Dave G.

I find that gloss "as shot" pretty much to be the case with most enamels, even decanted and airbrushed Rustoleum 2X. The key is to mix it and put it on right. However, I will say that if I recall correctly, the MCW enamel is solvent based acrylic automotive enamel ( not to be confused with waterborne enamel acrylics in any way). But it's not the old alkyd enamel either.

It sounds like you had their lacquer which is pre thinned for airbrushing and basically brush paints lousy.. The enamel is not thinned, it should brush paint fine.

I suspect the clear MCW uses for the enamel line is a 1K clear, not truly enamel then if so. I don't think it's 2K but could be. You would have to ask though, don't go just on my word. When I use enamel, regardless what brand, it's generally for an old classic car like 1950s on back into pre teens era.. I don't use clear on those if to use enamel. To me it's pretty much ready to display as shot if done right and all turns out successfully. But these days I'm using more acrylics than I am solvent paints. Base coating with acrylic or lacquer probably would need the clear in my case unless it's a true gloss like Tamiya products. Then I can just buff it up.

This is a video done back when the MCW enamels were first being released. Donn is a respected model car painter, has won many contests with his paint jobs and primarily an enamel user.. Won't do any harm to watch the video. It probably won't embed but just click the link ( wow surprising it did embed).

That's about a dead ringer for the old Model Master Classic Black enamel. You can use the Tamiya, it will be a bit more stark black or Jet black but not way off. You could make a fine rendering with either if done right. I wish they made the model in a 4door like that. My dad had one back in the day, it was gold.

What white paint were you intending to use if you don't mind my asking ? And type of paint ?

Some of the hottest lacquers are automotive acrylic lacquer, which by the way is the same stuff the cherished and highly acclaimed MCW people sell as model paints. Some of the most health concerning enamels around are automotive acrylic enamels with an optional secondary agent that catalyzes it. Which incidentally is the enamel some model specialty paint suppliers sell with optional hardener. Same stuff. So no, acrylic doesn't have to be water borne. At all, in any way.

Ya I had a 65 Buick Skylark V6 with 1bbl carb. It's like having a built in governor, silly concept.

I don't know what "it" was you're referring to but what you're showing is a a good classic and repeatable example of what a reaction of hot lacquer sprayed over fresh enamel often looks like.

The acrylic thinner # is X-20-A. Mix it up to 50/50 but probably 60% clear and 40% thinner will be fine.

Tamiya acrylic clear gloss is X-22. I normally thin it with lacquer thinner but if to use it over enamel I'd get the Tamiya acrylic thinner.

Yep, been there done that. Or even just the X-Acto, a little trim will do ya and it's not even seen or noticed when done.

As long as you don't toss it in the driveway and run it over with your car you're doing fine lol !! I've had moments with things that made me think of doing that, though never have. Plus that interior looks great !

Molotow is what I would use as well. The 1/1 looks more aluminum or stainless than chrome, the Molotow will be a bit brighter, just so you know. I actually have a silver craft paint that would match well, I've used it on trim like that before, brushed on. Molotow is considerably easier to do though.

Shellac based products you thin with denatured alcohol. That's what you cut shellac with in the first place.

If you go the water route just use trace amounts of dish soap, you don't need to see dish soap bubbles frothing up to get a little lube out of the mix.It should work fine but if you have a spare sticker test first. Same as with Jim's product you will want to squeegee out the excess along with any air bubbles in your sticker.

You might want to dig a bit deeper, don't assume.

I agree, plus: Really it was the paint producers and suppliers selling acrylic paints to hobbyists leading that for the most part were water borne, the modelers just picked up the conception acrylic must be mild like latex house paint lol..And nobody from the industry filled in between the lines. Meanwhile, as some of us who shot 1/1 for any amount of time knew acrylic to be generally a pretty hot product, especially acrylic lacquer and long before model paints took the plunge into mild waterborne acrylics.. Acrylic lacquers were quite hot. To which incidentally, MCW supplies hot acrylic lacquer. Their lacquer isn't just lacquer but acrylic lacquer. So it's not just the idea the term acrylic came to be known as mild in the model industry but meanwhile acrylics had already been in hot solvent paints a long time. In fact as waterborne acrylics for models came out, so too was a stab at it for base color coating in 1/1. The term base coat clear coat came out of that. Before then, (what late 1970's ish,) clear coating wasn't a standard at all in refinishing cars or trucks. Clear was around but it wasn't on production cars nor really in refinishing till base coating took hold.

