Buyer beware

[bobthehobbyguy]

10 hours ago, mrm said:

My suggestion for you if you want to get into the whole multilayer game of primer, color, clear etc., is to not waste your money and just buy yourself a can of nice Tamiya grey primer and use their colors. Those two are designed to work together and have a proven record. By the time you run out of color options from Tamiya, you should have mastered the spray can primer game and have few quite well finished models on your shelf. Then you can start branching into other brands and types of paint. But as far as ease of use with proven results, nothing beats Tamiya. I would just recommend to be very careful with their clear, which will eat through decals and is extremely hot. 

So, don't be afraid to go get a cheap model and build it box stock just to practice. I believe that you will find a whole new level of joy in building models

This is the best advice. One clarification is you want to use the Tamiya TF and TS paints and not the PS which Is for the lexan rc bodies.

[cbowser]

   Coming from the model aircraft community, I don't see a whole lot of rattle can paint jobs. 

They seem to be rather prevalent in the scale auto world, with what seems to me, a lot of objectionable/unintended results. Why does spray can usage seem to be so much more common amongst scale auto modelers. I can see using hobby dedicated spray can products, but anything else seems risky to me.

Not trying to start a flame war, just curious more than anything.

 

Chad

[Bainford]

9 hours ago, cbowser said:

   Coming from the model aircraft community, I don't see a whole lot of rattle can paint jobs. 

They seem to be rather prevalent in the scale auto world, with what seems to me, a lot of objectionable/unintended results. Why does spray can usage seem to be so much more common amongst scale auto modelers. I can see using hobby dedicated spray can products, but anything else seems risky to me.

Not trying to start a flame war, just curious more than anything.

 

Chad

I think it has a lot to do with the notion that, by and large, model car builders are... let me see, how shall I put this... more 'cost conscious' than builders of other genres. 
 

I'm not saying one way or the other, but you can't fool them circle flies. 

Edited August 25, 2024 by Bainford

[Nicholas]

6 hours ago, Bainford said:

I think it has a lot to do with the notion that, by and large, model car builders are... let me see, how shall I put this... more 'cost conscious' than builders of other genres. 
 

I'm not saying one way or the other, but you can't fool them circle flies. 

the builders that I know  that like rattle cans like them for convenience easy to use instead of a air brush,plus most don't know how to use one,but yes that leads to buying spray cans with more product in them( Rust-Oleum,than the little hobby cans(Tamiya Mr color ect)  I get that its cost issues,  but its getting into compatability   issues hobby paint vs lawn furniture paint with plastic models,also could be a logistics issue some people are miles/hrs away from hobby stores(not to mention them closing down a lot so hardware stores are a lot closer fwiw Michaels craft store closed by me and that where I used to get my testors spray paint but now always paint with a airbrush 

[StevenGuthmiller]

13 hours ago, Bainford said:

I think it has a lot to do with the notion that, by and large, model car builders are... let me see, how shall I put this... more 'cost conscious' than builders of other genres. 

I'll say it......They're cheap!!!!

 

But in all seriousness, I think while "frugality" may be part of it, I will always believe that there are a number of different factors.

One seems to be the strange desire among what appears to be a large segment of the model car building community, to build something.....anything......as fast as possible.

If you can go to Home Depot right after lunch, buy a can of paint, and have the body of your new kit painted before dinner, you're doing great!

I guess that I have to confess that that is pretty much the same attitude that I had when I was twelve, but it appears to be a difficult thing to shake for many.

 

 

 

Steve

[peteski]

4 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I'll say it......They're cheap!!!!

Steve

And lazy, not wanting to clean the airbrush after each color, and after the painting session. I see that excuse mentioned often.  But I think it also boils down to the fact that military modelers are more fastidious than average automotive modelers. The seem to strive for better quality and fidelity in the models they build.

And like Steve said, many go for a quick build rather than a super-detailed model which takes months to build.

[Bugatti Fan]

Oh well!     According to the last two posters I appear to have not shaken off the attitude of a twelve year old and I am lazy.

Funny thing that.     I can airbrush as well as anyone,  but maybe I should not have been awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals  for any my models over the years at IPMS UK SMW and other shows where the bodies on them were sprayed with?  

 Wait for it!      An Aerosol !       LOL

Edited August 26, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Oh well!     According to the last two posters I appear to have not shaken off the attitude of a twelve year old and I am lazy.

Funny thing that.     I can airbrush as well as anyone,  but maybe I should not have been awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals  for any my models over the years at IPMS UK SMW and other shows where the bodies on them were sprayed with?  

 Wait for it!      An Aerosol !       LOL

Never said a word about people who use rattle cans being 12 year olds.

