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Best metallics for airbrush?


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I have tried the Vallejo air metallics a couple of times through the airbrush with pretty much the same results you've gotten. They're kinda gross and "flecky"

 

Have you tried the alcohol based metallic line from Vallejo thou?

 

Those work entirely differently. You can thin them way down with isopropyl and they have an ultra-fine grain metallic pigment, so they go thru the airbrush like a dream. The only deal is that you cant thin them with water.

 

I wouldn't try blowing it through the airbrush with a fine needle, but my krome has been doing spectacularly with a general purpose needle laying these down for my World Eaters.

 

*Edit*

 

These guys

 

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/liquid-gold/family/11

 

And a glowing recommendation from professionals ^_^

 

http://www.youmagnificentbastards.com/2014/11/vallejo-liquid-gold-guest-bastard-review.html

I agree about the regular Vallejo Air metallics: they're flecky through the airbrush, but great to paint with a real brush.

 

That said, I've been using the Metal Color line from Vallejo now and it's superb.  Sprays easily with no thinning and no flecking either, but I do run it at a lower PSI (around 15) than normal, and it takes a bit longer to dry.  My only complaint about the line is that it's mostly silvers.  There's only gold and copper otherwise; a dark bronze color would be greatly appreciated.  It's also about double the price of other Vallejo paints, but nearly double the volume.

Has anyone tried out the Minitaire, GW, or FW air metallics? Just curious how they compare to regular Vallejo Air Metallics (not the liquid metal ones).

 

Actually now that I type this I remembered that I have FW's Iron Hands color on the way so I'll give an update on that when it finally arrives.

Best Metallics for use with an airbrush i experienced are those from Scalecolor (water based acrylic color) and AK Extreme Metal colors (alcohol based).

 

Ohhhh those Extreme Metals look nice, way more colors than the Vallejo version

 

Edit: for anyone else curious: http://ak-interactive.com/v2/?product_cat=xtreme-metal

Just to throw it in the ring, there's also the Alclad lacquer metallics.  I've only used the chrome, which is an animal unto itself because of how the reflective surface shows any imperfection, but they spray perfectly--at super low PSI.  It is lacquer, though, so requires different cleaner and it is way more harsh in the chemical smell.

I have also been looking at trying out the newish Vallejo Metal Color line. After watching a few reviews they seem just about as good as the other true metallics like the mentioned Alclad, the AKs, and the Liquid Metals but they are acrylic. Think I'll try out a few of them come payday.

 

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/metal-color/family/33

Scale 75 and Vallejo Metal Colour for me. Both work very well. Forgeworld airbrush range are very good as well. I save the normal Vallejo air for brush painting, they work well for this. There's a new range of metallics in the UK from a company called Dark Star, I've just started using them and they're working well.

 

ATB WW

I have also been looking at trying out the newish Vallejo Metal Color line. After watching a few reviews they seem just about as good as the other true metallics like the mentioned Alclad, the AKs, and the Liquid Metals but they are acrylic. Think I'll try out a few of them come payday.

 

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/metal-color/family/33

Yeah, if you're looking for various shades of silver to dark metal, the new Metal Color line is amazing for both brush and airbrush and puts to shame anything except for lacquers. The range just lacks any kind of variation in the copper (a very red one) and gold (very green).

 

Very fine pigment, very easy to clean. It's best to use a very glossy black primer to get the best effect, but even brushed on they work perfectly.

 

e. I also have from FW Thallax Gold and Valdor Gold. They're both very nice shades, but their coverage is leagues worse than Metal Color's.

I'm a bit of an airbrush novice and hadn't really factored in that metallics contain actual material, so had a bit of a clogging disaster the other day. I was using GW Brass Scorpion (which I had thinned pretty extensively but still ran in to issues); does anybody know of a closest-possible match to Brass Scorpion from the brands above? Xtreme Metal Bronze and FW Castellax Bronze look okay, has anyone compared them directly?

 

Secondary Airbrushing question; would a bigger needle/nozzle help out when using metallics? I'm not in need of fine detail really so a larger spray area wouldn't be a problem for me.

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