Vallejo Model Colors

[pinehilljoe]

I used Vallejo paints for the first time. I'm very pleased. Very easy to use in the airbrush and clean up. I'd almost say superior to Tamiya.

 

[fubar57]

I'm changing over to Vallejo more and more. Nothing against Tamiya, its just easier for me to get Vallejo from the LHS and by local I mean almost 200kms away. They are a bit more finickier when masking but by waiting longer than necessary, I had little or no paint lift

 

[rochie]

been using Vallejo model colour for a few years with few problems

 

[fastmongrel]

Only problem I have had with Vallejo is the Aluminium is quite delicate. It needs to be left in my experience at least a week before it cures properly. When it's still freshly dried it's very easy to accidentally knock or scratch it ruining the finish.

 

[fingertot07]

I personally don't use airbrush as I prefer to keep it old school by hand painting. (I spray paint bodies for cars) Anyways, I just started working on a B-25J Mitchell and I needed some Olive Drab and Light Green, so I couldn't find my normal brand "Testors" for my paint I instead picked up the Vallejo Army Paints and I don't regret it one bit. I am going to switch to Vallejo for all of my painting needs.

 

[fingertot07]

Yes, I shop at a model hobby shop in my town and Tamiya is rarely there, so I tried Vallejo and loved it and now I am fully switching to Vallejo.

 

[vinnye]

A PDF of the ModelAir colours from
Downloads - Acrylicos Vallejo

https://acrylicosvallejo.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/model-air-vallejo-CC071-Rev20.pdf

 

[Ralph Haus]

Having a 'rack load' of Tamiya I am hesitant to do a switch. BUT as mentioned by some my LHS doesn't have the basic colors in inventory. FX-1 should be illegal to not have! Plenty of pinks though. This same LHS has a very good, if not complete, inventory of all Vallejo colors. I've abandoned Amazon. Twice the price. Free shipping my A! TaymiaUS has no inventory themselves! I suppose, though, that the applied paints, Tamiya and Vallejo, won't fight each other when mixed? So, another rack then?

The price per ml is a bit higher ($.205 US vs $.148), but the bottle with some dispensing control, seems to be worth the extra. Hopefully I will, eventually, eliminate those UN-removable top jars?

Will Tamiya thinner, X-20A work with Vallejo? Got lots of that as well.

EDIT. Just read where IPA and Vallejo are not compatible? I do clean my air brushes, as well as the standard brushes, with 90%, sometimes 70%. Just what is the solution ( no pun intended)?

 

[fubar57]

Here's something I found on an armour forum.

"Tamiya's X-20A thinner is mostly isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and since alcohol will mix with water, it will also mix with the Vallejo paints, which are true, water-based acrylics.
You might encounter some issues with durability and adhesion, though, since when water-based acrylics are reduced, the painter should add back some acrylic binders to retain the proper ratio of binders in the solution. Without the proper amount of binders to adhere the pigment to the painted surface, the dried paint may not be durable enough for subsequent handling. Obviously, the Tamiya X-20A does not contain any of these binders (neither does straight water, for that matter).
Vallejo's Thinner Medium (both Model Air or Model Color) contains these additional acrylic binders. You can also use any other artist acrylic gloss or matt medium mixed with water to achieve the same result.
(BTW: Vallejo also makes a full line of artist acrylic paints and this product line includes acrylic gloss and matt mediums as well as retarders and flow enhancers.)
If you need to retard the Vallejo paints, you can use any brand of artist acrylic retarder and the same goes for improving the flow with any artist acrylic flow aid or flow enhancer. Acrylic products from Grumbacher, Golden, Liquitex are all compatible with Vallejo paints.
Tamiya paints are not water-based acrylics. They are a solvent-based acrylic.
The acrylic resins and binders in Tamiya paints are reduced with cellulose solvents like lacquer thinner or alcohols. Painters are able to introduce water into the Tamiya paints because the water will mix with the existing solvents, but the water will not reduce the acrylic binders in the Tamiya paints. Those paints require either alcohol or lacquer thinner or both to properly reduce the binders and resins."

Myself, I spray Vallejo Model Air straight from the bottle and if I remember, I add a few drops of their flow improver. For Vallejo Model Color I thin with distilled water. I can't recall the ratio as it been quite a while

 

[Ralph Haus]

Here's something I found on an armour forum.