I looked it up, in Dupont it was 817, then there was a suffix for what type of paint. We used it for 7 Up and Dr Pepper trucks. I'm including a drop down that should list numbers, paint brands etc. MCW can probably mix it or just go to a Napa store and get a sample in acrylic enamel. You don't have to do anything, I'm posting for fun none the less ! image [year] make model paint color name code sample GM code Chrysler code Ditzler PPG Dupont RM BASF Glasurit Autocolor Spies Hecker Martin Senour Sherwin Williams comment C X 2185 21667 Mack Truck Dupont Imron PPG Durethane Offset Listing June 1988 C X 2185 817, 00817 Mack Truck Dupont Imron PPG Durethane Offset Listing June 1988 White X WEA5111, WE5111, WA5111 DT1084 2185 21667, 378-21667, 6715, 776-21667, 817, N0006 1347 PPG/Dupont Cross-Ref 1990 Caterpillar White X WA5111, WA9225, WE5111 DT1084 2185 817 1347 GM-5111, GM5111, GM-9225, GM9225 8HM4, 8JT9, 8JT9B 17841 1208 7209 GM Corporate White Clark Lift White X WA5111, WA9225, WE5111 DT1084 2185 817 1347 GM-5111, GM5111, GM-9225, GM9225 8HM4, 8JT9, 8JT9B 17841 1208 7209 GM Corporate White Fleet 7up White X WA5111, WA9225, WE5111 DT1084 2185 817 1347 GM-5111, GM5111, GM-9225, GM9225 8HM4, 8JT9, 8JT9B 17841 1208 7209 Fleet Dr Pepper White X WA5111, WA9225, WE5111 DT1084 2185 817 1347 GM-5111, GM5111, GM-9225, GM9225 8HM4, 8JT9, 8JT9B 17841 1208 7209 Fleet Northwest Airlines White X WA5111, WA9225, WE5111 DT1084 2185 817 1347 GM-5111, GM5111, GM-9225, GM9225 8HM4, 8JT9, 8JT9B 17841 1208 7209 Chevrolet Chevrolet Corporate White X WA5111 DT1084 2185 817 1347 8HM4, 8JT9, 8JT9B 17841 1208 7209 GM White X WA9225

The thing about all white paint jobs is it's white. I mean it's not a pzazz color like pink or purple iridescent pearl or something. White isn't everyone's cup of tea without an accent color or unless it's the accent color. I don't recall the name, code or paint number but GMC had a crisp white in their fleet colors around the late 70's or so. Every time I shot it in 1/1 it made me think of freshness. I shot it over light platinum primer. If you put the paint chip ( I had a huge thick book of chips and codes by manufacturer)next to other chips of whites you could see it had just a hint of blue in it. You didn't see that till you compared. Some whites a hint of grey, others yellow etc.

I'd probably scan n print my own but that's me. Course you need a decent all in one printer to do that. There are decal companies out there, someone will answer your actual question.

The mixing stick thing works quite well actually. Drag a good batch of paint up the side of your mixing cup with the mixing stick. It should return down the side of the cup in 1-3 seconds or so and leave a film behind. If it returns instantly with nothing on the cup then its too thin. If it sits like a blob or creeps it's way back down it's too thick. You don't have to be exact and can change air pressure for the difference. Also this depends on your thinner mix in terms of any additives, the brand paint as well. Some paints just flow out a little better than others and this is something you get a feel for. Thinning this way is thinning by viscosity. But once you get a good repeat going on with this you get a sense for what ratio you hit on for that color. But that range of thickness above will get ya going. Some paints like the thinner side of that method, others will take the thicker. And if it doesn't want to spray out right it may still be a bit thick,just put in a few drops more thinner, it will probably spray fine.. I've sprayed low fat milk by the way, to entertain myself. Swirled it around in the cup, got a sense for it, put it in the airbrush and it sprays great. But so does water or alcohol or lacquer thinner if you think about it. So when your paint won't flow it's probably too thick.

Thinning with water in most any acrylic paint and then airbrushing is never optimal . Nix the water or at least water alone. In Testors I find my own mix of thinner to work best but then I have a whole system of shooting acrylic paints that I doubt anyone else follows. Here's the deal from another view though, Testors makes their own acrylic thinner, try that first. Don't forget to use a decent primer on your model as well.

The Procon 289 as it turns out has the tiny screw in tips, not my personal cup of tea.

It all comes down to personal preference, at least assuming decent quality airbrushes to begin with. And the only way you truly come to know this is by using them. I can tell you about my own personal issues, mainly little tiny screw in tips I have little use for. Give me big stuff or slip in but nix the tiny screw in tips. Regardless what brand it is.