Tamiya X-21 and X-22 for Clear Coats

Update (10-Aug-2016):

It's been two years since my original post. I realized I should write an update based upon my experience when working with plastic model kits rather than game miniatures.

Try lacquer thinner.

Consider using Tamiya's lacquer thinner instead of Tamiya's acrylic thinner. In fact, I now favor the lacquer thinner, espeically for gloss coats; it doesn't seem to matter much for semi-gloss or flat. I've discovered that the gloss finish is generally much smoother and avoids the dreaded "orange peel" look that you can sometimes experience when using an airbrush. Definitely give it a try on a piece of scrap and judge for yourself.

Apply no more than 2 light coats and allow to dry.

Go easy when spraying flat coats. If you build-up multiple coats during a single airbrush session, you may be at risk of applying too much and creating a milky white finish. Disaster! It won't be obvious until after it dries. Try to spray no more than 2 light coats and allow to dry overnight. You can always apply more the next day. Honestly, this milky effect can happen with any flat finish product including the popular Testors Dullcote. I've learned this the hard way. I routinely apply a "wet coat" for a smooth finish when painting as I wrap-up any given airbrush session. However, I've learned to avoid that practice with any clear flat finish and I've had good luck ever since. Sorry - I should have shared that insight in my original post.

It may sound like a lot of effort getting to understand these products, but I think it's worth it. In my experience, I personally believe the Tamiya finishes are much stronger when compared to Dullcote or other acrylic products. That's an important consideration for weathering. But who knows? Try to remain open minded for new products. Maybe the next great thing is around the corner!

Original post:

Not sure why this pops up in forums so often, but here is how you can use Tamiya’s products to airbrush a clear coat. I generally prepare a 50:50 mixture of paint:thinner and spray at 10 to 20 psig.

The following table describes the mixtures using volumetric percentages:

Finish	Acrylic Thinner X-20A	Flat Base X-21	Clear X-22
Gloss	50%	0%	50%
Semi-Gloss	50%	5%	45%
Flat	50%	10%	40%

And this table describes the mixtures using volumetric ratios:

Finish	Acrylic Thinner X-20A	Flat Base X-21	Clear X-22
Gloss	10	0	10
Semi-Gloss	10	1	9
Flat	10	2	8

Flat base is not at all intended to be used directly; it must always be mixed with another paint. More information may be found here on Tamiya's web site.

I generally prefer to use Duplicolor gloss clear spray as a durable finish for game miniatures, followed by a light dusting of Testors Dullcote. However, once the cold sweeps in, I can no longer spray paints outside. Tamiya clear is a nice alternative and I can airbrush it indoors. I do believe a lacquer-based clear is stronger than acrylic, yet that may just be my own perception. Honestly, I have no way to really measure this and can happily say that both techniques have held up well over the years.

Good luck!

Using a PS3 controller on your Mac

I'm pretty late to the party on this one, but I thought I would share the good news that you can pair a PS3 controller with your Mac. This allows you to play games using a widely available and (relatively) inexpensive controller.

I enjoy the classic titles available on gog.com but they're kind of a drag to play without some sort of controller. I'm typically a console player so using a traditional mouse & keyboard with some games just felt awkward. A quick search suggested that I could use a PS3 controller without much fuss. Well, it was a bit more fuss than I was expecting so I thought I'd share my experience. I had a few annoying pitfalls but it was pretty easy in hindsight. Here's what I did to get up and running.

Getting ready:

I'm running OS X v10.9.2 on a MacPro 2.5 GHz Intel Core i7 with 8 GB of RAM. The PS3 controller is from Sony, not a third party. I can't say that these details matter, rather I thought I should share the equipment that I used for reference.

You'll need a USB 2.0 5-pin Mini Type B male to USB 2.0 Type A male cable. A new controller may not come with a USB cable (at least mine didn't).

If this is a new PS3 controller, charge overnight on your Mac, not a wall charger. I was first scratching my head wondering why the controller wouldn't charge, only to learn that this was a common mistake. The 4 red LEDs on the front of the controller will slowly blink when charging.

