Silly Question #1 - Tamiya Spray Paint

[ZaphodB]

Okay so I'm interested to know what kind of paint the Tamiya spray cans are - for example PS-1 White and PS-60 Bright Mica Red.

 

Would anyone know?  Are these acrylic?

 

The can is't much help although the list of "ingredients" lists like an apothecary's storeroom.  It merely says "Polycarbonate Spray".

 

Interestingly, one of the ingredients is acetone (which I know etches polycarbonate - don't clean off any overspray with acetone)!

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Zaph

[Bajadre]

there Polycarbonate Spray used to shells that have flex buddy so when they collide with something it doesnt crack as much acrylic are more for tamiya models ie tougher plastic that are usually stored on shelf and not ran.

alot of shells come with a outer over spray wrap now esp tamiya ones 👍 be mindful though the cans are very small but the paint is nice and thick and only needs a couple of coats for a nice finish unlike many other brands 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Bajadre

[ZaphodB]

Thanks for the reply.

 

You haven't said whether the spray is acrylic (or not) which is what I asked.  Do you know at all?

 

Cheers

 

Zaph

[ZaphodB]

To answer my own question!

 

The PS Sprays (PS for Polycarbonate Sprays) are "a synthetic lacquer and specifically designed for painting polycarbonate bodyshells".

The PS Sprays etch into the polycarbonate forming a strong bond (you'll still need to sand the inside of the shell I find)

 

Tamiya TS Sprays (TS stands for Tamiya Sprays) are also a synthetic lacquer.

 

The AS Sprays (AS stands for Aircraft Sprays) are the same as the TS and PS Sprays but come in colours more suited to aircraft).

 

So essentially it appears that all Tamiya Spray paints are essentially the same - a synthetic lacquer.

 

Hopefully, I've got that right. Definitive information seems to be hard to find.

 

Zaph

[Alex97]

You don't need to sand the inside of a polycarbonate shell, please never do that. 

[ZaphodB]

On 06/01/2023 at 16:27, Alex97 said:

You don't need to sand the inside of a polycarbonate shell, please never do that. 

Possibly not Alex, but the scratches magically 'disappear' when you spray the inside of the shell, so in reality it doesn't matter.  The interior 'scuffs' don't show up as the paint fills the scratches and the exterior gloss surface 

 

My son and I learned this the hard way - a beautifully painted bodyshell only to have the paint peel off from the inside whenever we had a bump.

 

Possibly we weren't using paint specifically for polycarbonate (the PS range) but as it was 16 years ago (and yes, we still have the shells) I can't remember.

 

The PS paints list acetone as a component and acetone 'attacks' polycarbonate - hence this paint etches the shells.

 

Zaph

[Grogg]

If it turns out that both of Tamiya's PS and AS line of spray paints are the same, that's low, I've just bought the same colour - Tamiya TS-49 Bright Red and Tamiya PS-34 Bright Red, as I have both the polycarbonate body and some ABS parts, that I want to paint in the same colour, and one can is far more than enough for my needs.  Does this mean I can just use either the AS-49 or PS-34 for both the polycarbonate body, and ABS parts, instead of using both tins, the PS for the body, and AS for the ABS parts?