Reccomendations For Good Metal Finish Sprays?

[oldcarfan]

A post on another forum reminded me how much I relied on these paints, I stole a picture. My building went dormant when I got married and had kids, then when I got back to it, Model Master was pretty much gone. Is there a modern spray equivalent? They came in stainless, aluminum, magnesium, titanium, and maybe other shades too. They were my go to for engine and drivetrain parts. Between these Krylon's Dull Aluminum I thought they were the (spray) bomb!

[peteski]

I still have some of the original (even before Testors acquired them) Metalizer paints in airbrush-ready bottles.

I think that most similar product today is Alclad II series  of their metallic lacquers. https://alclad2.com/finishes/regular/  and https://alclad2.com/finishes/high-shine/

These produce smooth metallic finish with no discernible flakes, but you really need an airbrush to apply them (just like with the original Metallizer paints).

[Ace-Garageguy]

To the best of my knowledge, there's NOTHING like the lovely old buffing metalizers.

Yes, there are some decent metal-ish finishes, but they don't buff up like the Testors stuff did.

44 minutes ago, peteski said:

These produce smooth metallic finish with no discernible flakes, but you really need an airbrush to apply them (just like with the original Metallizer paints).

Hmmmmm... Not to be argumentative, but the rattlecan buffing metalizers worked great right out of the rattlecan once you learned how to handle them.

Are you referring to the little glass bottles of buffing product, which I thought (perhaps mistakenly) were sold concurrently with the rattlecan stuff?

[Ace-Garageguy]

 

[Matt Bacon]

If you can get them in the US (Megahobby seems to stock them), Humbrol Metalcote Polished Aluminium and Polished Steel are great buffing metallisers. The Aluminium goes from fine matt silver to reflective and slightly darker, and is handy for aircraft where you can mask panels and change the appearance in a patchwork like real “natural metal” airframes. It’s also good for aluminium castings on cars to get some differentiation between highlights and recesses. But the Steel is amazing… it starts out dark matt gray, but the more and the harder you polish it, the more chrome-like it gets. It’s great for things like brakes, where a light polish results in a cast iron look for the hubs, and firmly pressing on the discs with a chamfered matchstick gives you the polished metal of the disc surface…

best,

M.

Edited Friday at 08:33 PM by Matt Bacon

[Brian_R]

Back to the original question.

Any spray can alternatives ???

 

[peteski]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

To the best of my knowledge, there's NOTHING like the lovely old buffing metalizers.

Yes, there are some decent metal-ish finishes, but they don't buff up like the Testors stuff did.

Hmmmmm... Not to be argumentative, but the rattlecan buffing metalizers worked great right out of the rattlecan once you learned how to handle them.

Are you referring to the little glass bottles of buffing product, which I thought (perhaps mistakenly) were sold concurrently with the rattlecan stuff?

Nothing to argue about Bill. I was referring to the original Metalizer airbrush-ready paints supplied in glass bottles.  This is before the company was bought out by Testors.

It was long time ago but as I remember they were never offered in rattle cans.  Only when Testors bought that paint line they started offering them in spray can form (and I believe they also changed the paint's formula).

Testors sold their metalizer line of paint in airbrush-ready bottles and some were offered in spray cans.

[Matt Bacon]

17 minutes ago, Brian_R said:

Any spray can alternatives ???

Metalcote comes in rattle cans as well as regular tins.

best,

M.

[Aaron Ingles]

Tamiya AS12 was what I substituted for the aluminum metaillizer.  The other shades you're pretty much stuck with airbrush choices.  Tamiya TS100 is a good gun metal color if you don't clear it.

[Ace-Garageguy]

37 minutes ago, peteski said:

Nothing to argue about Bill. I was referring to the original Metalizer airbrush-ready paints supplied in glass bottles.  This is before the company was bought out by Testors.

It was long time ago but as I remember they were never offered in rattle cans.  Only when Testors bought that paint line they started offering them in spray can form (and I believe they also changed the paint's formula).

Testors sold their metalizer line of paint in airbrush-ready bottles and some were offered in spray cans.

 

I appreciate your response. I was not aware of those at all.

Every bottle in that photo says "non buffing".

Was there a "buffing" line as well?

[sfhess]

Eastwood sells spray cans of stainless steel, aluminum and cast iron gray.  Good paint but it's not buffable.

[Brian_R]

I was not aware of the Humbrol spray cans. 

Not too many metal colors but it looks interesting.

Thanks

[oldcarfan]

3 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

To the best of my knowledge, there's NOTHING like the lovely old buffing metalizers.

Yes, there are some decent metal-ish finishes, but they don't buff up like the Testors stuff did.

Hmmmmm... Not to be argumentative, but the rattlecan buffing metalizers worked great right out of the rattlecan once you learned how to handle them.

Are you referring to the little glass bottles of buffing product, which I thought (perhaps mistakenly) were sold concurrently with the rattlecan stuff?

That's why I liked the Model Masters is because it was in spray cans. 

[Rodent]

1 hour ago, oldcarfan said:

That's why I liked the Model Masters is because it was in spray cans. 

Yup. Not likely to get out the airbrush to paint a transmission, intake manifold, or exhaust system.

I have some "R-Word" aluminum that I like a lot, but looking for decent steel and cast iron finishes.