chris251

To brush paint that primer, do you need to buy it as a tin of primer as well? Is there an expiry date for when it no longer works by? (pheonix precision 2 part primer has an expiry of a year or two) Hopefully it will be cool enough tomorrow morning to airbrush primer, I've no intention of airbrushing primer when it's 24 or more degrees outside.

That primer sounds promising, but I think I will try mixing up some of the 2 part primer (I will thin it quite thin with cellulose thinners) and then airbrush it with my cheap gravity-feed airbrush. I do have one like Paul is referring to, but I think I will try the 0.5mm needle and nozzle in my simpler gravity feed airbrush - it's easier to clean out than the side-feed one. I was previously reluctant to use said airbrush for primer as it was my best, but having got the Iwatta Neo now, I don't see why not use the cheap one for primer.

I've got some Pheonix Precision etch primer, and I'm looking to apply it with an airbrush to a brass model I've made. The etch primer is a 2-part system, and it says on the instructions not to use an external mixing airbrush, but instead to use a badger 200 (without explaining which badger 200 - there's about 5 different ones available, and 3 nozzle sizes for each). I don't have a badger 200, and they're quite expensive at about £80 each, and I can only find them for sale with the medium or fine nozzle&needle combination, and to buy another nozzle and needle as well the airbrush looks as if it would cost about £110. Pheonix Precision did say over the phone that they meant a syphone feed one, but that's the only clue they gave me. I tried applying it with my cheapo syphon-feed dual-action airbrush (with 0.5mm needle&nozzle) but it just clogged and would not work, so I ended up using my cheapo external mix airbrush, which did work, and the primer did stick well, and passes the finger-nail test. I'm definitely not using etch primer in my nice new Iwatta Neo gravity-feed airbrush! Is there some reason why not to use an external mix airbrush for etch primer. People seem to suggest a cheap airbrush for etch primer, but which one? would I do better at looking at a different primer, someone suggested here on another question on rmweb about Hammerite Special metals primer, would this be better?

I can't seem to find much info about what the BS245 standard is. I have half a bottle of wilko's white spirit, labelled BS245, is that what you mean? Also, the pantone 321 paint has arrived, so I've applied some to the sample piece (a scrap of brass which I etch primed for sampling paint on), it's a lighter shade than the Pheonix Precision paint, and has a strong smell distinctly like it contains cellulose (it is labelled as 'synthetic enamel'). Is that going to dissolve a plastic model or will it evaporate beforehand? I plan to airbrush it, outside in the garden.

The paint was stirred for a good few minutes with a power-mixer, so the paint should be properly mixed. I'd also gently sanded the gloss paint with grade 1500 wet&dry paper, but clearly, this didn't help, and where I tried brushing it onto just the primer (the roof), it still wouldn't give an even finish and set within minutes. Out of interest, do lead-containing paints set quicker? Now I've ordered the pantone 321, I'll give it a try when it arrives. Can I thin standard coach enamel with white spirit EN245?

Thanks, that's the information I needed to be able to obtain it. I've now ordered a tester pot of Pantone 321 enamel paint, hopefully I can thin this and airbrush it. Having tried buying the Pheonix Precision paint and brushing it, it doesn't give a good finish in this weather (18 degrees C - they say ideally paint it below 10 degrees C, but as I have the time now in lockdown, I want to paint it now), it sets on the surface within minutes leaving no time to brush the whole area, and then brushing over this ruins the finish, but as it contains lead, I don't think it would be safe to airbrush. I'm not sure if Pheonix paints are the problem, if the warm weather is the problem, if the Humbrol gloss paint I'm trying to paint over is the problem, or if all of these add up to the problem. I'll post more here when I've tried it, for anyone who has the same problem about obtaining paint. Chris (I thought RMWeb would email me when I got a reply - evidently not.)

I'm painting a model of a class 158 in oo scale (into TFW ex-Arriva transition livery), and need to know what paint to use for the Arriva turquoise. I have Humbrol number 47 for the doors, and will mix a shade for the darker blue, but the turquoise is proving awkward. I had a Chinese-made tin of 48 (Mediterranean blue), but this dried up, and my newer English made tin is a darker shade. I've tried mixing this with 2(emerald) or 69(yellow) or 154(insignia yellow) and none of these come out the right shade. On the prototype, the colour seems to be green in some light, and blue in other light, and not mixable with my Humbrol enamels. I've bought the transfers, and need to match a colour to them, but can't mix it with Humbrol - I think the pigments just can't mix that shade. I came across Pheonix precision paints, and they do sell Arriva turquoise, but it contains lead. I want to airbrush it onto the model, so do not want lead paint (this is a health risk). Does anyone else make such a colour? (maybe Revel, or Railmatch?)