Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

so I am playing around with my airbrush on a old Devilfish and I thought I would try masking, but when I removed the masking tape some of the paint came along with it.
It had been dry for a day or so, and today (3 days after) I found some bluetack and tried that, all I noticed now was slight colour transfer to the bluetack, but when I dragged it over the tank, almost rubbing it, the bluetack turned from blue to red,

I have thinned it with a mix of 2/5 Vallejo Thinner and Water, sprayed at 10-20 PSI and different angels and distances.

Anyone got any idea what I can do?

Use book binding tape, or electrical tape, neither is particularly adhesive. Or try sticking the masking tape to another surface (like the bench or fridge) a few times until it is only just sticking.

Right, and a simple matt varnish on the finish model would fix the paint beeing rubbed of.
It does not rub of on my fingers, but it does on a paper towel, any idea how to fix this prior to varnish?

It sounds like you have a powdery finish. If the paint changes colour significantly when moistened, this is your culprit. I'd suggest a quick coat of gloss varnish before doing your masking. You can avoid that in future by using lower pressure and less spray distance, and or a better medium.

Edit: if your paint goes on glossy and then matts off quickly, you're doing it right. If it seems to go on 'dry' you'll get a powder finish (wanted when weathering).

Thanks winter, I did run a brush over it with water just now, and the colour just got a lot richer, still not dry though so it might just be the water.
But I was afraid that I had sprayed too close, so I'll give it another shot. '

I use Vallejo Thinner, roughly 2/5 water, should that be okay?

Should be ok. But that colour change occurs when the surface isn't smooth (ie dusty). It appears lighter because it reflects light diffusely. When the water goes on it reflects the light witha tighter angle, making it seem deeper. If I get this, I find adding a little future floor polish to the mix sorts it pretty well - it keeps the mix fluid and self levels on the surface nicely. I guess any slightly glss medium would help that too.

I have had this issue too, which is why my Tau vehicles are hand-painted camo stripes (Talk about a pain!)

So...doing a varnish on the base color THEN masking and painting works? Then do I just varnish again when done? How would 2 layers of varnish look on the first color?

I've seen modelers end up with nearly a dozen layers of varnish before they're done. Think of the varnish layers like coats of paint, not protective shells. If you're applying thin, even layers (easier with an airbrush than a spray can or paintbrush), it shouldn't affect the look, aside from the sheen. Since the final finish will be determined by the last coat applied, varnish absolutely any time you feel you need to protect the last step from the next, whether for masking, decals, pigment, etc.

Yep. On decal heavy jobs I've had 10 or 12 coats of varnish before.

Matt or Gloss Varnish is just the same? Except from the obvious of course.

Doing one paint layer, then a varnish, then a paint layer then varnish, would have have any effect on the final paint result?
I was going to varnish the model before using pigments, so would Primer, paints then varnish work or should I varnish every layer?

Matte and gloss are the same, in terms of protecting the underlying layer. The type does affect the layer that goes on top, in most cases. Matte varnish has more tooth to it than gloss, so it takes further painting by brush better (feels no different, to me, than painting over paint). Gloss tends to make dilute paints want to run into all of the cracks - terrible for brush painting additional layers, but great for blacklining with pin washes. If using oils or powders for weathering, matte varnishes can trap the pigments, making them nearly impossible to wipe away (oils adhere wonderfully - always use gloss under them to give yourself the option, at least, of moving them around). Always use gloss under decals to help prevent silvering.

Again, if you're applying the varnish thinly and evenly, it really shouldn't affect the look at all, aside from the sheen, which you can always change later. It's the final layer that controls the finish, after all, be it pigment, paint, or varnish. In your case, I would varnish after the first layer, since you're having issues with masks peeling up paint. Whether you varnish before weathering depends on the fixer you plan to use (white spirit or rubbing alcohol will strip acrylic paint if applied too vigorously, so a layer of varnish can help protect your paintjob) and whether you want to be able to reverse the process. It's much easier to try to wash/rub unwanted pigment off of a varnished model.

Kernash1234 wrote:
so I am playing around with my airbrush on a old Devilfish and I thought I would try masking, but when I removed the masking tape some of the paint came along with it.
It had been dry for a day or so, and today (3 days after) I found some bluetack and tried that, all I noticed now was slight colour transfer to the bluetack, but when I dragged it over the tank, almost rubbing it, the bluetack turned from blue to red,

I have thinned it with a mix of 2/5 Vallejo Thinner and Water, sprayed at 10-20 PSI and different angels and distances.

Anyone got any idea what I can do?

I am surprised no one brought this up, but did you prime first? Also, in my experience Vallejo is a pretty fragile paint, which is not a bad thing, you just have to adjust for it. I would recommend using Tamyia Tape. Tower Hobbies sells it;

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXGS12&P=FR

A trick I use to increase the durability of Vallejo paint when airbrushed is to thin with a mixture of Future Floor Polish and water. It gives a little sheen, but also makes for a stronger surface.

Ashton

The other thing you can do is stick your tape to a tshirt a few times to reduce the tack.