evening all, im building a Spitfire and last night i put a wash on it to pick out the panel lines ,hatches,etc when i applied it i wiped off the excess only to have the whole wash come off leaving me back at square one,Im using Humbrol matt black and their thinners,now this is my first plane i usually do armour,am i being to heavy handed or what.Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi John.
A bit more info please. Did you loose the wash or the paintwork underneath as well,,and did you apply a barrier,,ie Klear,,over the main paintwork before starting the wash?
Nige

You may have been quite lucky in that you didn't stain the entire model or lift the base colors and ruuin the decals.
Next time, take a very fine brush and dip that in your wash mix. Applpy it panel lines where they join. Capillary action will draw the mix al;ong the panel line. Do not cover the entire airplane. .

I did put a coat of kleer/future on and used a oo artist sable to apply the wash I didnt lose any base coat just all the wash I even tried the sludge method,I used a cotton bud to remove any extra wash but it soaks it up from the panel lines as well should i let it dry a bit before cleaning up. thanks for your help.

Hey John,
When applying a wash this is what works best for me. First I have to say that I use oils, but I also used paints using this technique.

1) Apply my base color and decals

2) Spray on a clear coat, I like to use Future Floor Wax. It dries real fast and I can start my wash within 5-6 hours.

3) Apply the wash where need, and I’m not really that careful about it. (pic)



4) Now with using oils I like to wait like 2-3 hours, that’s me and it works. For paints you also have to give it some time to set up. Not a lot of time. To wipe off I like to use Q-tips. And when wiping off I’ll wipe in the direction of flight. Using the Q-tips gives you a better idea and handle of what’s coming off. Now just give the wash a chance to dry fully, then I like to clear coat it again with the Future. (pic)



I've seen and read many ways of washing an aircraft, and I've tried them all. I have to say this was the best one that worked for me.

Hi Joe,I think you may have nailed the problem for me, I think I was cleaning up to soon,I also like the idea of oils I might give them a try.many thanks

Hi John.
Glad to hear you look as though your on top of this.
I too have a tendancy to remove the excess a bit early and take it off.
Of course,one of the great things about Klear is that if you put too much wash on you can also remove it easily as well,so its a win win situation.
Some people thin their oils with pure turpentine which seems to flow along the panel lines better than a paint/thinners mix.
A word of caution though,dont use isopropyl alcohol to thin a wash,(I use this to thin Acrylics),as it will remove the Klear.
I hope you'll be able to share some photos of the Spit with us all when its finished.
Nige

So if you don't use alcohol, can you use plain water as a thinner if you are using acrylic wash with a touch of dish soap to break down surface tension?

-Derek

Yes, that is what I do. Water, soap, and the acrylic. As long as the clear is nice and glossy, I haven't had trouble with that at all.
Leon

Thanks so much!

I hope to be doing a wash on my 1/48 Stuka tomorrow, if I can get some touch up painting done.

-Derek

John

If you use oils and work indoors with company i can recommend odourless thinners from your local art shop - a bit pricey, but no smell and no earache from SWMBO. Works as well as turps.

HTH

Andy