How would you mix this???

[Dave Ward]

I was looking at my first ( for 30 odd years ) airliner model - I bought the Revell A320 Etihad Airlines

Yes, I got the Model set, it was cheaper than the model alone. Looking at the picture, I assumed that the fuselage was Gloss White..........................
WRONG!!! Looking at the Revell paint callouts, they have this witches' brew


Looking at the mix, it seems to be a very pale orange metallic finish - I've seen it called 'pearl'. Now, of course I'm going to have to blend this ( The colours are actually 3 of the 4 paints supplied ). Has anyone actually tried this? Mixing metallic acrylic paint with others is not something I've tried over such a large area - and in such a visible place.
Plan 'B' is to get a set of AM decals that aren't so problematical!
Dave

[Guest]

To me that's pretty much bread and butter stuff, it's essentially how I mix car paints every day, although with the help of computerised measuring systems these days for accuracy. I have 10 or so different sizes and shapes of metallic flake at my disposal for different effects, but obviously you just have the one. I've done it with model paints too to make various steel, gunmetal, brass, gold etc. colours.

As you say you're taking the white and adding a bit of clear orange to give you the basic colour, then adding a bit of sparkle with the metallic. It really is as straightforward as that. Providing your individual colours are mixed well first, your measuring out is fairly accurate, and the resulting brew is stirred thoroughly, I can't see there being any issue at all.

[spanner570]

Sounds obvious, but make sure you mix more than enough first off.
I would probably run out of paint half way along a final bit of wing.

[Ian M]

I have often mixed Vallejo model Color metallics and regular to get some different tones. Works well. Also they (Vallejo) make a metaliser to mix into the regular paints.
I have not tried with the clear ones though.

[Dave Ward]

Luckily, it's only the fuselage & tail that is this colour - the wings are two tone grey with silver leading edges.
I'll mix a bottle full - I have a horror of it not covering very well & not having sufficient to give a second coat.
Thanks, all, for the reassurance!
Dave

[JR]

Good luck Dave, sure you will succeed.

[Tim Marlow]

Hi Dave
I hope this isn’t too obvious, but just a reminder to work up the top coat over a white primer. You are using translucent paint so any other primer colour will grin through horribly....

[Dave Ward]

Next problem is how to measure the paint? The pots are only comparatively small. I remembered an old mistake! Many years ago ( 10+ ) I bought 50 pipettes - when I should have bought BULB pipettes - these have been lying in their bag, waiting for their moment!
Bulb pipette at the front, 2ml pipettes behind. The 3 paint pots, plastic bottle & ball bearings to act as agitators.
I haven't used a pipette since Chemistry classes at school in the late 60's!!
Probably not allowed to be used now due to H&S concerns ( I don't know how we survived!)
- I'm told that Chemistry, Biology etc are all now taught under the general umbrella of 'Science' :rolling:
Dave

[Guest]

The ratio breaks down to 15:4:1, white orange silver. So perhaps mark a line on your bulb pipette, draw up to that line once with the silver, 4 times with the orange, etc etc. rinsing in between of course.

There may be another way but that's the one that strikes me first.

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
Interesting discussion. Could you weigh the paint to get the ratio right? I have a small scale which I use for weighing mould rubber/hardener ratios etc. Like THIS
Just a thought. I hope you get the result you want.
Jim

[Dave Ward]

Jim,
yes. I have a set of small scales like those ( experimentation with resin casting ), but I think it's more likely that the ratios are by volume & not weight. ( Is Aluminium denser than clear Orange? )
It's going to depend on the volume of the white paint pot, that's the largest percentage of the mix, so I measure out how many ml I can extract from it & work out the other volumes/ratios.
I'm going to use the ordinary pipettes - they're going to be disposable, so one for each colour........
Dave

[Jim R]

I think it's more likely that the ratios are by volume & not weight. ( Is Aluminium denser than clear Orange? )

Hadn't thought of that but I'll bet you're right :thumb2:
Jim

[Guest]

You could weigh each full pot to check their density (assuming there's the same volume in each) but I'd lay odds on the white being the heaviest by virtue of its higher pigment content, although at such small volumes I'd imagine it to be negligible.

At the end of the day you aren't trying to match an existing colour perfectly either, so as long as you follow the advice of making sure you mix plenty to do the whole job, I can't see the tiny %age differences between v/v and w/w measurements being in any way significant :smiling3:

[yak face]

What ive done before dave when ive been mixing up concoctions is to measure the percentages using plain water and mark on the outside of the jar where they come to . Ie if its 25% of one paint , measure out 2.5ml of water and add it to the jar then mark where the level comes to and the paint code or name , then do the same for the next colour and mark again etc . You will end up with a jar with several marks on the outside ( and full of water which you can now empty out!) which you just pour in the particular paint up to the level then again with the next etc then mix it up and as long as you dont lose the marks ( use a permanent sharpie) you can mix up the same formula easily if you need to . Sounds a lot more complicated than it is but ive used this a few times to mix up japanese aotake and it works . Hth cheers tony

[Dave Ward]

Thanks for all the suggestions! :thumb2:
Now, all I have to do, is make the model! I'll wait until that is well underway, before actually mixing the paint, I know that the shelf life of these concoctions can be short.
Dave