noobish question , please help!

Hi
I new to the plastic kits modelling scene.
in a few days i am gonna be building my first kit, a mick dohan nsr 500 (1:12) by tamiya.
My question is , for the engine and the rest of the interiors, i am planning on using tamiya's acryllic paints . I donot have an airbrush ( hence i am gonna paint the interiors with a brush).
i read some were that it cracks after painting , is it seriously that bad?
is there a way to prevent this from happening?
cheers
capirex

I have not heard anything about Tamiya paint cracking. I used some once, and had no problems with that. However, Tamiya paint is a pain to put on with a brush; it seems to be airbrush only. I would recommend Testors paints; they are just as readily available and diverse as Tamiya, and can usually be brushed on. That is what I use with my brushes and airbrush. Good luck!
Alex

You can use Tamiya acrylic for painting on too, it goes on nicely with a brush.

I have never heard about the paint cracking either..

my bad, i meant does it start to crack after a while , like a few months after paint.
as i read in answers.com that " Another one of the disadvantages of this medium is that paintings can crack and be corrupted much sooner than with oil,"
http://www.answers.com/topic/acrylic-paint-1
also do you guys thin these acrylic paint while brush painting? (water?)
thanks in advance
capirex

Oh, that means acrylic craft paint, not model paints like Tamiya. Tamiya paints are very specialized for plastic models, and they should not have any problems cracking.

With Tamiya paint, you should use a natural-hair brush if possible. For thinner, Tamiya's thinner works very well, and you can also use 91% isopropyl alcohol.

A tip I read in a magazine was to put a small amount of paint into dish, and a small amount of thinner in another, and then to tip the brush in the thinner before dipping it into the paint. It helps the paint flow better and show fewer brush marks.

could some one please tell me if revells colour mix can be used to thin tamiya acryllics as well?
thanks

Welcome to AF!

If you're starting your very first build, I'd probably recommend something other than a 1/12 bike. It's not that it can't be done, but bikes have alot of exposed details (engine, suspension, etc). A 1/24 curbside car and a couple of cans of spray paint would likely be a much better option to start with.

If you do decide to do the bike first, you will want to spray paint as much on it as possible. Get a can for the body color, a can of black for the frame and suspension, and a can of flat aluminum for the engine. Trying to paint the engine by hand will make you crazy!! It is nearly impossible to paint something large (like an engine) in metallic colors by hand and have it come out well- regardless of what paint you use or even how much experience you have. A 1/12 bike or a 1/24 car with an engine almost by definition require an airbrush to build.

I'm certainly not trying to be discouraging- far from it. But for your first couple of builds, it's best to do everything you can to 'stack the deck in your favor' so that the models come out well. It's best to start with something easy and managable- you will learn lots whatever you build, but ideally you want to be happy and satisfied with how your early builds come out as well. A bike can be a frustrating place to start, and planning on alot of handpainting can be a recipie for disaster.

If you want some help picking a good starter kit (or with anything else), just ask! There's plenty of help to be had here.

Tamiya paints are very good. They won't crack minutes, months, or years down the line (if applied properly). And it's not hard to apply them properly; the issue with other acrylics like the ones you read about, is that they are usually applied very thick. Tamiya model paints, or any model paints, are ideally put on as thinly as possible, to preserve molded in detail. I'm sure you could get Tamiya Acrylics to crack, but it'd be more work than just doing it right. And don't feel the need to airbrush Tamiya paints, I've actually had just the opposite experience with their paints than 924_CarreraGTS. I find them to be some of the easiest paints to brush on. Still, as MPWR suggests, I would use spray cans for as much as possible, because brush painting large areas is a huge hassle, and won't look as good in the end. All of MPWR's advice is golden, by the way.

thanks MPWR and willimio and the rest , i tried painting plastic frame with the acryllics i had and what can i say. You guys were right, acryllics were defenetly not meant for brush painting.

*Now MPWR suggested using flat aluminium spray for the engine.

*Tamiya don't seem to have "flat aluminum" on their catalogue.

*So could some one please suggest which shade of grey or gun metal is equvivalent to flat aluminium,( or just a revell or humbrol alternative).

thankyou once again for your feedback

thanks MPWR and willimio and the rest , i tried painting plastic frame with the acryllics i had and what can i say. You guys were right, acryllics were defenetly not meant for brush painting.

*Now MPWR suggested using flat aluminium spray for the engine.

*Tamiya don't seem to have "flat aluminum" on their catalogue.

*So could some one please suggest which shade of grey or gun metal is equvivalent to flat aluminium,( or just a revell or humbrol alternative).

thankyou once again for your feedback
find model master acrylic spray cans, dont forget to get the sealer or youll regret it

Pick another similar Tamiya color then, like aluminum silver or silver leaf. The shade of metallic for the engine is not really critical- even light gun metal would work for much of it.

And acrylics certainly can be brush painted- but it's best to keep brush painting to detail sized stuff (maybe for brake calipers or CV joint boots- but not like engine blocks or seats for example).