Warbirds Paints - practical experience?

[leccyflyer]

Some time ago (at least 5-6 years) I bought a bunch of Warbird Paints from Fighter Aces, but I didn't use them immediately.  I had it in my head, from reading the label, that they required extraordinary safety procedures, that I wasn't equipped for and put them in a box, such that they didn't surface at all. As part of my current finishing of my Flair Beaufighter, I was planning on using my usual B & Q tester pots of acrylic water based paints. In an unrelated incident, in some tidying up I came across the invoice and an information sheet for the Warbirds Paints, which, in contrast to the label on the tin, extolled the virtues of the clean, odour free water based Warbirds Paints. So I'm a bit confused as to whether these are indeed water based or whether they are to be handled like liquid plutonium. I've taken the lid off the jar of primer and given it a good stir but I'm not getting any major fumes off it - it will still need a lot more stirring, but I'm not detecting any nasty solvents.

 

In contrast I just treated the fuselage to a coat of good old sanding sealer and had to abandon the workshop after applying that, despite having the doors open and a steady draught twirling the models on the ceiling. I used to love the smell of sanding sealer, but I find now that I can't cope with the fumes.

 

I recall reading that some folks were using the Warbirds paints on this forum and wondered if anyone could shed some light on their use in practice - are they best sprayed, or are they suitable for brush or roller application? I'm also hoping to dip my toe into airbrush application of roundels and squadron codes using CNC cut vinyl paint masks, rather than my usual vinyl roundels.

[Alan Gorham_]

I love them and wish they still had a UK distribution channel. They are water based and are clean, very low odour and very quick drying. I like the most because the pigment is very dense meaning you don't need to apply many coats to get perfect coverage. I spray all my models using a mini car touch up gun. Quick, easy and painless. I also paint all markings as it is fun. 

 

Having said that, I enjoy other paints such as the Hobby Flight enamel sold by King's Lynn models and also car cellulose paint. They are all user friendly as long as you use them correctly and develop a technique. 

 

Some models I have painted with Warbirds.. 

[leccyflyer]

Oh my word Alan those are beautiful - fantastic paint job on all of them. Superb.

 

Thanks for the confirmation - that's validated my decision to try these, rather than my B & Qs - I'd better get stirring, these have been in their pots for several years.

[Alan Gorham_]

Expect to do lots of stirring as the pigment is prone to settle, but some of my tins are still giving great results at over 10 years old! 

[steve too]

I have used them on a few models. My airbrush wasn't particularly happy with them, if memory serves I ended up using my biggest nozzle. They brush quite nicely. I also didn't find them as fuel proof as they are a supposed to be (this is probably down to my preparation of the surface).

 

If you have the paint, use it. If you didn't, I would be suggesting Tamiya or Vallejo.

 

When spraying paint, you should always use a suitable mask.

[Alan Gorham_]

As I said, I don't use an airbrush to paint large areas. It would take too long to get good coverage anyway, but the high pigment content of Warbirds is better suited to a spraygun. 

[leccyflyer]

Could I ask, did you mask the lovely Balsacraft  Blenheim when spraying or was it done freehand?

[Alan Gorham_]

All masked. I can't do freehand camo very well. 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

My twin Saito .45s powered  one, polyurethane sprayed except the markings hand painted with Humbrol with a compass, with the exception of the Blue on the wings masked and sprayed. then a PU sprayed mat varnish.

[Alan Gorham_]

1 minute ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:

My twin Saito .45s powered  one, polyurethane sprayed except the markings hand painted with Humbrol with a compass, with the exception of the Blue on the wings masked and sprayed. then a PU sprayed mat varnish.

So, not painted using WarbirdColors then? Pretty sure Warbirds paint isn't polyurethane. 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

The Grey is car paint the rest is Humbrol, I do have some other 'warbird' paint but no idea where it came from but all polyurethane

on their site it says Epoxy paint;

Edited June 1, 2023 by Paul De Tourtoulon

[Alan Gorham_]

This thread is about WarbirdColors brand paints though... 

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

https://www.fighteraces.co.uk/product-category/finishing/paint/

 

 

 Just saying that any paint can be applied any way,,,

Edited June 1, 2023 by Paul De Tourtoulon

[leccyflyer]

16 minutes ago, Paul De Tourtoulon said:

https://www.fighteraces.co.uk/product-category/finishing/paint/

 

 

 Just saying that any paint can be applied any way,,,

That's why I asked for practical experiences in this thread, since Fighter Aces no longer sell the Warbirds paints.

