Vallejo Model Air Problems and Solutions

I little talk about the problems I have had with Vallejo paint, and what I did to fix it.
I forgot to mention in the video (duh!) that for general spraying I spray at 15 psi out of a Co2 and 10 psi for up close work and freehand camo.

[panserbjrn]

Sir, you have saved my paint collection. I still have to clean the tip of the needle, just like you had to, after every minute or two of airbrushing, but not more clogs, no more paint "boogers".

After the initial steel nut shake (weird thing to say out of context) it helped a little bit, but not that much. I then increased the air pressure from 12 to about 22 PSI and away I went. Clear spray pattern, good flow, nice and even coats.

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! If I might, some constructive criticism on the video. After watching the video I had the feeling that the most useful information could have been conveyed in about 8 minutes. I do appreciate you sharing the your trial and error process of getting to the final solution. It helps understand what works and what doesn't.

[petersmith]

I always warm my Vallejo in hot water then swirl before use and they spray great after that

[ltakallen]

THANK YOU! I have been struggling for a very long time. I was considering buying a new and more expensive airbrush! In fact I was about to order 2 more 200ml BLS of Vallejo Primer, because I was convinced mine was too old! I have placed SS Ball bearings in all on my Vallejo bels. I’d shake the vigorously to “dissolve” the “dried” bits. In fact i would add extra thinner to dissolve them. Then I watched your video. I used a screen and lo and behold, “particulate matter” and tons of it! I have had success since. Thanks again

[stblad]

Tried this on one of my problem bottles of paint and it works!! Thank you so much!!

[dwightatnorthernstar]

Yes! you make an excellent point. Ken at Badger Paint says the same thing, as at the factory, they stir the paint to mix. Also Barbatos Rex videos also uses a paint vibrating machine, but never shakes the BTW, I always put my paint through a strainer, makes a difference...

[G-Whizs_Wizardry]

i add a couple drops of thinner and flow improver...applies great but the paint has a somewhat weak adhesion and i have noticed quite a bit of paint rubbing off while handling parts....I am hoping i can figure out how to make it stick better. I use badgers stynylrez primer and the paint still doestn like to adhere.

[vortexmodeling]

I found this video when I was looking for explanations for exact problem with Vellejo Deep Yellow paint I used, thanks a lot for putting up this video. subbed.

[mkmac]

Does cold air, such as an attic room with no heat affect the quality of model paint

[modelmagic]

It feels like I’ve got the same issues. I think now that I’ll have to try this method.

[woodriver]

I am new to modeling and I have purchased Model paints. I have brand new paints that I have used, some work like they are advertised, but there others that are so thick that agitators will not move in the bottle, in some of them the agitator sat on top of paint and sloowly sank; some of them had completely dry paint at the top.
I am still trying figure out how to fix this problem. I do thank you for the advise.

[joenus]

How about a magnetic vortex spinner? Drop the spinner into the bottle then sit it on the plate and let the magnet mix it up for you?

[Emtbtoday]

Hi I tried a bowl of hot water, I was worried that would melt the bottles but they survived ! And the paint went from feeling so thick when shaken in the cold bottle to absolutely feeling so thin when shaken it was about a milky watery feeling in the bottle! It definitely thinned the paint back to probably when tested and filled in factory! I used to do this with car spray paints for repairs and it has worked! If you want to try this way sometime yourself!?

[chrismawdsley]

Thanks for posting this. I've been struggling to get consistent results with VMA, especially when changing needle/tip sizes. As soon as you mentioned your analysis of the problem, I remembered reading an article in the 1980s about the 'new' acrylic paints. The article specifically said not to shake acrylics, as they will start to dry on the surface of the air bubbles that shaking causes. I, too, put an 8-32 stainless nut in the bottles.

[russemerson]

Wow. Wow wow wow. After a frustrating session with Model Air this evening, I found this vid... and my problems were solved. The sideways agitation really seems to make a difference. It probably doesn't hurt to keep the bottle's nozzle area clean, as well.

