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Airbrushing Some Passenger Cars: Tamiya or Vallejo

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  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, October 6, 2023 6:58 PM

BEAUSABRE
Very nice model,  but any working fishing vessel would have some rust patches - they take a battering!

Not as much as most modelers seem to think

-Photographs by Kevin Parson

Wooden hull fishing vessels rarely have very much rust, never in patches. An occasional streak maybe.

Also notice there is no rust on the exposed steel parts. The crews keep these clean and painted with fastidious attention. Their paychecks depend on it.

The only rusty items I recall seeeing on commercial fishing vessels were the anchor and anchor chain.

-Photographs by Kevin Parson

The small rust streaks on VILCO 14 originate from the net doors stowed directly in a saddle on the rail. Vilco was unique in stowing the doors like that, so the rust streaks were a spotting feature for their company boats. It is a subtle detail, but a modeler's eye catches these things.

The doors on MISS AMY J and QUEST are stowed in the typical J-brace.

All those vessels were over twenty years old when photographed in 1995. They certainly do not take the "battering" most people expect.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, October 6, 2023 7:24 PM

BEAUSABRE

Thank you, were the black and gold units equipped with steam generators?

 

I am no expert on this subject, but it would seem that some modifications were required to meet passenger needs.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, October 6, 2023 7:26 PM

Peter, thanks for your comments.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, October 6, 2023 7:30 PM

SeeYou190
 
richhotrain
When you say that Vallejo does not have very good adhesion and will not hold up well to even moderate handling of the rolling stock, what will happen?
 
Rich, I am the #1 fan of Vallejo paints for all types of brush painting. I rarely use other brands, but Turbo-Dork and Citadel are also excellent.
 
That said, Vallejo should have stayed in their lane. The “Model Air” line is not suitable for models that will be handled.
 
Also, I have never used it… but I have heard all the stories from wargamers. The paint comes off when handled.
 
That might be why they called the line “Model Air”, and not “Game Air”. The paint is good for display case models only.
 
 
richhotrain
Is priming only necessary if the original paint is stripped off?
 
I prime everything, even if it is factory  painted, or has original lettering. I rarely remove the original paint/lettering.
 
I like to have a even color to airbrush over.
 
 
PM Railfan
Now, RustOleum owns Testors now, and I think for now they are still producing Testors. However, the spray patterns I get from the rattle cans are just awful. Spatter, splotches, spitting, and spitooey!
 
The most recent cans of Testors #1260 Dullcoat have sprayed way too fast and thick. It is not what it used to be at all.
 
 
gmpullman
For years I used PollyScale for structure and some rolling stock painting. For me that stuff dried like true baked enamel, it was very durable. I still have some that has adhered to some of my painting equipment (mixing stirrers and such) that the only way to remove it is with a sharp scraper.
 
For decades Poll-S Fantasy was THE paint for wargaming. It would not come off, just like you said. You could play Dungeons And Dragons for months, and your Meeple would never have a bare spot.
 
That was great paint. We were so lucky Vallejo filled the void when Polly-S Fantasy went away, but it goes on completely differently.
 
 
richhotrain
So, in your opinion, is Tamiya the way to go?
I have only airbrushed Tamiya a handful of times. My experience is that you MUST use the Tamiya brand thinner.
 
Also, Tamiya paint is water-soluble, not water-based. This is a common misconception.
 
 
gmpullman
Antonio FP45 has been a longstanding proponent of the Alclad system.
 
So has Kevin!
 
Wink
 
 
richhotrain
Is there any advantage or disadvantage to either glossy or flat when airbrushing?
 
I try to always use gloss paints where there will be decals. I have a much easier time applying decals over a gloss surface.
 
If the surface will not have decals I like to use up my supply of flat Floquil paints.
 
-Kevin
 
 
 

Kevin, thanks for your thorough analysis. I find your conclusions on Vallejo Model Air very convincing.

Rich

Alton Junction

  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Dearborn Station
  • 24,281 posts
Posted by richhotrain on Friday, October 6, 2023 11:17 PM

SeeYou190
 
 
HO-Velo
I'm still in the double-action brush learning curve.

 

I rarely use one of my double-action airbrushes for model trains.

My good old reloable Paasche Model H single action external mix bottom feeder does 90% of the work.

I have found the double action airbrushes are excellent when painting camfoflage patterns on 1/100 scale armored fighting vehicles, but not really much of an improvement for most tasks.

Plus... the Paasche is so easy to clean compared to a Badger model 150 dual action.

-Kevin

 

As a newbie when it comes to airbrushing, I am using a single action airbrush. That should be challenge enough.

Rich

Alton Junction

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