Airfix 1/72nd Westland Sea King HC.4

[Flip]

Tamiya do lacquers - John has them in shop (quite a few of which have ended up here with me :smiling5. Look under "Paints, Tamiya Paints, Lacquer")
Mr Hobby also do good lacquers - also available in the shop
MRP (ready to spray from the bottle) - not so easy to get hold of as there are only 3 UK suppliers but, IMHO, simply the best paint around.

I would say, if you're venturing into lacquers, go for just a couple of colours just until you get up to speed with them. Personally, I would recommend sticking to Tamiya lacquer thinners for their paints. I know other folk use Mr Hobby thinners with Tamiya paints, but I have both and tend to keep things within manufacturers in order to reduce the number of variables.

With the thinners, there are the plain type or the retarder type. I started off with the plain type but have found myself gravitating to the retarder type as they allow more time for self-levelling. Again, both types of thinners are available in the shop. Look under "Paints, Thinners" and filter by Tamiya.

[Ancientmariner]

I'd recommend Mr Colour lacquer based paints, thinned with Mr Colour levelling thinner. Same principles, you'll just notice a huge difference in quality of finish and they tend to spray a little easier than acrylic I have found but each to their own

[Guest]

I'd recommend Mr Colour lacquer based paints, thinned with Mr Colour levelling thinner. Same principles, you'll just notice a huge difference in quality of finish and they tend to spray a little easier than acrylic I have found but each to their own

I'll see if I can get them around here, thank you!

[Flip]

Or go onto the Shop, "Paints, Mr Hobby, Mr Color" (GSI Creos have the Mr Hobby range which includes the Mr Hobby paints)

[Guest]

I've just read that laquer paints have a strong smell, that's possibly a deal breaker for me. I have close to zero ventilation in my flat (most of the windows don't open)
That's one reason why I liked Vallejo, no strong smell. I don't want to paint and end up high on the fumes haha!

[Ancientmariner]

If you have poor ventilation I would definitely not recommend these Steve, a strong smell is an understatement and it don't want to be breathing it in!

[Guest]

If you have poor ventilation I would definitely not recommend these Steve, a strong smell is an understatement and it don't want to be breathing it in!

Yeah, unfortunately that's the case. Well, I'm just hoping I don't have this issue when I get some decent masking tape, we'll see.

[Flip]

I'm just hoping I don't have this issue when I get some decent masking tape

I just hope I'm not muddying the waters too much...
If you want to try a quick fix with a better masking tape using locally-available materials, I can recommend Frog Tape. I have been using it on models where low tack is important.

But only one type of it:

It must be the yellow (delicate surface) one. It now comes in 24mm and 36mm widths. Cut down to suit.
You can get in a lot of places now including B&Q, Tesco, etc

[Waspie]

Just caught up with this Steve. Wow, this SK is certainly testing your metal.
On the plus side, it's your first kit and this is the one you can really learn from. Disasters - PaH!! Happen because they're testing you!!! Your doing ok bud, you'll recover the paint problem I'm sure.

From my perspective, I've had no real issues with Vallejo acrylics, other than I don't like their primer. Shame it looks like you have to remove the good work you've already done but I can testify the meths treatment will remove the paint already on the SK. I cocked up my Beetle and luckily it was at a stage where I could immerse the bits in a meths bath. It does remove the paint quite quickly. Copious cotton buds should work a treat. Remember to clean the meths off too of course!!

The lessons I have learned from these guys when I'm spraying is patience. At the moment the weather is too humid, I'm itching to get cracking with my King with my airbrush but I know if I do something will go wrong, it's too humid and too cold at the moment. (My workspace is in my garage, cold and lacks heating so I am at the mercy of the elements!! I also, leave a good 24 hours or more between primer and top coats longer if it's cold and wet!! Then a goodly drying period between subsequent paint coats. I'm only on my fourth kit and by no means experienced and I do treat every kit at the moment as a learning curve.

I'm sure with the advice of the big boys you'll recover the SK to what you want it to be and come out the other end with a Sea King that you'll be happy with.

[Flip]

it's too humid and too cold at the moment

Doug,
I have the same as you - a non-air-conditioned garage
I was spraying a Buccaneer with EDSG. Looked fine at the time. Went back an hour later and they were a ghastly patchy white. Cold and humid - caused a bloom.
Easily solved with an additional coat.
Answer? I negotiated with SWMBO to get mantelpiece space. Now I spray in the garage and transfer to the living room to cure. No more bloom.

[Guest]

Right now here in the UK, the unheated room that I spray in is usually from 9c to 14c is that too cold?

[Guest]

"Paints, Mr Hobby, Mr Color" (GSI Creos have the Mr Hobby range which includes the Mr Hobby paints)

Be very careful with these that you’re buying the right type! Mr. Hobby is lacquer, while Mr. Aqueous Hobby (also referred to as Mr. Hobby Aqueous or just Mr. Aqueous) is alcohol-based acrylic. If you want one but order the other by accident, you probably have a type of paint you don’t care to use. Look very closely at the names before buying online (IRL you can tell more easily by the labels on the bottles, but still: take care to buy the right type).

[Mark1]

The laquer paint codes start with a c , the aqueous code starts with an h.

[Flip]

Right now here in the UK, the unheated room that I spray in is usually from 9c to 14c is that too cold?

No, it isn't too cold. That's the summer temperature range for here :tears-of-joy:

But I do then transfer them to the mantelpiece (warmer there) to cure.

[Guest]

Well, I'm considering this model done now, I've not done any weathering or dirtying up because quite franky it doesn't deserve it and the more I look at it, the more I want to file it (probably in the bin) and forget I ever did this.

I've not added an image because i'd die of embarrassment, it's truly ghastly and shameful indeed.

So this thread is done but I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who helped me along the way, you were all so great, thank you!

Edit:- You know what, I will show you because I've come to trust you guys and I know you won't mock me.