Brush painting with enamels

[Tim Marlow]

I used to use this stuff Christos…mostly for humbrols, precision and cherry enamels during my railway days. I never really liked Revell paints, they were a bit thick to me.

https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/125pq9

Not sure how easy it is to get in your neck of the woods though? Failing that, Humbrol enamel thinners should work, but it is quite smelly…

[stillp]

When I used to use enamels I found that lighter fuel, the liquid kind, was a good thinner. A bit faster drying than white spirit.
Pete

[Tim Marlow]

When I used to use enamels I found that lighter fuel, the liquid kind, was a good thinner. A bit faster drying than white spirit.
Pete

I used to spray enamel with it. It sprays superbly…..However….I then realised I was making a potential fuel air bomb so stopped….not to be recommended for spraying :flushed:

[stillp]

I used to spray enamel with it. It sprays superbly…..However….I then realised I was making a potential fuel air bomb so stopped….not to be recommended for spraying :flushed:

SSSHH, JR might be listening!
Pete

[rtfoe]

Enamels are great for PE railing and are not easy to chip off. I used to use enamels to paint brush base paints on figures and still dry brush armour with it. I have since switched to acrylics for figures.

Cheers,
Richard

[stillp]

I used to spray enamel with it. It sprays superbly…..However….I then realised I was making a potential fuel air bomb so stopped….not to be recommended for spraying :flushed:

I wonder though Tim, is it really much more flammable than IPA or lacquer thinners?
Pete

[Tim Marlow]

Just had a look at the material safety data sheets (MSDS) for all three Peter.

I would say Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is the safest over all, but has the lowest flashpoint. The highest flashpoint is cellulose thinners at about 11DegC, which is still below normal room temperature and pressure (RTP). It is also the only one that is not quoted as making an explosive mixture with air.
Lighter fluid and IPA have flashpoints around 0DegC, and are both quoted as producing explosive mixtures with air. Cellulose thinners and IPA have other issues as well, being more toxic.

However, for the amounts we use none of this is really a problem if normal precautions are taken.

We should probably use spray booths with spark free motors, but I know mine doesn’t have one, and I can’t afford a better one. I have never heard of anyone having an issue using normal spray thinners in the most common booths.

I personally no longer use lighter fluid, and cellulose thinners has other components so is less flammable, so I am OK with that.

Safest is definitely acrylics though :thumb2:

[Squege]

Cheers Jim, appreciated

Hi Tim

Really like using Mr color but will use 100% enamels on KGV. Colour coats have a excellent range of paints. The YouTube video by colour coats are very helpful as to spraying the stuff

Colour coats have good videos on YouTube about spraying enamels but nothing on brushing!

hi chuck,
I have been using colour coats and it seems to spray well using humbrol thinners, i did try it with white spirit but i thought it had a bit of a sheen to it, the other thing i got wrong apparently was the under water anti foul colour it now appears according to the Hood site that she never had red antifoul it was either grey of an undefined shade or black. so i am at the moment trying to re do it grey. here are afew shots of the first finish using colour coats narn 20 and red anti foul.

[stona]

I've been using Colourcoats for years.

Mostly, I spray them, but have always done some brush painting, so here's my take on them.

They do brush very well.

Different colours vary considerably. Some need a bit of thinning (I use white spirits (generic)). Some can be brushed straight out of the tin, and may require more than one coat to cover properly, which obviously means considerable time.

For both spraying and brushing I thin completely unscientifically, just be the feel and look of the paint. Unfortunately that's not something that can be quantified. One of the advantages of enamels is their tolerance for approximate thinning ratios. Some other paint systems are far less tolerant.

Clean up with cellulose thinners.

[BattleshipBob]

My sincere apologies for not thanking nor replying to replies, not good enough, sorry.

Now it's hopefully calming down I hope to have a go tomorrow in KGV's superstructure, brush painting!