[christophermifsud]

I store my closed paints upside down (all brands) as this actually helps when I then need to use the paint, prevents clogging (hardening/coagulating) at the neck of Vallejo Air and stops tinned paint (like humbrol enamels) from hardening at the bottom of the tin. The agitator is a good idea tho. With Vallejo and all squeeze bottles I make sure to clean the nozzle after use and I suppose it would be good to pierce the dried opening before storage. I sometimes place the paints I am about to use on top of the compressor as its vibrations agitate the paint inside the bottles

[trevoratchison]

Wow i have been keeping all my Tamiya bottles and slowly transferring Vallejo paint into them, makes it easy to mix. Just put vallejo bottles in hot water so it all runs out into jar. Happy painting

[andrewstambaugh]

The problem is not just their airbrush paints. I quickly came to a strong conclusion about all the vallejo paints I've tried a while ago, and I'm only just now trying airbrushing.
*You are exactly right about the problem: congealing - but I have some different conclusions:*
The problem is that Vallejo is putting the paints in the containers in inconsistent thicknesses and _always way too dry._

Without fixing, every time I use vallejo on my wet pallet, it does exactly what you describe: fights to push out slimy congealed paint. Something about their mix is more inclined to congeal vs just plain dry out (that's a good thing, I guess). It makes me wonder if they have mixed just a tiny bit of gel medium into all their paints.

I have 4 or 5 different brands of acrylic model paint - all of them start to behave somewhat like that _when they cross a certain dryness threshold._ In a sealed container, what evaporates should help suppress further evaporation and remix, maintaining an overall moisture level. Whenever you open them, some of this is lost, but even sealed, the plastic of the bottle slowly looses some of the moisture.
If they are getting too dry, adding a few drops of water & mixing seems to fix it immediately, but then the whole mixture sucks in that moisture and it seems dry again a few days later. *But if you repeat this, the mix gets better and better, as everything inside eventually equalizes to a sustainable moisture level.*

You can just start by over-watering, but that risks it being over-watery plus lumpy (much like adding starch to water: better to mix & add slowly). When it's more liquid, it mixes better. When it's over-thick, it is more inclined to separate.

I have to wonder if they have just a tiny amount of solvent in their paints as well. It would explain why they are extra sensitive to thinners and flow improvers. If they already contain solvent, then they hit the over-max threshold sooner when trying to add more.

PS you can get 5.5mm SS balls off amazon, 200 count for about $6-7 on amazon. I don't think using nuts will compare to how cheap that is.

I am considering trying something, based on 2000's era experience with bad paintballs. A big issue was lazy stores not selling enough volume and not physically rotating the boxes.The tops off all the paintballs would dry out, making them inconsistent as half was soft and able to conform and half was dried into a crispy hard shell, likely with a dent permanently formed in it.

So, I'm thinking, why not throw some foam pack into a rock tumbler and use it to periodically load up large batches of my paints to keep them all stirred up and not getting drying spots. I'm adding SS balls to them already, so that should help the stirring action.

[jimbolaiya]

Each time I use my new Vallejo Model color paints ( thinned with Vallejo Thinner Medium ir Vallejo airbrush thinner) the paint flakes or scrapes off easily when fully dried. I think it has to do with the paint not being fully mixed by shaking the bottles. Like you I like the squirt bottle style bottle but do not like how there is no good way to fully mix the paint easily like a regular bottle. I think what I’ll do is to add an agitator to the bottles like you to fully mix the paints. Hopefully when we’ll mixed the paints will perform better and not flake off and peel off easily .

[neilwood]

Thanks for the tips man. I haven't had any problems with Vallejo yet, I buy the individual paints and they sell pretty quickly at my hobby shop that may be why. But if I do have any problems I'll definitely give this a try. Thanks again man.

[retired]

Great tip Brett G! This solved my clogging problems with both model air and (thinned) model color! Thank you.