Are Tamiya LP lacquers and TS spray paint the same product?

[Andrew McD]

I sprayed some Tamiya LP-1 Black lacquer this afternoon through the airbrush and was impressed with the results.  In the past I've found it difficult to get a nice result with gloss black paint but the Tamiya (thinned 1:1 with MrColor Leveling Thinner) sprayed nicely and produced a nice even glossy black.  So my point is I am impressed with the Tamiya LP paint's performance but I'm not impressed with the cost of buying mini 10ml jars.  Tamiya spray cans, the TS paint line, by my understanding are lacquer and I'm wondering if there's any fundamental difference between the LP lacquer sold in tiny jars and the TS spray paints.  

I have a number of cans of the Tamiya TS spray cans but haven't decanted any with the exception of their light grey primer.  The light grey primer goes on nicely through the airbrush and I find it much more economical than spraying a fog of paint from a rattle can.  I do thin the decanted paint for use with the airbrush and typically use MrColor Leveling Thinner.  Of course I can run the experiment and decant some of the Tamiya TS spray paint and see if I'm as pleased with the result as I am with the Tamiya LP paint.  But, if anybody can confirm or deny that the LP paint and TS paint are the same products just packaged differently I would be interested to hear from you.

[customline]

Yeah. Me too. 😕

[Pete75]

Hi. There's a discussion about it here 👍

[Bainford]

2 hours ago, Andrew McD said:

... but I'm not impressed with the cost of buying mini 10ml jars.  

Worse than that; I noticed a lot of air space in those bottles, so I measured the contents of two new bottles. Both contained just a hair under 8 ml each.

[Andrew McD]

10 hours ago, Pete75 said:

Hi. There's a discussion about it here 👍

Thanks Pete.  One post in that discussion reported that Tamiya says they are the same product.  I think I'll decant some TS this afternoon and run the experiment to see how it compares to the LP.

[Andrew McD]

9 hours ago, Bainford said:

Worse than that; I noticed a lot of air space in those bottles, so I measured the contents of two new bottles. Both contained just a hair under 8 ml each.

I too noticed that the little bottle was only about half full when I opened it.  It is disturbing, and probably a violation of law, that the contents of the bottles would be 20% below the advertised volume!

[Andrew McD]

10 hours ago, customline said:

Yeah. Me too. 😕

The discussion referenced in Pete75's response is worth reading.

[Rich Chernosky]

The Tamiya LP  and TS lines are NOT compatible.  I mixed the two of them and found the resulting gelatinous goo totally un-useable.  I de-cant a lot of my Tamiya TS paints and they spray quite nicely thinned with MR Color leveling thinner.  The LP sprays just as nice and in particular the clear comes up nice and shiny when sprayed and tinned correctly.  Just wish some of those paints (clear, white, blacks and silvers) came in larger jars and were more economical. 

[NOBLNG]

They likely only partially fill the jars in order to leave room for thinner if you want to add it. That said, I agree it is deceptive and I would rather get a full jar. As far as the primer goes, I buy the little square jars and add lacquer thinner for airbrushing. I keep some pre-mixed in an airbrush jar and just add a bit more LT or primer as needed.

[Andrew McD]

3 hours ago, Rich Chernosky said:

The Tamiya LP  and TS lines are NOT compatible.  I mixed the two of them and found the resulting gelatinous goo totally un-useable.  I de-cant a lot of my Tamiya TS paints and they spray quite nicely thinned with MR Color leveling thinner.  The LP sprays just as nice and in particular the clear comes up nice and shiny when sprayed and tinned correctly.  Just wish some of those paints (clear, white, blacks and silvers) came in larger jars and were more economical. 

Very interesting!  I've not tried mixing them.  Your result would suggest they are different products. Thanks for your input.

[bluenote]

I wish LP would expand their lineup to include more of the TS colours.

[chinglo]

I’ve wondered the same and tried both—TS and LP definitely behave similarly when decanted, especially with MrColor Leveling Thinner. But LP seems a bit more refined for airbrush use straight from the jar. Still, TS decanted and thinned is a great budget-friendly option, especially for larger jobs. I think you’re on the right track.

[Dave G.]

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.

Edited Saturday at 02:22 PM by Dave G.

[Chris V]

23 hours ago, Andrew McD said:

I too noticed that the little bottle was only about half full when I opened it.  It is disturbing, and probably a violation of law, that the contents of the bottles would be 20% below the advertised volume!

I don't think its due to false advertising or insufficient quality control... I've noticed, that the LP paint bottles give off a slight smell - even when thoroughly sealed. This is a sign that the volatile thinner is slowly evaporating from the bottles, which would explain the reduced contents - especially if stored under hot conditions or for longer periods of time.

[Mike 1017]

Does a 1 once bottle refer to the size of the bottle not the content? Unless it says Contains 1 Fluid Ounce?

Mike