Dave G.

Thats looking awesome !

Chevy had maroon and burgundy metallic in 51.

I have a smaller sized pliers, where the inner part of both jaws is well rounded with teeth that about every other tooth on Testors caps serrated edge engages the pliers teeth.. With a little heat first and a gentle nudge from the pliers, I've rarely needed more to get a top off. I haven't damaged a top, it doesn't get much easier. And this on seemingly impossible tops to get off with bare hands.

MLT works in acrylics that are alcohol based, Like Tamiya X series. Most waterborne acrylics though, don't like it. That's not to say all waterborne won't work. I don't mess with it beyond I did a bench test once and waterborne curdled. Doesn't matter, at least to me, because I have my blends of thinners for waterborne acrylics anyway. Enamel works, Testors Enamel I can speak for first hand. As well as Tamiya LP Lacquer. Which makes sense, since MLT is a form of lacquer thinner. I hope any of that helps.

The LP-1 black with MLT is a phenomenon. I shot 34 Ford pickup fenders with that combo, mixed 1-1 and the results of which don't even need buffing. And I can see the kitchen lights reflecting in them clearly, or foliage outside. That combo by far has out performed, in terms of purity of finish any other gloss black I've used. I just wish they made the toning of the old Model Master Classic black, as well. Testors little bottled gloss black enamel thinned 1-1 with hardware lacquer thinner will come out nearly as nice, if you can keep the dust out of it as it tacks up. But again, no Classic black. Classic black was my go to for classic car fenders. I can get to something close to classic black using acrylic and clear coat. But as far as shooting and done paints, no. Unless maybe Mr Color has something, I have not investigated that idea.

Me too, Trevor. I bought some backup jars with lids and tubes, for either my H or the Badger 200, don't recall which. But the tubes were just a bit too long, I trimmed as you did, at an angle. I also cut in a little V notch on one side of the tube, just in case.

Vevor actually makes some decent quality products. I imagine the compressor will hold up pretty well, about like Master or Point Zero. The airbrushes in this kit look to be the same as every other Chinese set. Usually a little tune up gets them going OK. To which you can find videos online about doing so. It's very possible that external mix airbrush that got batted to pieces, had the little siphon tube hitting the bottom of the glass, thus stopping flow with anything thicker than water. Also with any external mix like that, you turn the nozzle tip outward to get more paint flow. If it was in too far, that would cause the problem too. I've seen that even with my Paasche H. It's rarely the tool at fault but the users knowledge and understanding, something you will never gain in airbrushing if taking a bat to each perceived problem. Just sayin. You can get a replacement .8 external mix Chinese made airbrush at Amazon for $20. And try again. It should work when set up properly, but .8 is a very nice size for shooting properly thinned craft paints. The products and thinning of which is another whole topic, good for another thread of opinions.

I imagine it did come out nice but I haven't found it. We are in the questions and answers forum here, fwiw. Maybe check your forum title and post header.

Mike, were you using the 4021 reducer ? How rough or grainy are you talking about. Explain your procedure, if you don't mind. Like thinner type and amount. Airbrush, the tip size, air pressure, working distance from the model. Atmospheric conditions the day you shot it. Meanwhile read this: For model car top coats, Createx 4050 Gloss UVLS Clear is generally considered a better choice than the 5620 Gloss Clear. Here's why: Superior Adhesion: The 4050 offers better adhesion, even as an adhesive primer for surfaces like plastic, metal, and glass. UVLS Protection: The "UVLS" in 4050 indicates its formulation includes UV protection, which is beneficial for protecting the underlying paint from fading, especially with candies or other dyes. Multi-Functional: The 4050 can also function as a mixing clear to create a more durable, mar-resistant, and better-leveling acrylic-urethane paint mix. Recommended for Mixing: Createx recommends 4050 for use as a balancing clear with candy2o, pearls, metallics, and flakes for increased viscosity and durability. Considerations for 5620: Acrylic Resin: The 5620 is a water-based acrylic clear designed for use over any Createx Colors paint. Durable (Non-Automotive Grade): While it's durable for indoor and outdoor use, it's explicitly stated as not automotive-grade. This might be a factor if you're looking for the highest level of protection or long-term durability. No UV Protection: The 5620 lacks UV blockers, meaning it won't offer the same color protection as the 4050, particularly with sensitive colors like candies. In summary: If you want a top coat with superior adhesion, UV protection, and the ability to function as a versatile mixing clear for improved paint performance, the Createx 4050 is the preferred choice for model cars. The 5620 may be a suitable option for indoor models where long-term UV protection is not as crucial, but it's important to remember it's not automotive-grade

Did you post it yet, if so where ?

I use Formula 1 Scratch out. Sometimes Colgate tooth paste first, but usually just the scratch out. Then bees wax, most folks use canuba wax, but my bees wax formulation can't decide if it's polish or wax, so it covers two chores lol ! If the finish is real smooth I may just go straight to that. 4050 doesn't dry full gloss either but it shines right up real easy, much easier than automotive acrylic lacquer. More like the old nitro lacquer..

It looks like, from your photos anyway, that it goes on way too heavy.

Waterborne color coats I remember coming in back in the 1980s in 1/1. I was using urethane clear with activator then, from DuPont. However so early on I did not trust waterborne color, so my color coats were lacquer with urethane clear for factory matched automotive. Otherwise I shot acrylic enamel with activator ( solvent based, not waterborne acrylic). And I used DuPont as my main line but not exclusively. Most or many production paint jobs today are waterborne color with 2K clear coat. My 2024 Subaru Crosstrek in Christel Pearl White is just that. And it looks awesome under any kind of light, be it sun or shopping center at night. Really you could use any waterborne acrylic base color coat and 2K, if you don't mind 2K in your house. I do mind that, so I use Createx 4050 waterborne clear coat, which is also UVLS protective. Anything from properly laid down craft paints to actual auto paints should give good color, as long as you get it on even. The magic is in the clear coating. I use more waterborne on models these days than the old stinky paint. Though I must say, you can shoot and be done using alkyd enamel, if you know it's ways. The old classics still look good done in that. I bet a lot of folks here don't know that Ferrari was one of the very first waterborne adopters, not far behind was BMW. GM in the US used it pretty early on as well. In fact it was a GM I first ran into this on.

I use 4050 UVLS clear. And just buff it. It lays down smooth, enough, unless you get dirt in it, to go straight to buffing it up. Looks like hand rubbed lacquer to my 75yo eyes.. I looked up your clear you mention one time. The description didn't mention what I do in clear coating. So I've never tried it. Sorry.

A lot of people dont know it but waterborne finishes in automotive use has been around since the 1980's, I remember them coming in for the after market. In fact one of the first mainline base coat clear coat systems was all waterborne. Ford uses it in their repair shops. Ferrari was an early adapter to it in products, BMW not far behind. Several manufacturers use it today. The winner in manufacture of autos is low heat setting, vs something like baked enamels higher heat.. In this regard in our hobby industry, Createx emerges closely aligned with heat setting . It will air dry but it will be tougher heat set. And they have the UVL clears to go with it, also waterborne. So truly base coat clear coat, and all the more so in the Candy2o line. Also DuPont was an early adopter of waterborne two step systems, with the base color coat water, 2 part urethane clear top ( clear coat with catalyst activator, around 1980ish). I have not used the 1/1 auto waterborne. I do use Createx.