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Which paint colors are always on your bench?


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Are there colors that you always have on hand? I have been collecting kits over the years but haven't had a place to build. Now that I do, I am slowly starting to build up my supplies and I'm trying to figure out which colors I should probably have at all times. My stash has muscle cars, trucks, street rods, F1 cars, and road race cars. Any suggestions? 

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Body colors are completely subjective, but if you're asking about basic brush paints for detailing and such, there are some colors that I can't do without.

Most are Testors enamels, and almost all are flat.

The finish can be determined by adding a coat or 2 of gloss if desired.

 

Flat black

Flat white

Flat red

Flat Blue

Flat green

Flat yellow

Aluminum

Steel

Gold

 

 

 

There are a ton of specialty colors that you can add to that list like Rubber, Rust, etc, that all come in very handy, but these are the basics.

 

I also always have a big bottle of Testors Dullcote and Glosscote lacquers on hand.

 

 

 

 

Steve

 

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Model Master "Black Chrome Trim" is has a matte finish and good coverage. Testors silver was a favorite until I discovered BMF and Molotow. I also recommend getting the biggest variety pack of ULTRA fine point Sharpies. They work great for touch ups, detailing and marking cut lines.

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Pretty much always have Vallejo air black and random tan, Testors aluminum metalizer, buff and non buff in bottles and cans. I now use Vallejo silver in spray cans for a lot of my general mass silver colors and sometimes for engines. Just takes some weathering to give it character.  Same goes for their flat black spray can. 
 

I almost always have Tamiya TS sprays in TS-13, Mica Silver, Gloss Aluminum and Racing Blue

I always keep Vallejo brush paints of black, black grey, and gunmetal .

Pro tip- If you ever need to brush paint a silver use Vallejo Air Silver. It’s designed for the airbrush but it flows incredibly well and doesn’t leave brush strokes when used properly. It’s much better than the Silver Plata they have in their brush paint line.

Edited by DiscoRover007
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9 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Most are Testors enamels, and almost all are flat.

Why all the flat paints? Do you find they flow out or cover better?  If you’re covering with a clear, I guess the finish of the paints below don’t matter.

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I pretty much switched to acrylics years ago and never looked back. Testors Model Master Aircraft Interior Black is a great dead-flat grey-black and gets used a lot. MM semi-gloss black, Tamiya Metallic Grey and Flat Aluminum are big favorites as well. 

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3 hours ago, peteski said:

On my workbench? none.  I keep all my paints in a custom built drawer cabinet.  I never counter them all, but there are few hundred different bottles and cans.  That entire cabinet is just for paints and thinners.

obj615geo498pg9p9.jpg

There is nothing in my life that is that organized. Very nice. 

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I need to make a list and place an order somewhere. I would rather buy in person but the virus has us locked up for now. 

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1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

Why all the flat paints? Do you find they flow out or cover better?  If you’re covering with a clear, I guess the finish of the paints below don’t matter.

Exactly.

Flat paints not only flow out better, with much less brush mark issues, but they also dry much faster.

I figure, why have gloss black on my bench when all it takes to make flat gloss is a little gloss coat.

 

 

Steve

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19 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

If I go to Hobby Lobby and I do not find anything to buy I will grab a spray can of Dullcote, Decal Fixative  or Flat Black to get with the 40 percent off coupon so the trip wasn’t an entire waste!

I refuse to spend even one penny at Hobby Lobby. I will not support people like that. 
 

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