Why I like Vallejo paint

[Paulw]

I have been using Vallejo for about 9 months now. Its one of the most forgiving paints I have ever used except when you add iso to it and get cottage cheese.
I find that the dropper bottles are easier to use and produces less waste. Model Air though still needs thinning and it will dry quicker that way.
Vallejo is self leveling and hardly produces orange peel. Vallejo is easy clean up, water, windex or just plain ammonia are sufficient enough to clean out your ab and any spills. One of the better aspects of this paint is that since I have been using it I have yet had any lift off with Tamiya tape or blue tape.
I purchased a set of the Vallejo squeeze bottles from Sprue Brothers to make mixing easier. They come in a bag of 10 and only a little over $7.00.
What I did here is go through all my paint and the old stuff I threw out but the others I put into the squeeze bottles and now I have more room on the desk. You just add some thinner which you can see through the bottle and the paint. This way you can thin it to the right consistency and when you add it to your ab you wont waste any on the sides and you can place the right amount in the cup.

Well that's Paul's tip of the week....

 

[Bagge]

 

[willem]

Well I only have an ab from this year, and "grew up" with only Vallejo.
So I cant judge about other paints.

I had a hard time mastering Vallejo, without any near help.
Never heard before about things like "dry-tip", "water-splashes", clogged ab and so on.
On the other hand, I might have just as much trouble with other paints, who knows ?

But now I think I got it the idea. Feel good now about consistancy, mixing rates, flash-clean with the nail etc.
And I love Vallejo, anything possible if you do it right.
Biggest advantage for me: no smell or poisoning vapours, I work on the kitchen table, near wife and dog.

Willem

 

[moon puppy]

I've vowed to switch to the Model Color line of Vallejo. I've used the Model Air line and can spray right from the bottle no thinning but I know I can get more bang for the buck with the Model Color line using the proper thinning.

I'm with you Paul, I like Vallejo also.

 

[The Zod]

Can they be used in airbrushes with fine line needels/tips? What is the best type of thinner for that brand?

 

[Bagge]

did some airbrushing with vallejo and i used their thinner, but i feel it's not so "thin" so i used a little water with it to thin it out a little, usually i use tamiya for AB and vallejo for brushpainting.
tamiya paint really sucks for paintbrushing, don't know what they done with it, the older ones work fine but the new small pots are AB only.
//Mats

 

[Paulw]

Can they be used in airbrushes with fine line needels/tips? What is the best type of thinner for that brand?

Use Tamiya stuff, X20-A, or their stuff but dont use Isopropyl Alcohol because it make it curdle and useless as a lumper on a low boy.

Use their stuff also and good ole H2O.

 

[The Zod]

Can they be used in airbrushes with fine line needels/tips? What is the best type of thinner for that brand?

Use Tamiya stuff, X20-A, or their stuff but dont use Isopropyl Alcohol because it make it curdle and useless as a lumper on a low boy.

Use their stuff also and good ole H2O.

Thanks Paul. One day,I will have to experiment.

 

[Leopard2]

I got me some of the Vallejo primers a while back and I must say at this point I do not like them. I used them straight out of the bottle and they dry way to fast for my taste, I get splattering and such. I clean my AB after every paint.But at this point I am not happy with Vallejo at all. I tried destilled water as well with no improvement. But from all the posts here its probably just me doing something wrong.

Joe

 

[Iron Mike]

The primers are different from the paint lines. The Model Color line is thicker, brush paints like a million bucks or can be thinned and sprayed. Model Air colors are thinner and translucent, I have not had to thin them to spray. Panzer Aces is apparently a different formula altogether, they brush well and spray without much thinner. I clean up with water and Vallejo Air Brush Cleaner. I have not had any luck sanding the Surface primers, but it doesn't say sandable anywhere on the label. If I have need for primer, I use the Tamiya spray primers, best stuff around if you can get past the smell.

 

[Leopard2]

I went back to the Tamiya primer as well and if I can't get that I use the Floquil spray primer.

 

[Paulw]

The primer (acrylic polyurethane) is for something for the top coat to adhere to. I know you guys know that but it is not intended to be sanded. As for flowing and adhesion I find that a small amount of water is good or X2-A will work as well. It would help to shoot it through a medium tip and higher pressure around 12 to 14 but every ab is different and every application is also. Its like Les said to me..Practice, practice, practice. Yes they take a while to out gas and flash well but in the long run they hold pretty well. I don't paint my kits do be super durable anyway so long as it doesn't lift with tape,so I am quite satisfied with most all of their products.

I am still in a learning curve and I enjoy shooting paint all over creation to enhance my painting experience, or so my wife says. I wouldn't mind if there was a acrylic urethane type of Mr. Surfacer though.
This doesn't exclude me using MM or Tamiya either but I find Vallejo best for my needs.

 

[denstore]

Can they be used in airbrushes with fine line needels/tips? What is the best type of thinner for that brand?

Yes they can. I have sprayed both thinned Model Color and uncut Model Air through my 0.23 airbrushes.
When using the 0.18 Microns I need to thin quite a bit, but not more than with any other hobby paint.

I thin with my own mix, which basically is destilled water (75%) and Liquitex airbrush medium (25%) topped with a splash of flow aid and a splash of retarder.

 

[DaneBramage]

I just got some Liquitex AB medium and am excited about the possibilities. From what I have read it can carry any of the acrylic paints. denstore what do you use for retarder. I have been using an old glycerine/distilled water mixture (I think it's 6:1 water >glycerine a couple of drops per oz.of spray load)

John

 

[moon puppy]

Liquitex AB Medium...hmm...

 

[denstore]

A thing to remember about the airbrush medium is that it doesn't help with everything. What it does is to thin the paint without hurting the binder. My guess is that it in reality is an extender, and acts to extend the binder when we thin it.
So, it won't help with tip dry or orange peel effects.
This is why I add retarder and flow aid as well.

 

[denstore]

Since the home.no-server is up again, I can illustrate my claim of Vallejo being able to be shot trough fine nozzle needles.
Link to large picture: http://home.no/carius/quicktest.jpg

 

[jknaus]

Good thread. I love Vallejo paints, but am still learning. Lots of good hints here. Nice thin lines denstore. Will have to find that Liquitex and see how it works. Thanks.
James

 

[paddy]

I have never seen Vallejo paints. They are not something you find in model shops here ?

 

[denstore]

Depends on where here is?