Vallejo Metal Color - Aluminum/ water based

[Peterpools]

Has anyone used these yet?  I'm thinking of trying a few to see how they compare to both Alclad and AK. Also, are the new MRP Metallics (at least to me) the same as Alclad?

Thank You

Peter 

[PanzerWomble]

I've just had a go with the MRP Super Metallic 2 as I refuse to buy Alclad from Ammo for 3 times the price it use to be - still all made 100 miles from me by the same people ...go figure. 

 

In the jar very thick , needs to be thinned 50/60% to spray . Looked finer pigment than Tamiya, bit tougher than Alclad. 

 

Tamiya's laquer thinner worked ok is , nothing water based (like X20A / IPA )worked & I don't own any MRP self levelling .

 

I do cheat and use proper cellulose thinner ( toluene) when running laquers. Have to be careful as it can strip acrylics quick. 

 

Alclad as you know sprays straight from the bottle . 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Hi Peter, I've used Vallejo's Metal Color line on a number of models and really like them.  Unlike other Vallejo products like their Air series, I find that you don't need to thin the Metal Color line at all.  They spray really, really smoothly out of the airbrush and clean up super easily.  Just make sure you spray light coats or sometimes you end up with problem spots.  What's nice about not needing thinner is that with the design of the bottles, you can pour back any extra paint from the airbrush cup when done.

Vallejo recommends spraying their Metal Color line using their Gloss Black primer.  The primer goes down nicely, but I do thin it a bit.  I don't see why you can't use another gloss black undercoat if you have a preferred black primer.  I know that some people use Mr. Color GX-2 as an undercoat for spraying other brand metallics.

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with other metallics.  I used Alclad once or twice and found it to be pretty good.  I also just picked up some Mr. Color metallics to try them out on a GX-2 base.  Those were very hard to source though.  Vallejo also has a Liquid Metal series for colors like Silver and Gold, but I haven't tried those out yet.

Ultimately, as much as I really love using Mr. Color paints, I'd like to move more towards acrylics just for ease of cleanup and to avoid the fumes.  I will always use Mr. Surfacer as a primer (as well as Vallejo Gloss Black for their Metal Colors), but am looking to go more to Vallejo.  I have bought a few books from Vallejo showing how master modelers are using Vallejo products to help me get up to speed on how their products can be used.

[Landlubber Mike]

Peter in case it helps, here are the F3Fs I built a year or two ago using Vallejo Metal Color - I believe I used Aluminum, White Aluminum, and Duralinum (for engines, body, cockpit etc.).

 

[Peterpools]

Thanks PW for the insight and info, and completely agree. Alcald here in the States is still the same product, with no changes. Just thought MRP might have bought the company as their range of Metallic paints seems to be the same.  

[Peterpools]

Mike

Thanks so much for all the information and photographs. Absolutely incredible work on two beauties from the Iron Works Gang in Bethpage. NMF looks spectacular and I'm happy I took the plunge yesterday and ordered $50 worth of Vallejo Metallics from Sprue Bros.  Seems there are two ranges of Vallejo Metallics and I bought the newest version in the larger bottle which seems to be the one you used, as you could pour the unused portion back in the bottle. 

I planned to use my standard Tamiya Gloss Black Lacquer or MRP Gloss Black for the base over MRP Gray Primer - my standard procedure for NMF's. Ame here in that I'm tending to use more Model Air and Mig Ammo acrylics for health reasons, no smell and easy cleanup.  

 

 

[Bomber_County]

1 hour ago, Peterpools said:

Mike

Thanks so much for all the information and photographs. Absolutely incredible work on two beauties from the Iron Works Gang in Bethpage. NMF looks spectacular and I'm happy I took the plunge yesterday and ordered $50 worth of Vallejo Metallics from Sprue Bros.  Seems there are two ranges of Vallejo Metallics and I bought the newest version in the larger bottle which seems to be the one you used, as you could pour the unused portion back in the bottle. 

I planned to use my standard Tamiya Gloss Black Lacquer or MRP Gloss Black for the base over MRP Gray Primer - my standard procedure for NMF's. Ame here in that I'm tending to use more Model Air and Mig Ammo acrylics for health reasons, no smell and easy cleanup.  

 

 

With the Tamiya Gloss Black lacquer are you limited to Tamiya Lacquer thinners, I do not any Mr Colour etc etc….?

[GusMac]

23 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

With the Tamiya Gloss Black lacquer are you limited to Tamiya Lacquer thinners, I do not any Mr Colour etc etc….?

Hi Phil, I've successfully used the Mr Levelling Thinner with Tamiya Gloss Black Lacquer. It goes down very smooth and dries hard as nails. It was certainly a bog improvement over the Extreme Metals black primer which never seemed to go off.

