Humbrol enamels drying time

[ge_rik]

Hoping some of you might be able to help, advise or shed some light.

Until now, I've been using car aerosol sprays (which seem to be cellulose based acrylics) and water based acrylics for my modelling and have generally been very satisfied. However, I was finding that using red and gold water based acrylics were giving less than desirable results for buffer beams and nameplates, so I invested in a couple of tinlets of good old trusty Humbrol enamels, thinking these might help solve my problems.

However ..... the gold is OK but the red just doesn't want to dry. After three days it was still tacky. I've looked online and followed advice - mixing thoroughly and adding a small amount of thinners and applying two thin coats rather than one thick coat, but still having the same results. Three days later, still tacky.

In the end, I've just coated the tacky paint in talcum powder and left it another day and, although still a bit soft to touch, it's no longer tacky.

Is this just a feature of the latest version of Humbrol enamels? I don't seem to remember this problem when I used them in the 1960s. Have I just got a rogue tinlet? Or am I doing something wrong?

I've lost confidence in Humbrol enamels, based on this experience so, unless you enlighten me, I don't think I'll be using them again.

Rik

[Preseli Chris]

Oddly enough I painted a buffer stop yesterday morning using Humbrol satin red enamel . It is still tacky now 30 plus hours on. A certain model railway manufacturer took over the paint brand and like every thing else production has been shipped over to the far east. the quality has diminished.
There are still some other brands available for us die hard enamel paint users namely Phoenix Precision paints and Railmatch.

[philipy]

Rik,
I can't speak for those two colours specifically, but IMO, in general Humbrol paint has been a waste of money for quite a few years with drying issues and lack of covering power. Conversely, I still have a few part-used tinlets from back in the 70's/80's (honestly!) and apart from needing a really good stir, they still work fine.
Basically, things went to pot when the Humber Oil Company burned down in 1988 and production was switched to China. I believe that Hornby brought it back to the Uk a few years ago, but it appears to have not improved things?

[LNR]

I totally agree with what has been said about the deterioration of the quality of Humbrol, and as I only use enamels that leaves me in a real bind. However my problem is that Humbrol dries out in the tin. As soon as I open a tin, use some then go back later to use more I find it has skinned over or dried up. Like Phillip I have some very old tins that smell oily and a good stir and they are ready to go. I use another commercial brand enamel available in larger tins and find the same problem, once exposed to air they skin over and dry up.
I put it down to all the health and safety protocols that now cover paint.
Grant.

[Phil.P]

Make sure you put the lid on securely. Invert the tin, and let it stand upside down for 20 minutes, or more..

Then you can turn it upright to store it long term.

Don't be tempted to leave it upside down.

Phil.P

[GTB]

I haven't bought a tin of Humbrol for about a year, as it has more or less disappeared locally, but the tins I bought last year have dried OK when used. That's if they weren't already gelling in the tin when first opened.

The Dylan replica I painted and lined late last year was done with newly bought tins of Humbrol and the paint dried hard within half an hour or so. It didn't actually have much choice, as it was thinned with a fast drying solvent (xylene) for airbrushing and stoved for half an hour at 80degC........ That's my usual procedure with metal models.

My plastic and wood models are painted with either Revell enamel, or an industrial rapid enamel and they give me no problems. Just as well, as the models wouldn't survive a trip through the oven.

The old ladies knitting circle in Brussels banned a chemical a couple of years ago, which Humbrol had been using to prevent skinning in the tin. That won't be helping the lifetime of the paint once the tin is opened, especially if brush painting.

Humbrol quality control became non-existent in the early 2000's, when the original company went broke. Hornby bought the remains and rolled it into the Airfix part of the business, then shifted production to China. Humbrol enamel has been made under subcontract in the UK for some years, but I can't say I've seen much improvement between the stuff imported from China and the stuff allegedly made in the UK.

I've found Revell enamel to be good, but the colour range is more limited and it's also getting hard to find locally. Haven't yet tried Tamiya and Gunze Sangyo enamels which are easier to find, but like Revell, have a colour range mainly intended for military modelling.

Regards,
Graeme

ps. My biggest problem is clear finishes. Some damn fool decided that the old formulations of oil based varnishes would be improved by having acrylic resins added. Most are now incompatible when used over enamels and can stay tacky for months, even if stoved. I've got a test piece that is still slightly tacky after 5 years. If you hold it between your fingers for more than a second or two it will have a fingerprint impressed into the surface when you put it down.

[ge_rik]

That's interesting and enlightening. Thanks chaps.

Oddly enough, I accidentally left the lid off the tin of red overnight but there was no sign of skinning-over the next morning. The paint did, however, seem stiffer when stirred so I added more thinners. The temperature in the workshop was about 11 to 13C.

Rik

[FWLR]

Hi Rik,

I haven't used Humbrol enamels for some years now mainly because of the issues you and the rest of the members have talked about. I usually use Vallejo Acrylics now but even those don't have a decent red for buffers and such like. I have started to use Hunbrol Acrylics Red now. I find it does a pretty good job for buffers and other things that need a red that is acceptable for our needs. Of course it's up to every individual in how they see the colour isn't it...

This is what I use and a little sample of it. It all depends on your laptop setting of course and it's type of screen, my MacBook displays in IPS with 2880x1800 (220 ppi) display, pretty much to original colour.

tempImage7yL93e.gif (3.46 MiB) Viewed 117875 times

tempImagesg0HeX.gif (4.29 MiB) Viewed 117875 times

They have some more different hues of red, but I find this number 19 is right for me.

[ge_rik]

Thanks Rod
I'll see what my local model railway shop has in stock next time I visit.

Rik