bluenote

Their website is terribly out of date, they are still showing all of the international figure and military paints listed. (these were discontinued last year with confirmation from Testors). I would not be surprised in the least that this is true. They seem to be constantly discontinuing colors.

I have the Tamiya lacquer paints in the bottle and the smell they give off is noticeably more than using their acrylic paints. The acrylic paint is thinned with their acrylic thinner and washup can be done with water (except for the final cleaning of the airbrush, which I use the airbrush cleaner for). I personally find the acrylic paint much better for airbrushing, in regards to the smell and being able to use water for a good part of the cleanup. I always avoid lacquer if I can due to the harshness of it. (I do use Scalefinishes though for car bodies).

I use exactly 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner using a dropper directly into the airbrush mixing cup. I have the iwata CR. I shoot at 20psi. This works perfectly every single time. I know a lot of people suggest the consistancy of milk thing, but I like using the exact ratio because it always works for me.

I use Tamiya exclusively and I keep it simple and just use their own products. I use their acrylic thinner for thinning for the airbrush. I thin by using droppers with a ratio of 2 parts paint and 1 part thinner. Shoot at 20 psi and this works perfectly every single time. I clean the airbrush by using their airbrush cleaner.

I simply use Tamiya Airbrush Cleaner. Works perfect, and the bottle is quite large so it will last a long time.

I think Modelmaster Citrus Yellow Metallic would be pretty close.

here's the body: Scalefinishes Ford silver blue metallic (no gloss on yet) and interior

Just curious, what exterior colours are you going to be painting them?

I am actually currently building the AMT 1/16 model right now! It's been 6 months now (I'm a slow builder). I sprayed the body Ford Silver Blue Metallic (from Scalefinishes). The interior is blue (Tamiya x4). The interior is mostly done and I still have to spray gloss over the exterior and baremetal foil, etc. At the rate I'm going, it'll probably be done in 2 months. It's a decent kit, but I was never crazy about AMT kits. I think it may be lack of detail or the instructions. I much prefer Revell for muscle cars. (I received this for a xmas gift). I don't have any photos of my build so far but I perhaps I'll upload some. Like you, I couldn't really find any great build reviews, videos, etc.

Interesting. I always wondered why Tamiya doesn't release North American car colours in their spray lineup, to match the 70s muscle cars, etc. I get that all of Tamiya kits are japanese and European cars, but I would imagine that if they released 70s muscle car paints they would be a hot seller, considering how popular their spray paints are.

I have seen someone mention before that applying a dull coat over the colour coat can reduce the appearance of large flakes. Then, you would apply your glossy clear. I've never tried it myself though.

Thanks Steve, great advice! I'm going to put on a couple of more coats next week and see how the colour looks after that.

Sure, I'll do that next week. One thing I noticed with the Scalefinishes, is that the Scalefinishes Ford Silver Blue metallic (factory code "y") that I sprayed on the body is actually looking much lighter than the reference pictures on line. It looks much more "silvery" then blue. I shook the paint pretty well before airbrushing. I'm going to put on a couple of more coats and see if it gets darker/shows more blue.

So, after all the feedback here, I was curious about how the same colour in Scalefinishes would look (I bought the colours months ago). I sprayed it on a spoon, and it actually did look a bit better. Then, I put on a couple of coats overtop of the Modelmaster lacquer, and to be honest, i do prefer the Scalefinishes over the Modelmaster. It wasn't a huge difference, but it did look a bit better. I was also impressed with how easy the Scalefinishes paint is to apply. It covered very well, and laid down very nicely. Also, was very easy to clean out of the airbrush. I think I'll try Scalefinishes again for my next project. At least I know they'll have any paint colour that tamiya/modelmasters would not have!

Thanks for the feedback! I've only tried the Silver Blue so far.

Hmmm....I found the metallic particles to be pretty good actually. Are you guys confusing the 2 step auto lacquer system vs the Testors 1 coat sprays? I definately see that the 1 coat sprays are very out of scale metallic particles. But I don't see that with the 2 step auto lacquer sprays. I'm referring to these: https://www.testors.com/product-catalog/testors-brands/model-master/auto-lacquer-paint/sprays

I just recently sprayed a 1965 Mustang AMT kit (1/16) with the ModelMaster Lacquer 2 step spray (Silver Blue Metallic) and this paint is fantastic! It is so easy to spray, and covers very well. I had this colour in Scalefinishes as well, but at the last minute I liked the idea of quickly using a rattle can (it's just so much quicker and easier) I looked on the Testors website, and it appears that they have around 34 colours available. The colours look fantastic, and they are mostly colours that are not offered in the Tamiya spray line. The silver blue metallic has been discontinued I believe, as it's no longer listed on their website. I stumbled across one last can at my hobby shop. It's a very nice looking colour, it's a shame they discontinued it. Having said that, I don't know many other cars that had this as a factory colour? Perhaps that's why it was discontinued? I want to find another can of it, in case another future project could use it. With all the changes with Modelmaster enamels, I really hope Testors doesn't discontinue any more colours within the 2 step Lacquer line. Here's hoping they add even more colours! Anyone use these? What are your thoughts on these sprays?

I use Tamiya products almost exclusively. Their acrylic paint is perfect for airbrushing. Their enamel (imported from Japan) is perfect for brush painting. All of their brushes, putty, sand paper, tools, weathering products, glue, etc are top notch. Every time I need a new tool I always buy the Tamiya version, if they have it.

I have always loved this episode: 2 guys just chatting and building models together. Some good techniques on weathering, etc by Adam

I just started using ScaleFinishes, and it's great! He'll mix any colour that you need. I understand that Zero Paints and Gravity are also very good. All three brands are quite similiar, in that they are a basecoat lacquer and need a clear over them.

Hi everyone, I recently purchased Scalefinishes Silver Blue Metallic for a 65 Mustang. I bought the base and the enamel, to see which one I would prefer. I also purchased the enamel clear. Is there any concern about this yellowing, like the Testors enamel clear? I'm spraying this over a light colour, so I'm concerned that it may yellow over the years. Or, is this enamel different than the standard Testors? I sent an email to Jameston, just waiting on his reply, but wanted to see what others thought as well. I don't want to use their 2K clear, as that seems to be pretty harsh with the chemicals.

My default is always tamiya rattle cans and tamiya enamel for brush painting. (yes, enamel. I order them on eBay from overseas and I receive them every time. Usually takes 6 weeks). I use model master lacquer sprays for colours I can't get from tamiya, such as 70s muscle car colours. in fact, almost all of my tools and supplies are tamiya. The quality is so good I don't bother with anything else.

I noticed you have tamiya enamels on your workbench. How do you like them? I'm in Canada and I recently bought a few from eBay and I really like them! They are my new go to brush paint now.

I am placing my first order with Elm City Hobbies (the Canadian distributer for Scale FInishes). I'm looking forward to trying these paints for the first time. I ordered both enamel and basecoat, to see which one I'll like.

I would say the citrus yellow Modelmaster lacquer spray would look pretty good.