 

Love the Beaufighter, very nice job indeed. 😎

[Paul De Tourtoulon]

Painting is a profession ( not mine ) you need the right tools, and the right thinners, the rest is patience and experience, The Beafighter is one of many of my paint jobs, enough said,,,

 

 

 Just re-read the first post, brushing generally leaves lines, at least mine does with cheap brushes, roller leaves gravel finishes,,

Edited June 1, 2023 by Paul De Tourtoulon

[Alan Gorham_]

And have you ever painted with the paints under discussion in this thread? 

[Don Fry]

I’ve used them. Last was a 1/4 scale Fokker Triplane. Lovely paints, applied with artist grade brushes, and rollers. And don’t stink. 

[David Pentland 1]

Are we talking warbird paints or warbird colours? For stirring old paint my favourite method is a piece of L shaped music wire. Chuck it into a drill or drill press and stir away.

Edited June 1, 2023 by David Pentland 1
Spellin

[Don Fry]

8 hours ago, Don Fry said:

I’ve used them. Last was a 1/4 scale Fokker Triplane. Lovely paints, applied with artist grade brushes, and rollers. And don’t stink. 

The Fighter aces stuff

[leccyflyer]

7 hours ago, David Pentland 1 said:

Are we talking warbird paints or warbird colours? For stirring old paint my favourite method is a piece of L shaped music wire. Chuck it into a drill or drill press and stir away.

I was talking about the Warbird Colors brand of paints that used to be sold by Fighter Aces, but which it appears is no longer stocked by them. This stuff.

My question comes from the labelling, which promises all sorts of potential damage to one's reproductive bits, but the information leaflet -and a quick sniff of the primer - indicates that these are low odour water based paints with a high pigment load.  I'm not planning on drinking the stuff and will wear a normal vapour mask whilst spraying but my NBC suit is at the dry cleaners.

 

[David Pentland 1]

I checked out their website. I couldn’t find anything on how to mix this stuff. If it is water based I assume it can be thinned with water? I always thought it was 2 part like the old K&B paint. I might give this stuff a try if it’s that simple.

[leccyflyer]

That's the thing though David - the paints were discontinued some time ago, Fighter Aces no longer stocks them.

[Alan Gorham_]

16 hours ago, leccyflyer said:

I was talking about the Warbird Colors brand of paints that used to be sold by Fighter Aces, but which it appears is no longer stocked by them. This stuff.

My question comes from the labelling, which promises all sorts of potential damage to one's reproductive bits, but the information leaflet -and a quick sniff of the primer - indicates that these are low odour water based paints with a high pigment load.  I'm not planning on drinking the stuff and will wear a normal vapour mask whilst spraying but my NBC suit is at the dry cleaners.

 

I think the labelling is standard for any kind of paint/glue/solvent sold in the USA. It really is very benign stuff to use. Because the pigment is dense, if you spray it through a reasonably large nozzle on your gun, then there are no clouds of spray vapour that sometimes occur with thinner, solvent based paint. It is a joy to thin with water and wash up with water, but I will confess that I do give the gun one last wash out with celly thinners before putting it away to clear out any last remnants of WBC. 

[Nigel Heather]

Probably teach you all to suck eggs but there is a common misconception that ‘acrylic’ means water-based.  That is not true - acrylic refers to pigment/media - for many water can be used as the solvent for diluting the paint not all.

 

For example, Tamiya acrylic paints are not water-based, they use a solvent similar to IPA (isopropyl alcohol).  Another misconception is that solvent means something that is no pious and harmful - it simply means the liquid used to turn a media into a solution - water is a solvent.

 

With acrylic paints it is always advisable to use the manufacturer’s stated thinners - you can often get away with using other makes or water but some don’t play nicely - for example, using IPA with Vallejo acrylic is said to make the paint gloopy.

 

My guess is that this paint is similar to Tamiya in that it uses a hotter solvent, so it will probably be a bit more pungent and noxious than water-based acrylics but nowhere near as bad as traditional enamels or lacquers.

 

[Alan Gorham_]

This paint is nowhere comparable to Tamiya acrylic. It's definitely not a solvent based acrylic. If you haven't actually used it or seen it then I'm afraid you are just guessing at its properties. I've used it for over 20 years in its original formulation and so am offering real world feedback. 

 

One thing I did forget to say is that when I paint electric models or gliders with WBC then I don't add the few drops of crosslinker that the original formula had. There is a misconception that the crosslinker was a catalyst, but it isn't, it just helps the paint to become more fuel resistant.