Hi Folks,

I'm planning to paint some NMF planes soon (P-47, and a F-84). I bought a bottle of Aluminum from Vallejo's Metal Color line. My question is - how does one brush this paint? Are there any specific quirks to this line of paint vs the other Vallejo lines like Model Color and Air Color? I know they market it for airbrushing, but they have also said in their ads hat you can use it for handbrushing. I've seen conflicting advice on how to use it - one guy used it on bare plastic and did a sort of dry-brushing method to paint his plane. Another guy did what I was hoping to do - he primed his model black, then applied the paint slightly thinned with a brush. However, he painted a smaller model where brush strokes and imperfections are less obvious. I have an airbrush - but I don't have a place to use it easily (small house), it rains often here in the tropics, and we're planning to renovate soon - meaning I won't have any space at all except for building and brushing paint.

Thanks for your feedback guys. I'm hoping to use the Aluminum soon, and buy their Duraluminum to provide some contrast.

hi nigel. i,m no expert by any means but i would use a primmer and i think a wide flat brush loaded up with paint and use long strokes, for example-like starting at the wing root and finishing straight down the wing and ending at or off the wing tip. or maybe from the leading edge of the wing to the trailing edge using several strokes down the wing. i just would not stop mid stroke or half way down the wing or fuselage in order not to risk brush marks. just make sure you have enough paint on the brush to cover all the way. practice on some junk plastic the approximate length.
just my guess-lol
hatha paints makes paint made for brush painting, just don't know if they make nmf paints.
joe

I've applied them with flat brush unthinned. Used gray primer, but black might work better. Here's a picture from RAF campaign:


Still learning (first attempt with these paints), but I'm pleased with the results.

Thanks for the reply folks. Forgot to post my comments after reading. Took your advice and used the metal paint. Sprayed out really good. Liking the aluminum so far.