Should I use Waterbased or Enamel paints?

Through our own personal experience we recommend waterbased paints as they both act and appear identical to enamels but also have a number of advantages and only one minor limitation as detailed below:

Advantages of using waterbased paints:

• Admiralty Paints Waterbased paints are touch dry far quicker than enamels, meaning less time waiting around and more time modelling.
• Admiralty Paints Waterbased paints offer a better one coat coverage than enamels.
• Admiralty Paints Waterbased paints can be thinned down with water to produce ‘washes’ whereby the surface is coloured by the paint but the underlying grain and natural wood is still visible.
• Admiralty Paints Waterbased paints are non harmful.
• Using Admiralty Paints Waterbased paints means paint brushes, clothing, skin etc. can all be washed in water; there is no need for chemical cleaners.

• Some components that require soaking can not be pre-painted. For example some modellers will paint the wale planking prior to soaking in water, bending and attaching to the model. If a waterbased paint has been used, depending upon how long it was left to dry, the colour may bleed onto surrounding timber.