Paint Review: Tamiya Acrylic Paint (Flat)

This paint is one that I could use all the time if I had to. It’s score is lower than Vallejo Model Air. Model Air is actually good paint for brushing.

Tamiya Acrylic Paint (Flat)
  • Self Leveling
  • Need for Additives
  • Coverage
  • Proper Drying Time
  • Stippling
  • Fingerprinting
  • Adhesion
  • Line Drawing
  • Color Selection
  • Smell
  • Price
2.8

Summary

Smell and the need to add several milliliters of Windex to make it usable, plus the problem of the strong solvent dissolving previous coats makes this paint more problematic than might otherwise be. The glossy Tamiya paint is the stuff that I use quite a lot. The self leveling qualities of the gloss acrylic are legendary. This stuff…not so much.

UPDATE:

The new scoring system sees this paint fall in the ratings. It’s a tool for professionals. If you can use it, you will get it.

4 Replies to “Paint Review: Tamiya Acrylic Paint (Flat)”

  1. Do you have a guide on mixing Windex in to Tamiya paint? And how does that compare to using Tamiya’s paint retarder?

    1. I think the answer to this would involve an entire blog entry in itself. First and foremost, I’m not a believer in “proper” uses for products. In fact, I prefer to use a product for something not indicated on the label. I tend to believe that the “manufacturer’s directions” are advisory in nature, and should probably be ignored.

      Adding Windex to Tamiya Paint is something that I do because I always try everything I read about online, and here is something that I tried that worked. The day may be coming when online advice may incorporate terrorist plots to poison me or blow up my neighborhood– but that day is not yet. The amount to be added depends on the how thick the paint is now. You add a milliliter or two (one “eyedropper” is a milliliter) and stir. Add Windex until you get the “right” consistency. That consistency is what you have when the paint spreads out and dries hard, without beading up or retaining brushmarks.

    1. I don’t know how it will respond to being outside. I’ve never painted anything that I left outdoors using Tamiya paint.

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