Tamiya Clear Red vs Forgeworld Angron Red

[Surrender_Monkey]

I've been messing around trying to do Heresy Thousand Sons for a little while now, I have been able to get reasonable but inconsistent results airbrushing Tamiya Clear Red over silver, but I am finding it annoying to use.

 

1. The Tamiya stuff needs a lot more thinning than other airbrush paint and being alchohol based needs it's own thinner. I think a big part of my problems is that I am not getting the mixture quite right. The other airbrush paints I use (Vallejo Game Air) can be used straight from the pot, I usually thin them a little to get a better flow but they're a lot more forgiving.

 

2. It takes a long time to dry, this won't be a problem when doing big batches but I was experimenting on an old Predator and despite waiting for what seemed like forever I still did the second coat too soon and it glooped up horribly.

 

3. Even once "dry" the Tamiya paint stays sticky to the touch for hours afterwards.

 

So my first pot of Tamiya Clear Red as run out and I have yet to do anything other than test models, so I thought I should look at alternatives before I commit to doing a whole army. It looks like Forge World's Angron Red would be the best alternative, but my fear is that it might basically be the same stuff but more expensive because it's GW. I can also buy Tamiya Clear Red and thinner at the FLGS just down the road, whilst I would have to order the FW stuff (and pay shipping if it isn't a big order). Some questions:

 

How much thinning does it need, could it possibly be used straight from the pot?

What can you use to thin it? Would third party stuff like Vallejo's thinner work?

How many coats do you need to get a good colour?

How long does it take to dry?

Is it sticky?

[Lucio]

I use the FW Clear Red without an airbrush, it's akin to the old GW inks, so water based and can be thinned with Lahmian Medium or specific airbrush thinner if required.

 

Since I brush it on, can't comment on how it works with that but it gives an ideal effect for 1kSons (which is what I use it for)

[Mango Polo]

FW's clears are less finicky to work with.

 

They take regular thinner (I had no issue with the Tamiya XV-20A, Vallejo Airbrush Thinner, and FW Clear Solution).

I wouldn't use them straight out of the pot. I made a 50/50 mix in a separate 40ml dropper pot, works great.

They are less gunky in the airbrush & on touch, dry a bit faster (but both dry very quickly with a hair dryer), easier to clean.

But I always do a thorough cleaning with isopropil and it's about the same work no matter which I ran through the airbrush.

 

As a note, Angron Red is a bit more orange vs Clear Red which is a bit darker.

 

Personally I think I'll be sticking with Tamiya because of ease of access + solving the cleaning issue with alcohol + the drying issue with a hair dryer.

[Surrender_Monkey]

Thanks for the replies, it sounds like the forgeworld stuff is going to be better for me.

 

Did you mean Tamiya X-20? I have a bottle already so it won't be wasted.

 

I think being a bit brighter will probably be a good thing, I really like the bright candy red look that FW have achieved.

 

I am actually going to Warhammer World soon, so I will pick up a bottle and keep testing. Without rules I am pretty much only going to do test models anyway.

[Mango Polo]

Ah yes, no V, just X-20A. 20 is the enamel version if I remember, and 20A for acrylics.