[Peterpools]

1 hour ago, Bomber_County said:

With the Tamiya Gloss Black lacquer are you limited to Tamiya Lacquer thinners, I do not any Mr Colour etc etc….?

Phil

I've been using Mr Color Self Leveling Thinners with Tamiya lacquers since they became available here in the states and happy to report. no issues at all. 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

Peter, hope you end up liking the Vallejo paints.  I really like them.  I would note that it seems like I go through the paint quicker out of the airbrush than other airbrush paints, including Vallejo Air.  Not sure if I'm spraying too much, it just seems to empty the cup quicker.

Vallejo generates strong opinions on both sides.  People don't like their primers much, but I think they are fine for interiors or other areas where you won't be taping.  The adhesion on things like PE are not great.  I had taped some of the cockpit on one of my prior builds and the tape pulled off the paint and primer off the IP.  So, you just have to be aware of that.  Mr. Color makes a Mr. Metal Etch Primer in a spray can that some spray on the PE fret before detaching the parts.  I've started using it on my current 1/700 ship builds to see if it helps, but too early to give judgment there.

Another knock is that the Air paints can clog your airbrush.  I've found that to be true - I think the Air paints have a tendency to leave a very fine residue that you have to scrub out.  Using their thinner and flow improver help avoid this, as well as I'll shoot a little lacquer thinner to thoroughly clean the airbrush after. The Metal Colors do not have this issue.  They have never come anywhere close to clogging (they spray like silk, better than any other paints I have used) and clean very easily.

[Bomber_County]

5 hours ago, GusMac said:

Hi Phil, I've successfully used the Mr Levelling Thinner with Tamiya Gloss Black Lacquer. It goes down very smooth and dries hard as nails. It was certainly a bog improvement over the Extreme Metals black primer which never seemed to go off.

Thanks Gus / Peter, I didn’t want to go and buy another thinner just for one jar of Tamiya Lacquer 🙄should have engaged brain……….anything else I can use ?

[Peterpools]

21 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Peter, hope you end up liking the Vallejo paints.  I really like them.  I would note that it seems like I go through the paint quicker out of the airbrush than other airbrush paints, including Vallejo Air.  Not sure if I'm spraying too much, it just seems to empty the cup quicker.

Vallejo generates strong opinions on both sides.  People don't like their primers much, but I think they are fine for interiors or other areas where you won't be taping.  The adhesion on things like PE are not great.  I had taped some of the cockpit on one of my prior builds and the tape pulled off the paint and primer off the IP.  So, you just have to be aware of that.  Mr. Color makes a Mr. Metal Etch Primer in a spray can that some spray on the PE fret before detaching the parts.  I've started using it on my current 1/700 ship builds to see if it helps, but too early to give judgment there.

Another knock is that the Air paints can clog your airbrush.  I've found that to be true - I think the Air paints have a tendency to leave a very fine residue that you have to scrub out.  Using their thinner and flow improver help avoid this, as well as I'll shoot a little lacquer thinner to thoroughly clean the airbrush after. The Metal Colors do not have this issue.  They have never come anywhere close to clogging (they spray like silk, better than any other paints I have used) and clean very easily.

Thanks Mike again for the information and thoughts. All the Vallejo Metallics are ordered and on their way. The one item I didn't order (forgot) is the Flow Enhancer which I'll be order with my next week. I've air brushed Model Air a lot over the years and have run into all the issue we hear about; clogging and flow issues at the tip, a nightmare to clean out the air brush if you use anything but their air brush cleaner and all the rest. I now have a brand new dedicated Grex .3 tip AB for just Vallejo Paints, so I'm all set and raring to go as soon as the F-14 is finished and I'm onto my next project. 

 

[CANicoll]

Peter, Sorry, just found this thread. 

As Mike has said, the Metallics are different than Model Air, and spray beautifully.  I also have the Flow Enhancer and do not use it with the Metallics - I don't think its needed.  Agree with Mike on the Vallejo Gloss Black primer - wonderful stuff and when I need a gloss black I often defer to using just that.  However, I do thin it about 30% with their thinner, if not a bit more.  I have seen where, maybe depending on humidity, it seems to go on splotchy, but if you have patience and just let it dry, it smooths out nicely.

It does seem like SB has trouble getting the Gloss Black primer, versus the regular Black primer.

Chris

[Peterpools]

Thanks Chris

My plans are to apply the Vallejo Metallics as I do Alclads and the Gloss Black undercoat (I apply it over any primer or painted surface) and these days has been MRP Super Gloss Black Work's like a charm.  I'm halfway through painting the Tomcat and the last major step will be masking out all the leading edges for the metal finish and then a build thread update. So far, there have been a few changes in my painting plan, namely the whites but I'll get into that in the update.