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Old modeler returning to hobby - Vallejo Paint "secret" recipes

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  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Mpls/St.Paul
  • 13,892 posts
Posted by wjstix on Friday, April 15, 2022 11:58 AM

If you really want to dip your brush in the paint bottle, perhaps using Tamiya's line of acrylic paint would work better? They come in 10 ml and 23 ml glass jars with a screw-off top. It brushes on pretty well, but it is a bit thinner than Vallejo tube paint. I use Tamiya spray can paint a lot, their paint has a nozzle that produces a fine spray not that different from a low to medium priced airbrush.

Most hobby shops carry it, but like Vallejo it's primarily aimed at military modellers so you kinda have to test out different colors to find one that's similar to a railroad color.

Stix
  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, April 15, 2022 1:13 PM

trainnut1250
Ed and Kevin - I'm going to have to try the wet palette. Just curious what is the palette surface material made of?

I buy my replacement papers from Materson for mine, IIRC they are about $7.00 for a pack of 25.

They are not normal paper. They need to be boiled prior to use. My wife thinks it is funny to see me boiling paper in the kitchen.

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

The paper is tough, and suffers no damage from tool used for mixing and blending paints. It lets just the right amount of moisture through to keep painted workable for a longer time.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, April 15, 2022 1:24 PM

wjstix

Keep in mind the Vallejo paint we're talking about is pretty thick, you can't really 'pour' it. It's more like the tube paints you'd get for doing oil-on-canvas art work. If you've shaken it up sufficiently (I use an electric paint shaker), you can squeeze out a tiny glob of it and it stays in place without running. If it runs, it's not shaken enough.

wjstix

If you really want to dip your brush in the paint bottle, perhaps using Tamiya's line of acrylic paint would work better? They come in 10 ml and 23 ml glass jars with a screw-off top. It brushes on pretty well, but it is a bit thinner than Vallejo tube paint. I use Tamiya spray can paint a lot, their paint has a nozzle that produces a fine spray not that different from a low to medium priced airbrush.

Most hobby shops carry it, but like Vallejo it's primarily aimed at military modellers so you kinda have to test out different colors to find one that's similar to a railroad color.

Interesting about Vallejo being too thick to pour. It is thick, but not that thick.

I have used some basic colors from Tamiya. It is a bit glossy for an acrylic. I prefer a flat acrylic paint.

The search continues for a suitable replacement for Polly Scale and Model Master.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, April 15, 2022 4:38 PM

Kimera paints are another option.

I have never used them myself, but many respected experienced miniature painters are swearing they are the best.

AK Interactive, Turbo-Dork, and Army Painter seem to be equivilent to Vallejo. I am not so impressed with Reaper Master paints.

For metallic paints, Citadel is my favorite with nobody else even in consideration.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    August 2006
  • 1,519 posts
Posted by trainnut1250 on Friday, April 15, 2022 5:29 PM

SeeYou190

 

 
trainnut1250
Ed and Kevin - I'm going to have to try the wet palette. Just curious what is the palette surface material made of?

 

I buy my replacement papers from Materson for mine, IIRC they are about $7.00 for a pack of 25.

They are not normal paper. They need to be boiled prior to use. My wife thinks it is funny to see me boiling paper in the kitchen.

-Photograph by Kevin Parson

The paper is tough, and suffers no damage from tool used for mixing and blending paints. It lets just the right amount of moisture through to keep painted workable for a longer time.

-Kevin

 

Boiling paper??? Love it!!

That's right in line with my other train activities that my wife puts up with; such as baking plaster rocks, grinding bark and leaves in the blender, sifting dirt in the front courtyard, gathering sage brush on our vacations, collecting dirt along side the road, boiling supertree armatures in the crab pot (after thorough cleaning)...I am lucky my wife has a sense of humor...CoolCoolCool

 

I'll have to check out the wet palette

 

Guy

see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site

  • Member since
    May 2008
  • From: Miles City, Montana
  • 2,289 posts
Posted by FRRYKid on Saturday, April 16, 2022 2:15 AM

I noticed the mention of a needed mix for BN Green. While I haven't tried either of them; THE Model Railroad Hobbyist’s Guide to acrylic painting ... in a post-Floquil world flyer suggests this: 5pt VMA 71.094 1pt VMA 71.089 1pt VMA 71.095 (The 71 series are Vallejo's airbrush thinned colors) and Microscale's guide suggests Gunze Sangyo 66 (Bright Green). I model BN's rainbow era so I have a lot of use for BN green. However, there are many different iterations of "BN Green" so if it looks close to you it should be fine.

"The only stupid question is the unasked question."
Brain waves can power an electric train. RealFact #832 from Snapple.

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