Paint Question??

[DRG]

Sunday afternoon, late, I painted some interior parts with Testors Dark Blue.

I thought sure it would be dry by this evening but it isn't.

Is this normal or did I screw up again???

[Brett Barrow]

Ah, good ol enamels!!!

Why do people still use them???

[DRG]

What else would I use.

I really don't know.

[Brett Barrow]

What else would I use.

I really don't know.

Enamels can take a looooooooong time to dry. If that's all you have access to, go ahead and use them, but there are quicker drying alternatives out there, like acrylics and lacquers, I prefer the Tamiya and Testor's Lacquers in spray cans and the Testors Model Master Acryl line, Tamiya Acrylics, and Vallejo Acrylics in bottles for handbrushing or airbrushing.

[highway]

Ah, good ol enamels!!!

Why do people still use them???

What else would I use.

I really don't know.

Don, I think what Brett was implying was that most modelers tend to prefer Tamiya's acrylics over good old Testor's enamels nowadays, or at least that's the way I'm understanding his comment, anyways. I prefer Tamiya's paints over Testor's Model Master paints myself, but there are two main problems with Tamiya's paints some don't relize. First, Tamiya doesn't carry colors like Chevy engine red or Ford engine blue or some of those other special colors Testor's has in the Model Master line. Second, not everyone has access to them unless you buy online, which I don't really care to do. Not every hobby shop carries the Tamiya paints, as is the case in my area. Of the three hobby shops in the area, two of them do not carry Tamiya paints, one refuses to even think of carrying them. The one that does carry them is not the greatest at getting them in often, so I stock up when new paints do come on.

Anyway, to answer your question, Don, that is sometimes normal for Testors paints. I just recently painted something Chevy engine orange, and it had to dry overnight before it lost its tackiness.

EDIT: I guess I was reading your comment right, Brett! I seen you posted while I was too.

Edited September 22, 2010 by highway

[vaughn]

Bretts right!! Enamels are bad enough...then mix them with Ohio humidity. Take a long nap. It will eventually dry.

[DRG]

I have several acrilyics (?) but they sure don't seem to cover very well using a brush

[Brett Barrow]

I have several acrilyics (?) but they sure don't seem to cover very well using a brush

They don't typically, but because they dry faster you can add more coats sooner. Some acrylics brush better than others, I've never had much luck brushing Tamiya, but Vallejo brushes out great if they're applied over a primer or another paint, they don't like bare plastic at all. Model Master Acryl is a decent brushing paint, they have a lot of the automotive colors in the line, like Chevy Engine Red and others.

I'm a long time convert away from enamels, I'd say I was still a teenager, so it's been almost 20 years since I switched. I still use enamels for certain things, like weathering effects and washes and the occasional handbrushed details, but not for coverage coats anymore.

I tried using a dehydrator to speed up the drying time of enamels, but I found I just got hot paint, it still didn't dry!

[Brett Barrow]

Not every hobby shop carries the Tamiya paints, as is the case in my area. Of the three hobby shops in the area, two of them do not carry Tamiya paints, one refuses to even think of carrying them. The one that does carry them is not the greatest at getting them in often, so I stock up when new paints do come on.

EDIT: I guess I was reading your comment right, Brett! I seen you posted while I was too.

Paint racks are the lifeblood of a hobby shop. Any owner that refuses to get with the time and get a new paint rack in there is just throwing money away. Same thing with an owner that doesn't keep their racks filled. First thing I look at when I walk into a shop is the paint racks. If they're dusty and empty or outdated I know that shop's not doing too well. I could tell the days were numbered at one of my (now closed) LHSes when their racks started going empty.

Edited September 22, 2010 by Brett Barrow

[Brett Barrow]

Yes Brett . You're right, there's nothing better than a full rack.

i certainly enjoy a full rack ;) :D :lol:

[highway]

Paint racks are the lifeblood of a hobby shop. Any owner that refuses to get with the time and get a new paint rack in there is just throwing money away. Same thing with an owner that doesn't keep their racks filled. First thing I look at when I walk into a shop is the paint racks. If they're dusty and empty or outdated I know that shop's not doing too well. I could tell the days were numbered at one of my (now closed) LHSes when their racks started going empty.

Yeah, I know, Brett, but when I asked the one about the getting Tamiya paints in, they complained it would be too much money to get the new paint rack in. Go figure!

As for the one that has Tamiya paints but is slow restocking, he had nearly his entire inventory wiped out in a flood in 2004. He also took over the video store next door, and has been doing more with that then the hobby shop since then, but he has been getting better at not only keeping up with the Tamiya paints, but has started slowly getting new issue kits in as well. The hobby shop is more of a sideline now to the video store, but he has his loyal customers (like me ) and is also the only one of the three that also will carry the wonderful Model Cars Magazine!

[Brett Barrow]

Yeah, I know, Brett, but when I asked the one about the getting Tamiya paints in, they complained it would be too much money to get the new paint rack in. Go figure!

As for the one that has Tamiya paints but is slow restocking, he had nearly his entire inventory wiped out in a flood in 2004. He also took over the video store next door, and has been doing more with that then the hobby shop since then, but he has been getting better at not only keeping up with the Tamiya paints, but has started slowly getting new issue kits in as well. The hobby shop is more of a sideline now to the video store, but he has his loyal customers (like me ) and is also the only one of the three that also will carry the wonderful Model Cars Magazine!

Paint racks are a big investment, it's true, but they'll pay for themselves in a short time. I have customers from 3 states away that come to our shop because we have a Vallejo rack. People have no problem buying kits online and on Ebay, but it seems no one likes buying paint that way! Paint racks and other building supplies are a great way for a hobby shop to have an advantage over the internet when it comes to folks' hobby dollars. We make sure our paint racks, K&S racks, Plastruct and Evergreen racks and all our consumable supplies are always well stocked. The kits we don't worry nearly as much about.

Edited September 22, 2010 by Brett Barrow

[my66s55]

I use mostly acrylics now because of health and safety precautions. It is a learning process to learn to spray through an air brush. This 31 Cadillac body was painted with Liquitex tube paint. The fenders from Liquitex gloss from a jar and the top and interior from Liquitex tube and both were custom mixed.

This 27 Lincoln was painted with Apple Barrel blue strieght out of the bottle. The black was the same as used on the Cadillac

This is again Apple Barrel gloss black.

These colors were all special mixed from liquitex tubes. The fenders are maroon.

I like the fact that the cost is low and my choice of colors is almost endless.

[Ddms]

For interiors, I thin Testors and Floquil flat enamels with lacquer thinner before spraying. The lacquer thinner makes them dry much faster, and I get a smooth, thin coat that covers well.

[charlie8575]

Lacquer thinner usually helps tremendously. I've found Testors paints airbrushed with a little lacquer thinner dry within a couple of hours.

Another thing that seems to help is a hair dryer. Just be careful not to set it to "hot" or to put it too close to the parts you're drying. About 5-10 minutes seems to do a pretty good job at kick-starting the catalyst.

Charlie Larkin