Hordes of people keep telling me they're the best thing since sliced toast, but everytime I try to use them, especially with an airbrush, I end up screaming with frustration
Any acceptable (to me) usage ends up with a clogged up airbrush, droplets instead of an even coat, or both.Let me elaborate on the "acceptable to me" clause. It consists of the following:
1: thinners must be available at the local chemists of DIY stores
2: thinning has to be possible by eyeball
3: must work on car repair primers (Halfords, etc.)
4: no other propriatory components to the system
5: the same package of paint must be usable with both airbrush and hairy stick (or touch-up will be impossible)
For the acrylistas, the answer to my problems is typically one of these:
1: You need to use propriatory/hard to get primer
2: Your base surface is unsuitable
3: Your base surface is greasy
4: You need to mix things up very precisely (one actually suggested using scales from a chemists lab.)
See above for why most of these are out. I'm willing to entertain the possiblity of grease from fingers ending up on the model, but several of my attempts have been over untouched primer, so that is out.
So, the acrylistas have one last change to tell me a brand of paint, a type of thinner as per specs above, and a combination of needle size and pressure. If the next experiment(s) fail(s), there will be a purge of all acrylic junk in this house..
If this means I'll be unable to buy paints somewhere down the line, so be it, I'll find another way to waste my time. The frustration and stress level resulting from the use of acrylics would disqualify the activity from being a hobby anyway.
)
). Their thinner smells much the same, and everyone says it works with IPA.
I only use them for cleaning up after some metallisers.