I use plenty of spray cans.

what I implied was people that hose on a coat of paint and throw together a kit in a weekend are using exactly the same build philosophy that I had when I was 12.

That might rub some folks the wrong way, but it is a fact in any event.

 

 

 

Steve

Edited August 26, 2024 by StevenGuthmiller

[stavanzer]

Well, Steve, getting them '12 year-olds' interested in the this hobby is the key to it's future, so maybe be a bit more encouraging, eh?

[slusher]

3 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Never said a word about people who use rattle cans being 12 year olds.

I use plenty of spray cans.

what I implied was people that hose on a coat of paint and throw together a kit in a weekend are using exactly the same build philosophy that I had when I was 12.

That might rub some folks the wrong way, but it is a fact in any event.

 

 

 

Steve

Steve, I have unused new cans of paint that’s 25 years old but I never use them after one model"..

[bobthehobbyguy]

4 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

what I implied was people that hose on a coat of paint and throw together a kit in a weekend are using exactly the same build philosophy that I had when I was 12

And if that is the way somebody wants to build and have a good time I see nothing wrong with it. The same person might wonder why anyone would spend months or years on a model. 

It's a hobby and we all enjoy it in different ways.

[stavanzer]

1 hour ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

And if that is the way somebody wants to build and have a good time I see nothing wrong with it. The same person might wonder why anyone would spend months or years on a model. 

It's a hobby and we all enjoy it in different ways.

Amen, Bob.

[Bugatti Fan]

It's a case of each to their own, like anything else in life.

If those Henrys (as in Henry Ford) churn out models as though on a production line and use an aerosol like a fire hose that's fine by me. At least they are making something, and if happy with what they build, so be it. And, does it really matter to anyone else how they make their models?

But, we must remember that some of those Henrys just might at some time come over to the dark side of the hobby and get more serious like mastering air brushing, super detailing and taking months on end to make a model.

It's just a hobby at the end of the day and regardless of how far anyone wants to go with it, as long as they enjoy what they build, it matters not one jot what level of expertise they gain or not. And, it should be remembered that we were all rank beginners when we built our very first kit. We should be encouraging, not discouraging  our fellow hobbyists, and making disparaging remarks does not help promote the hobby as far as I can see.

Personal circumstances, other commitments and whether a modeller has an area to build models in or not are major influences for all of us. Someone who has to model on a kitchen table and clear away after every session can only look at those who have dedicated modelling rooms and all the gear and can only wish they were blessed with the same.

Some more highly experienced modellers, not just on this forum, can be a bit aloof with their opinions about others at times and can come across as being a bit 'I'm better than you'.

By all means be a serious modeller.    But don't take yourself too seriously !

 

 

Edited August 27, 2024 by Bugatti Fan

[bobss396]

14 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Oh well!     According to the last two posters I appear to have not shaken off the attitude of a twelve year old and I am lazy.

Funny thing that.     I can airbrush as well as anyone,  but maybe I should not have been awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze medals  for any my models over the years at IPMS UK SMW and other shows where the bodies on them were sprayed with?  

 Wait for it!      An Aerosol !       LOL

I won a Best Paint award at MASSCAR some years back using Duplicolor and an auto parts store lacquer clear. Also a few "best in show" trophies. I had done 2 nail polish jobs, one was a BIS and the other won wherever it went and was in 2 model mags. 

I used to swear that Testors enamels were only good for keeping the rust off snow shovels. Then I saw someone that could lay down amazing results using that line of paint I bad mouthed. 

I have had my club members tell me that it was impossible to get good results from a spray can. I'm now convinced that someone could dip a dead squirrel's tail into a bucket of latex house paint and win an award with the results.

[JollySipper]

52 minutes ago, bobss396 said:

I have had my club members tell me that it was impossible to get good results from a spray can.

All of my paint jobs are from an aerosol can..... It's all in knowing how to use the materials! This is all DupliColor.

It looks decent enough to me.....

[peteski]

15 hours ago, Bugatti Fan said:

Oh well!     According to the last two posters I appear to have not shaken off the attitude of a twelve year old and I am lazy.

I didn't specifically mean you, but I have seen many modelers use the excuse that airbrushes are too much hassle to use when a spray can is easy to deal with.  Personally I think it is a poor excuse, but that is what they use. SUre you have to clean the airbrush (which usually involves shooting some lacquer thinner through it - no real hassle), but spray cans aren't perfect either.  They can also clog, sometimes with no way to unclog them, and you have  very little control of the paint and air pressure, which to me is important when spraying small objects (like model parts). Airbrush is like a scaled down spray gun, so it is perfect for  painting miniatures.  I used to use Testors and Pactra hobby spray cans in my earlier modeling years, but as my techniques advanced, I switched to airbrush.  But when a task requires (for example spraying a body shell of a 1:8 scale model car), I will use a standard spray can of paint.   For example I used a large spray can of black epoxy appliance enamel to paint a 1:8 Pocher Mercedes 340K.

