Need Help

[Mechleader]

Hi there!

I have a problem with the oil wash. I built a hase VF and gave it an oil wash as per WM Change's technique. It worked with no problems. Six months later I noticed that parts of the model are now yellowing where I did the oil wash. I sealed it with the gloss before the wahs and whiped it away with mineral spirits afterwords. The model was fine when I was done with the kit.

Now...yellow. . What did I do wrong with the oil wash????

Any help would be greatful. Thanks.

[kanata67]

well... this goes back to the standard yellowing of toys type thing. Depending on what you did before the wash and how thick the covering of the plastic was... Washes are dilute [i use water based acrylic myself but oil should be no different I would think] and as such don't provide complete protection of what you washed, especially depending on the color of the wash and the paints applied before the wash. There is also the possiblity that the wash itself caused a slow yellowing reaction...

Is the wash itself still visible?

Is it more, or less, yellowed where the wash was thickest?

was it exposed to direct sunlight?

any pics?

[Mechleader]

Hi, Yes the yellow is stonger where the wash is. I did a prime of black the used Tamiya water based acrylic for two coats of white. Then sealed it with Semi-gloss.

The wash is visible where it should be...i.e. Pannel lines.

Not exposed to direct sunlight.

Pic coming soon. Waiting for friends camera.

[Mallet21]

Once you did the oil wash, did you finish up with either a glosscote or dullcote?

I have never had trouble with this technique using Tamiya acrylics with an oil wash and then finishing up with a dullcote or glosscote to seal everything up.

My steps:

1. Base coat using Tamiya acrylics

2. Glosscote using Future

3. Decals

4. Light glosscote of Future

5. Oil Wash (Thinned w/ OSM)

6. Dullcote (Either Model Master or Poly-S acrylics)

[Mechleader]

Hi, I sealed with Semi Gloss. I did't use the future THEN the oil wash. How do you thin the future?

[Mallet21]

Hi, I sealed with Semi Gloss. I did't use the future THEN the oil wash. How do you thin the future?

That's the great thing about Future you don't have to thin it with anything. You can airbrush it straight from the bottle or if you are going to apply it by paint brush it self levels, and leaves virtually no brush marks. Its also acrylic so it won't do much damage. Best of all its real cheap, I can get a bottle of it at the grocery store (kitchen cleaning supplies aisle) for $3 or $4 and it will last me a year.

I'm not sure that this will solve your problem, did you seal it with Semi-Gloss after you applied the oil wash?

[Mechleader]

Yes. before and after.

[Grayson72]

My steps:

1. Base coat using Tamiya acrylics

2. Glosscote using Future

3. Decals

4. Light glosscote of Future

5. Oil Wash (Thinned w/ OSM)

6. Dullcote (Either Model Master or Poly-S acrylics)

I use this almost identical process and materials (with the exception of Gunze Aqueous depending on the color I need). I do future, then oil wash, then decals then a second coat of Future. I haven't had any problems with yellowing.

I did my first VF over a year ago and no yellowing yet.

[Dobber]

Hey guys, If the Base coat is acrylic can I still use acrylic paints for the wash? What do you dilute the wash with and what do you use clean of the excess? I've read the other threads about washing and even did web searches, but I have NO luck wih washing. I can never get off the excess from around the panel lines and on the off chance I can, the base coat also comes off, even after I seal it with with testors semi gloss. I can only use Testors paints (Acrylic, modelmaster, etc) I live in an area with only one Hobby shop and it's not very good.

However, thanks Mallet, I always wondered about Future application because I also can't get the hang of a paint brush !! The lack of these two skills is really preventing me from bringing my models to the next level.

PLEASE HELP!!!!

Chris

[Mallet21]

Dobber-

Unfortunately you can't do an acrylic wash over an acrylic base coat. You are thinning your wash with the same solvent used to apply your base coat which causes it to strip the base coat.

Try using a lacquer gloss coat after you apply your acrylic base coat. I'm guessing your hobby shop should have the Model Master Glosscote in the spray can. Once that cures, you could apply a wash using acrylics because you now have a lacquer barrier separating your acylic base coat with your acrylic wash.

I would recommend using the oil wash that WMCheng has made famous around here. I'll try and find the thread.

[Berttt]

Hey, I don't sopose anyone would be willing to post some Future would they? You can't get the stuff here in Aus. It isn't classed as a flammable so shipping should be easy. PM me if anyone is willing to help out, as I've been chasing some of this for a while.

Cheers,

Berttt

[Grayson72]

Dobber-

Unfortunately you can't do an acrylic wash over an acrylic base coat.  You are thinning your wash with the same solvent used to apply your base coat which causes it to strip the base coat.

Try using a lacquer gloss coat after you apply your acrylic base coat.  I'm guessing your hobby shop should have the Model Master Glosscote in the spray can.  Once that cures, you could apply a wash using acrylics because you now have a lacquer barrier separating your acylic base coat with your acrylic wash.

I would recommend using the oil wash that WMCheng has made famous around here.  I'll try and find the thread.

Dobber, don't wash with acrylics. Get artists' oils from an art store and then buy some low oder mineral spirits and mix them together. Apply the mixture with a thin brush let it sit a few hours and then rub off with you finger or a soft cloth. I don't even use solvent to remove the excess.

Edited January 29, 2004 by Grayson72

[Dobber]

Thanks everyone! Grayson, what should the ratio be? About 1 to 3 Oil to mineral spirits? It should be REALLY watery right. Thanks Again

Chris

[Grayson72]

Thanks everyone! Grayson, what should the ratio be? About 1 to 3 Oil to mineral spirits? It should be REALLY watery right. Thanks Again

Chris

I don't even fool with a ratio, it should just be really watery. You'll know when you apply it cuz it will either run down along the panel lines with the dark liquid or it won't. The great part about using the oils is it's pretty hard to screw it up, if you don't like it you just wipe it off and try again. Just make sure it's going over a glossy finish and not flat finish.

[wm cheng]

Sorry to hear about the yellow Mechleader,

Any closeup photos for me to see? My models are in a pretty bright room and sometimes even gets direct sunlight in the winter! and they are still fine after 2 years with this technique. I am wondering, did you let the oils dry before sealing them in with the clear coat (I let mine dry at least 24 hrs) Did you wipe away all the excess? What kind of solvent did you use to thin the oil paints - was it low odour varsol? Maybe you should try a different thinner - get a scrap or cheap kit and re-do the panel wash and let it sit to see if it does it again. How long did it take for the yellowing to appear?

I have heard somewhere that Future could yellow slightly over time with direct exposure to sunlight.

Becareful when you thin the oils down, if you thin too much the colour might break up into little particles (cheaper oils do this) you don't want to go that far.

[Mechleader]

Hi, wm cheng. No sunlight. Infact it was in a plastic box in a cool enviorment for six months. I let the oil dry for a couple of hours. Yes I used low order varsol. I never applied the future though. I'm going to try that with this new one I'm doing.

[Mechleader]

Can't see too much of it except in the middle of the nose and the back fins.

Edited January 30, 2004 by Mechleader