If you're using an existing PS3 controller, you'll need to press the reset button with a paperclip. It's a small (about 1 mm), black, recessed button located near the left trigger on the bottom of the controller.

Pairing the controller with your Mac:

Don't try turning on your controller yet.

Navigate to the Bluetooth settings within System Preferences.

Turn on Bluetooth.

Connect the controller to the Mac vis a USB cable. The controller will appear on your list of Bluetooth devices but may not yet say it's connected. The 4 red LEDs will blink; the controller is charging.

Press the PS button on the controller and then disconnect it from the Mac. The 4 red LEDs should now blink faster. The controller is trying to pair with the Mac.

The Mac will prompt you to enter a password to pair with the controller. Use four zeros (i.e., 0000) and click pair.

You're done! Now don't panic: the 4 red LEDs will continue to blink while in use. I thought that was odd, but apparently it's normal.

When you're done using the controller, you can't turn it off directly. Rather, you have to disconnect it from your Mac. The Bluetooth preferences should be available as a short cut on the bar at the top of your screen. Simply disconnect the device or turn off Bluetooth altogether. You'll know it's off because the 4 red LEDs will stop blinking.

Mapping buttons:

You're not out of the woods yet. You'll need a utility to map the buttons on your fancy new controller. I use Controller from VividMachine. A demo version is available on Apple's App Store. For $5 you can download the full version which allows you to create/save profiles for each game you play. It's worth it. Note that you can only download the full version directly from the developer's web site, not the App Store. You'll need to open Controller and choose a profile before starting a game. Just leave the app open while playing.

I like Controller a lot but you'll need to do a little reading first. Be sure to check out the Help link on the developer's web site. Trust me. In particular you'll need to disable Apple's app nap feature for Controller. I was having peculiar behavior until I did this; I kept thinking the button map was lost. Instead, Apple was essentially turning off Controller while I played my game.

Additional reading:

Article 1. Pairing controller with your Mac.

Article 2. Pairing controller with your Mac.

Mig Productions, AK Interactive, and now AMMO of Mig Jimenez

Over the years I’ve accumulated quite a few titles in my collection of hobby-related books. Among my favorites are FAQ and FAQ 2 from Mig Jimenez. His online venture - The Weathering Magazine - is pretty great, too. Mig’s techniques have long been very inspirational to me and I certainly owe him my gratitude.

Mig has been the public face of several hobby businesses over the years, including Mig Productions and AK Interactive. Each continue to produce a range of weathering products for armour models. However, he left these companies with some fanfare.

In 2009 Mig wrote that he was tired of the business side of things and departed from Mig Productions. It didn’t seem particularly amicable since Mig noted he was resentful the name did not change. After a several year hiatus, Mig was back in business and started AK Interactive. But in the fall of 2013, it all came tumbling down again. Mig and his business partners had a falling out that ended with Mig leaving the company. Again Mig took to his blog to tell the story, although this time in a rather legal-like manner that gave the impression of a bad break-up. Without much delay, Mig started a new company called AMMO of Mig Jimenez which sure looks and feels a whole lot like AK Interactive.

I really enjoy building models. Whenever I read Mig’s work in books or magazines, I feel like he’s sharing his secret tips and tricks. Mig is a wonderful artist and it’s always been a joy to learn from him. I certainly don’t know much of anything about the business side of hobbies, but it breaks my heart a little to bit read of these public struggles.

Since the company began, the products distributed by AK Interactive have been top-notch. However, now that Mig has left AK, it appears the product manufacturer has chosen to do so as well. I suspect the manufacturer has now partnered with Mig’s latest company but I have not found anything online to confirm.

So here we are as mere hobbyists wondering what to do. I’m not a fan of all the drama so I think I’ll just wait for the dust to settle. I’ll try to figure out who makes the best products after my current supplies run out.

Or I could always go back to mixing my own enamel filters and washes. Perish the thought! :)

Wanna read more? Check out this story for another perspective.