Using the right tool for a specific task usually gives optimal results.

[NOBLNG]

21 minutes ago, peteski said:

I didn't specifically mean you, but I have seen many modelers use the excuse that airbrushes are too much hassle to use when a spray can is easy to deal with.  Personally I think it is a poor excuse, but that is what they use. SUre you have to clean the airbrush (which usually involves shooting some lacquer thinner through it - no real hassle), but spray cans aren't perfect either.  They can also clog, sometimes with no way to unclog them, and you have  very little control of the paint and air pressure, which to me is important when spraying small objects (like model parts). Airbrush is like a scaled down spray gun, so it is perfect for  painting miniatures.  I used to use Testors and Pactra hobby spray cans in my earlier modeling years, but as my techniques advanced, I switched to airbrush.  But when a task requires (for example spraying a body shell of a 1:8 scale model car), I will use a standard spray can of paint.   For example I used a large spray can of black epoxy appliance enamel to paint a 1:8 Pocher Mercedes 340K.

Using the right tool for a specific task usually gives optimal results.

No one is arguing that spray cans are superior to an airbrush. It’s the attitude that people who don’t build using your techniques or  build to your standards are lazy or juvenile. Why should someone have excuse their use of a spray can? This is a hobby, not a job.

[StevenGuthmiller]

12 hours ago, stavanzer said:

Well, Steve, getting them '12 year-olds' interested in the this hobby is the key to it's future, so maybe be a bit more encouraging, eh?

That's not a discouragement.

It's how I would expect a 12 year old to build.

It's how I did it, and it's entirely normal.

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

11 hours ago, bobthehobbyguy said:

And if that is the way somebody wants to build and have a good time I see nothing wrong with it. The same person might wonder why anyone would spend months or years on a model. 

It's a hobby and we all enjoy it in different ways.

Certainly.

You do you.

Chad's question was "why does using spray cans seem to be more prevalent with car modelers"?

Just giving one person's observations.......mine.

What others think is their opinion.

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

No one is arguing that spray cans are superior to an airbrush. It’s the attitude that people who don’t build using your techniques or  build to your standards are lazy or juvenile. Why should someone have excuse their use of a spray can? This is a hobby, not a job.

And I’ve seen on numerous occasions where people who share the same attitude towards building as I do are referred to as “rivet counters”, or “trophy hounds”, or are somehow incapable of enjoying what they do, or are not “building for themselves” because of that philosophy, so you see, none of us are immune from “attitudes”.

 

 

 

Steve

[Ace-Garageguy]

4 hours ago, bobss396 said:

...I'm now convinced that someone could dip a dead squirrel's tail into a bucket of latex house paint and win an award with the results.

My personal painting-tool of choice is a dirty pinecone.

By the way...it's much more challenging to use a live squirrel.

EDIT: Just remember to get a rabies shot first.

 

Edited August 27, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[mikemodeler]

3 hours ago, JollySipper said:

All of my paint jobs are from an aerosol can..... It's all in knowing how to use the materials! This is all DupliColor.

It looks decent enough to me.....

And that is how it should look- in your eyesight.

[Bainford]

11 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

My personal painting-tool of choice is a dirty pinecone.

By the way...it's much more challenging to use a live squirrel.

EDIT: Just remember to get a rabies shot first.

 

I could never get the second coat to come out nice with the dirty pinecone. Always too lumpy. I'll try harder.

I can attest, however, to the abilities of a live squirrel's tail to provide good coverage. A squirrel will sometimes trot into my garage. One managed to dip his tail in a pan of used motor oil. Before he found his way back out of the garage, he had laid down a coat of oil on just about everything in there.

[peteski]

5 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

No one is arguing that spray cans are superior to an airbrush. It’s the attitude that people who don’t build using your techniques or  build to your standards are lazy or juvenile. Why should someone have excuse their use of a spray can? This is a hobby, not a job.

When someone tells me that they use spray cans because they don't want to deal with the hassle cleaning out the airbrush, to me that is lazy. Period.  If you call this "an attitude", so be it. I guess you can argue about this 'til the cows come home. but I'm not changing my mind. 

Edited August 27, 2024 by peteski

[bobthehobbyguy]

5 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

No one is arguing that spray cans are superior to an airbrush. It’s the attitude that people who don’t build using your techniques or  build to your standards are lazy or juvenile. Why should someone have excuse their use of a spray can? This is a hobby, not a job.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally some of the posts can be interpreted as if things aren't done this way it is wrong.

I think there are merits to both spray cans and air brushes. It really depends on which works best for you.