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graemevw

Painting translucent colours

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I tried a bit on some spare lexan, but it didnt go well. How do you get a nice, even colour using translucent ps colours? The cans dont seem to atomise well enough to do anything than gradually build up a heavy coat and even then its not very consistent.

Is it even possible? 

I dont want to back it, i just want coloured translucent lexan.

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Have you tried warming the cans up with some hot water? The heat will cause the paint and propellant to expand, and provides increased spraying pressure. I have found that the translucent colors are the most difficult to apply owing to the near complete lack of pigment. It's very hard to see how thick of a coat you are laying down, which leads to runs and the inconsistent coverage you've experienced.

Try heating the cans and apply very thin coats gradually. Patience is your best tool here ;)

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Ill give it a go.

Im not getting runs, it just i cant get an even coat, its just a bit splattery. This means i can never get an even finish as i can never achieve an even thickness of coat.

Ideally, it needs to atomise better, flow easier and flash off quicker.

Ill warm the can and try again.

 

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7 minutes ago, OCD said:

Have you tried warming the cans up with some how water? The heat will cause the paint and propellant to expand, and provides increased spraying pressure. I have found that the translucent colors are the most difficult to apply owing to the near complete lack of pigment. It's very hard to see how thick of a coat you are laying down, which leads to runs and the inconsistent coverage you've experienced.

Try heating the cans and apply very thin coats gradually. Patience is your best tool here ;)

I second this :)

Warming the cans should be standard practice for spraying with any can really, make sure you shake it really well too. 

And again as OCD says very light coats, spray past the part so you don't get a heavier deposit of paint as you stop/start, and stop before you think you've done enough - guarantee you will give it one more spray and overdo it. Voice of experience speaking here..... ;) 

Oh, and make sure you aren't spraying in cold conditions - the paint will take longer to flash and will contribute to a poor finish. If you have a little room heater point it in your spray booth on a low heat.

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The other thing to note is that it takes a few light coats (3-4) to even things out with the translucent colors.  However, what really evens it out is your backing color.  As long as the areas are not wildly different with translucent color, the backing color will even it out.

 

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34 minutes ago, graemevw said:

Im not getting runs, it just i cant get an even coat, its just a bit splattery. This means i can never get an even finish as i can never achieve an even thickness of coat.

Yep, this can be helped by increasing the pressure, but just be aware that other things can contribute to this: clogged spray tips, cold ambient air temperature, and spoiled paint are just a few that come to mind.

33 minutes ago, jonboy1 said:

spray past the part so you don't get a heavier deposit of paint as you stop/start, and stop before you think you've done enough - guarantee you will give it one more spray and overdo it.

Couldn't have said it any better B) If you're brave enough to do translucents without an opaque backing, practicing your spray technique is going to be crucial. I like to think of myself as one of those robots at an automotive plant that does the painting: very smooth flowing movements and no hovering over the work. Like a machine :D

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Its not getting backed ;)

I did 4 light coats on the test piece, letting it flash off between coats and it wasnt looking good. I gave it one heavier (but still light) coat to try and get it to settle out but it only partially helped. The tamiya ps cans always seem to leave a textured finish. This doesnt matter with solid colours but with translucents the variation in thickness gives variation in shade.

I only tried a flat piece, go knows what will happen when corners are involved.

Im super cautious, hence asking for advice :)

 

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1 minute ago, OCD said:

Yep, this can be helped by increasing the pressure, but just be aware that other things can contribute to this: clogged spray tips, cold ambient air temperature, and spoiled paint are just a few that come to mind.

Couldn't have said it any better B) If your brave enough to do translucents without an opaque backing, practicing your spray technique is going to be crucial. I like to think of myself as on of those robots at an automotive plant that does the painting: very smooth flowing movements and no hovering of the work. Like a machine :D

Ha - me too! 

Do you make little whirring noises as your arm transitions across the part? I don't.....:rolleyes::huh::lol:

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1 minute ago, OCD said:

Yep, this can be helped by increasing the pressure, but just be aware that other things can contribute to this: clogged spray tips, cold ambient air temperature, and spoiled paint are just a few that come to mind.

Couldn't have said it any better B) If your brave enough to do translucents without an opaque backing, practicing your spray technique is going to be crucial. I like to think of myself as on of those robots at an automotive plant that does the painting: very smooth flowing movements and no hovering of the work. Like a machine :D

Yeah, i know what you mean. Im good at spraying, cans or otherwise. Painted a good few 1:1 cars and enough models and other projects.

Just never tried to spray candies.

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The only other thing I could suggest is decanting the paint, adding a bit of thinners and putting it in an airbrush?

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2 minutes ago, graemevw said:

The tamiya ps cans always seem to leave a textured finish.

They do this to me about half of the time. Usually I chalk it up to the air temp and humidity, but sometimes it's just a surprise. I've had a fair amount of practice with Tamiya's PS-31 smoke as window tint, and still can't guarantee it won't lay down as a "frost" finish. Of course Tamiya doesn't advertise *transparent* colors, so I can't complain if they aren't.

 

8 minutes ago, jonboy1 said:

Do you make little whirring noises as your arm transitions across the part?

Only in my head ;)

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7 minutes ago, jonboy1 said:

The only other thing I could suggest is decanting the paint, adding a bit of thinners and putting it in an airbrush?

This isn't a bad suggestion, as long as you have an airbrush that can do the volume necessary. I only have one of the smallish Tamiya "Spray Work" setups, and it would take ages to paint an entire 1/10 body with it.

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10 minutes ago, jonboy1 said:

The only other thing I could suggest is decanting the paint, adding a bit of thinners and putting it in an airbrush?

Hmmm, i have a door shut gun (top cup fed paint gun with a cup about 150ml). Has a nice fine tip. If i was spraying cellulose id be confident with it. Would mean i could add some more clear to lighten the shade a little too.

Worth considering. Whats the best way to decant the paint? Just spray it out? What does tamiya paint thin with?  

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15 hours ago, graemevw said:

Hmmm, i have a door shut gun (top cup fed paint gun with a cup about 150ml). Has a nice fine tip. If i was spraying cellulose id be confident with it. Would mean i could add some more clear to lighten the shade a little too.

Worth considering. Whats the best way to decant the paint? Just spray it out? What does tamiya paint thin with?  

I find a drinking straw fits perfectly over the little nozzle head , so I wrap a bit of tape around this to make sure it doesn't come off. Then put the other end of the straw in a paper cup and cover the top of the cup with cellophane, taping around the straw to prevent leaks. 

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