clash of the titans

[Sisko]

Well I had a clash of two major paint manufacturers paint products the other day.

I painted the top wing of my Glenco Grumman Duck with Humbrol flat yellow (not sure the exact number). When this dried I sprayed Testors gloss from a rattle can as a coat over the top.

I was thinking wow this paint job is looking really great. This kit has been a real chore of a build. The fit is abysmal, the details are soft, raised and wrong the clear parts look like they were moulded over an orange. To make matters worse it's a commission so when I finish all my hard work is handed over to someone else.

So the only satisfaction I get from this build is from the little victories that I make as each step of the build process is conquered.

As I was looking over the gloss coat thinking that looks really nice, I noticed a slight craze on the forward wing edge. To my horror and before my very eyes this crazing quickly spread across the whole upper wing. When finally this soul destroying chemical reaction finished, It looked like I had spray painted yellow over a packet of potato chips.

The weird thing is that it only affected the yellow Humbrol paint. I have used Tamiya and Floquil on this kit and glossed over them without problem.

So I had strip the upper wing back to plastic and re-paint it. I did this carefully because I didn't want to stuff the rest of the already painted and glossed model. I certainly didn't use the Humbrol when I re-painted.

Man I don't need that on a commission build.

I must admit that I don't use Humbrol often so my experience is limited, has anybody had this reaction when using Humbrol?

[Nick]

I had that same problem when painting a V-22 in RAF Rescue colours. I gave the unfinished remains away at this years MK show.

Humbrol sprays are unreliable, Tamiya are much better but have less range of colours (8 shades of grey?!)

Nick

[Joe C-P]

I've found one should wait longer than usual for Humbrol and Heller paints; they seem to take much longer to properly set.

I also recommend you use Future floor "wax" (really a clear acrylic) for gloss coats, because it does not yellow, flows and levels well, and is very non-reactive. You can spray it after thinning with water, or brush it on and watch it level itself.
For clear parts, you can give them a gentle sanding to smooth them, use a cream toothpaste (not gel!) to polish out scratches, and finish with a few dips in Future to restore clarity and prevent the plastic from hazing due to solvents.

JoeP

[Sisko]

Thanks for the feedback.

You know that could the problem I didn't give it enough time to dry properly.

I am a notoriously impatient modeller.