"Tamiya's X-20A thinner is mostly isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and since alcohol will mix with water, it will also mix with the Vallejo paints, which are true, water-based acrylics.
You might encounter some issues with durability and adhesion, though, since when water-based acrylics are reduced, the painter should add back some acrylic binders to retain the proper ratio of binders in the solution. Without the proper amount of binders to adhere the pigment to the painted surface, the dried paint may not be durable enough for subsequent handling. Obviously, the Tamiya X-20A does not contain any of these binders (neither does straight water, for that matter).
Vallejo's Thinner Medium (both Model Air or Model Color) contains these additional acrylic binders. You can also use any other artist acrylic gloss or matt medium mixed with water to achieve the same result.
(BTW: Vallejo also makes a full line of artist acrylic paints and this product line includes acrylic gloss and matt mediums as well as retarders and flow enhancers.)
If you need to retard the Vallejo paints, you can use any brand of artist acrylic retarder and the same goes for improving the flow with any artist acrylic flow aid or flow enhancer. Acrylic products from Grumbacher, Golden, Liquitex are all compatible with Vallejo paints.
Tamiya paints are not water-based acrylics. They are a solvent-based acrylic.
The acrylic resins and binders in Tamiya paints are reduced with cellulose solvents like lacquer thinner or alcohols. Painters are able to introduce water into the Tamiya paints because the water will mix with the existing solvents, but the water will not reduce the acrylic binders in the Tamiya paints. Those paints require either alcohol or lacquer thinner or both to properly reduce the binders and resins."

Myself, I spray Vallejo Model Air straight from the bottle and if I remember, I add a few drops of their flow improver. For Vallejo Model Color I thin with distilled water. I can't recall the ratio as it been quite a while

I have no problem stocking two types of paints and thinners. However, if I am reading correctly, once one type is applied, and allowed to dry (cure), then the other can be applied on top? No material conflicts? Vallejo base color with camo of Taymia, or visa versa? Thanks for your support and information.

 

[Ralph Haus]

As an aside. The LHS that I was going to visit and pick up some replacement colors, while their web site shows them, clicking on the items comes up BACKORDER. Crap! Back to zero on my refill for XF-1!!!

 

[fubar57]

I mix and match what ever acrylic paints I have that match the scheme I'm doing. I've used Tamiya, Vallejo and Gunze on the same model. The only thing I use Tamiya Flat Black for now is a base coat. For black paint I use XF-69 Nato Black, XF-75 Tire Black and for a faded black, XF-63 German Grey

 

[Ralph Haus]

I mix and match what ever acrylic paints I have that match the scheme I'm doing. I've used Tamiya, Vallejo and Gunze on the same model. The only thing I use Tamiya Flat Black for now is a base coat. For black paint I use XF-69 Nato Black, XF-75 Tire Black and for a faded black, XF-63 German Grey

Again, many thanks. I have a large jar of XF-63 and a new jar of XF-69. I'll look at using the XF-69 while searching for the XF-1....

 

[fubar57]

This was done with Nato Black...

 

[Wurger]

 

[fastmongrel]

When I was starting to use Vallejo I accidentally used some Isopropanol to thin down the paint. It didn't go well turning the paint into sticky lumps.

 

[fastmongrel]

I don't know how true it is but I remember chatting to a guy at a model show (remember them ) He said that modern water borne paints are closer to wood glue than traditional Acrylic paint

 

[Ralph Haus]

I'm changing over to Vallejo more and more. Nothing against Tamiya, its just easier for me to get Vallejo from the LHS and by local I mean almost 200kms away. They are a bit more finickier when masking but by waiting longer than necessary, I had little or no paint lift

How long is 'longer than necessary'? Using Tamiya, I typically wait 1 to 2 days before masking tape is laid down. I'm going to be using Vallejo for the first time in GB 49 and don't want to have any 'do-overs'.

 

[fubar57]

A minimum of 24 hours or more works for me Ralph and detacking the tape more than I would with Tamiya. I do burnish the tape into panel lines and corners. I usually spray between 15-18psi and on my H&S Evolution I set the trigger up so I can only pull it about half-way back. I also spray along the tape at angle, away from the tape edge though I do this with any brand of paint. When I remove the masking tape, which is almost immediately after cleaning my airbrush, pull the tape away at an angle and slowly. This is what works for me and maybe I luck out but in 4-5 models, I've experienced maybe 3²mm-4²mm total paint lift and virtually no bleed under. The paint lift is probably a little less than Tamiya but to be fair, I learned airbrushing with Tamiya so mistakes were more

 

[Ralph Haus]

A minimum of 24 hours or more works for me Ralph and detacking the tape more than I would with Tamiya. I do burnish the tape into panel lines and corners. I usually spray between 15-18psi and on my H&S Evolution I set the trigger up so I can only pull it about half-way back. I also spray along the tape at angle, away from the tape edge though I do this with any brand of paint. When I remove the masking tape, which is almost immediately after cleaning my airbrush, pull the tape away at an angle and slowly. This is what works for me and maybe I luck out but in 4-5 models, I've experienced maybe 3²mm-4²mm total paint lift and virtually no bleed under. The paint lift is probably a little less than Tamiya but to be fair, I learned airbrushing with Tamiya so mistakes were more

My masking concerns are when I completely cover the wing edges and try to get a paint line mid-wing edge. I usually don't tape an edge but just let the tape overlap the area and hopefully have a 'cleanish' line of color separation. Has worked to my satisfaction so far. This of course covers the entire paint area of the undersides. I have, luckily, not had any Taimya paint to peel off! Has worked to my satisfaction so far; may not pass GB musters, but looking at many photos, other than restored birds, these color changes are not that sharp. Below is just an example explanation photo.