ease.

Tamiya - Color range - Scalemates Tamiya - Color range - Scalemates

For thinning, I use Mr. Color Thinner, but the levelling variety is just as applicable, as is Tamiya's own lacquer thinner (they're quite similar I believe). I find generic hardware-store lacquer thinner too harsh for this usage, but they vary so much that you might still find some value in testing it. I'm having the worst time trying to get Tamiya's XF-16 Flat Aluminum to spray smoothly and am hoping for some suggestions from the experts here. Glad we were able to help. I've found that when shooting acrylics, thinner is so much better and working with low air pressure helps a tremendous amount. Tamiya acrylic mini paints are made from water-soluble acrylic resins and are excellent for either brush painting or air-brushing. These paints can be used on styrol resins, Styrofoam, wood, plus all of the common model plastics. The paint covers well, flows smoothly and can be blended easily. When airbrushing using this paint make sure to use the Tamiya thinners.The Tamiya Mini XF-16 Flat Aluminum 10ml Acrylic Acrylic Paints come in 10ml bottles and are water-soluble and non-toxic. They are suitable to paint plastic model kits and come in three finishes, gloss, flat and translucent. The Tamiya Acrylic Paint range can be brushed straight from the tub, or thinned to be used in an airbrush. The paint can be also thinned for airbrushing using Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. Using Tamiya Lacquer Thinner will yield faster drying results and a harder finish. Items 81521 and 81021 (Tamiya X-21 Flat Base) can be used as a flattening agent on Tamiya Gloss bottle paints. Simply add any X-gloss color then add flat base. Mixing ratio: 1:1 Tamiya acrylic paints are made from water-soluble acrylic resins and are excellent for either brush painting or airbrushing. These paints can be used on styrene resins, Styrofoam, wood, plus all the common model plastics. The paint covers well, flows smoothly, and can be blended easily. Prior to curing, paint can be washed away with plain water. For better paint brushing results use Tamiya Paint Retarder (item 87114) for a smoother brushstroke free finish.