Automotive Touch Up Paints

[m408]

Every day I see a few cars on the road that have colors that I would like to use on model cars. I am very, very, new to air brushing. Can I go to the local auto parts store, get a small bottle of touch up paint, thin, and apply to a model? Hints?

[Lownslow]

Every day I see a few cars on the road that have colors that I would like to use on model cars. I am very, very, new to air brushing. Can I go to the local auto parts store, get a small bottle of touch up paint, thin, and apply to a model? Hints?

only ones i know are plastikote they make 2 oz bottles but i heard you had to do something else aside from thinning them ive never tried them. let me know how that goes

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

What I do is buy the spray cans, then spray it into a jar and let it sit for a few hrs to let the propellant evaporate or add a little bit of lacquer thinner. Then you can spray it from your airbrush. If you don't let the propellant evaporate, it can foam up and cause a mess and it won't spray consistently. Lacquer thinner seems to help get the propellant out faster.

[Merkur XR4Ti]

I do this all the time.

Plastikote makes their auto paints available in 2 oz. bottles. It needs to be thinned some with lacquer thinner, maybe 20% or so. It can then be sprayed through an airbrush. It works pretty well, but you'll have to experiment to see how much you should thin it and how best to spray it. I can be touchy stuff when spraying. Good news is that it dries very hard and sands out very well.

Be sure to use a good primer on the body first; stick with Plastikote if you're using their paint. Duplicolor also makes fine auto primers and paints.

[Peter Lombardo]

Even though I would not recommend it, because of the work involved in preparation and because this is not the most efficient method to paint a model, I have used touch-up paints with more than decent results. A few years ago, I got my hands on a box full of many different Mazda touch up paint bottles for free. I thinned down a few of them and sprayed them through my air brush with no problem at all. The only two items of concern I can recall are 1. Be careful to get the paint consistency right…not too thick or thin and most importantly, 2. Be sure to use a good lacquer primer that can stand up to “Hot†lacquer based paint. After that, go for it. But be aware, you may need more than one bottle of touch up paint to insure you have enough finish your project.

[Harry P.]

I assume you prefer airbrush over spray can?

I use DupliColor spray cans. They have a nice, smooth fan spray...not your typical spray can pattern. I prefer the convenience of cans...no thinning, cleanup, etc. The Duplicolor sprays go down nicely. If your question has more to do with finding good automotive paint rather than necessarily airbrushing, I'd suggest you try a can of DupliColor and see if you like it. I'd be willing to bet you would.

[Harold]

I assume you prefer airbrush over spray can?

I use DupliColor spray cans. They have a nice, smooth fan spray...not your typical spray can pattern. I prefer the convenience of cans...no thinning, cleanup, etc. The Duplicolor sprays go down nicely. If your question has more to do with finding good automotive paint rather than necessarily airbrushing, I'd suggest you try a can of DupliColor and see if you like it. I'd be willing to bet you would.

What Harrypri said. The cans are convenient, and when you're finished, you just clean the nozzle (although one day I'll bite the bullet and buy an airbrush).

[m408]

I assume you prefer airbrush over spray can?

I use DupliColor spray cans. They have a nice, smooth fan spray...not your typical spray can pattern. I prefer the convenience of cans...no thinning, cleanup, etc. The Duplicolor sprays go down nicely. If your question has more to do with finding good automotive paint rather than necessarily airbrushing, I'd suggest you try a can of DupliColor and see if you like it. I'd be willing to bet you would.

Thanks Harry,

I have been using DupliColor spray cans with good results, but have not found a source that has a large selection of colors. My kids got me an air brush set up for Xmas and I'm trying to learn how to use it. I know that most auto stores carry a large variety of touch up bottles, therefore the question.

[Harry P.]

Thanks Harry,

I have been using DupliColor spray cans with good results, but have not found a source that has a large selection of colors. My kids got me an air brush set up for Xmas and I'm trying to learn how to use it. I know that most auto stores carry a large variety of touch up bottles, therefore the question.

All the auto parts stores around here (NAPA, Pep Boys, Murray's, etc.) carry a whole slew of colors, GM, Ford, MOPAR and imports. Probably hundreds of colors. Isn't that the case in car crazy California, too???

[Guest Gramps-xrds]

Another thing you can do to get an accurate flake size is to mix candys and a little pearl. I've done this on several models w/ great success. The trouble w/ auto metalics is the flake looks small on a real car but when you but it on a model it looks like a metal flake paint job. You can also spray an auto metalic into a jar and let the metalic settle, then pour the tinted clear into another bottle, then add some pearl. This will reduce the flake size on a stock auto paint so it looks closer to scale. I have a couple of jars of pearl paste that'll mix w/ either lacq. or enamal so I don't have to watch which is which.