Jonj238 Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 On my latest 1/25 scale modeling project, I can't seem to find the exact color I need in model spray paints, but I have found the exact color I need in those automotive spray touch up cans. It is a metallic color, so I was wondering if there is a difference in the metal flakes in automotive vs modeling paint? Would the automotive paint have metal flake that is too large by scale?
High octane Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Buy it and try it. Spray some on a plastic spoon and you'll see.
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Yes. It most likely will. That's why a lot of use automotive type paints from places like "Model Car World" & "House of Kolor". The metallic they use in their paint is much finer to keep closer to scale for models. If you have an airbrush & are looking for a custom or candy color, you may want try HOK. If you're looking for a factory color, I would recommend MCW. MCW also offers many of their paints in a spray can. I use MCW paints almost exclusively. I just love the stuff! Steve
Erik Smith Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Or try automotive paints labeled "Pearl". Don't know if they will have the same color available, but auto metallics have pretty decent sized flakes. I've only tried solid colors from MCW...may try the metallics.
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Or try automotive paints labeled "Pearl". Don't know if they will have the same color available, but auto metallics have pretty decent sized flakes. I've only tried solid colors from MCW...may try the metallics. You'll love them Eric!! Steve
Mike_G Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Metallic and metalflake are two different things Almost all metalflakes are out of scale
Ridge Rider Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Some good advise above but if you do try the auto touch up cans, they can be a hot paint and scar raw styrene. I would suggest testing compatibility with your primer or bare plastic before actually shooting your model.
StevenGuthmiller Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Some good advise above but if you do try the auto touch up cans, they can be a hot paint and scar raw styrene. I would suggest testing compatibility with your primer or bare plastic before actually shooting your model. Same applies with MCW paints. They will craze the plastic as well. Always use plenty of good primer when using automotive paints. Steve
Ace-Garageguy Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 Metallic and metalflake are two different things Almost all metalflakes are out of scale Most any automotive touchup paint labeled "metallic" is going to have flakes in it that are really too large for scale work, unless you're trying to replicate dune buggy / bass boat / kustom kar or wild race car finishes. In general, Testors "one coat" metallics have flakes that are ridiculously huge in most cases as well. As mentioned above however, touchup paints labeled "pearl" or "mica" often have finer flakes. BUT unfortunately, there are never going to be two versions of exactly the same color in both "metallic" and "pearl". These touchup colors are mixed to match specific car-manufacturer color numbers, and it just doesn't give you 2 versions of the same color with different sized metallic particles. Never. Ever. Duplicolor is pretty good about getting accurate renditions of the color that's in the can on the cap, but you have to look very carefully at the cap to determine flake size. This Olds hood was shot with a Duplicolor green with "pearl" in the name.
Lucas van H Posted January 30, 2015 Posted January 30, 2015 I've used both modelling and automotive paint, and I prefer the automotive stuff. Main benefit for me is that the stuff is available in a whole array of different colors. The metallics may not be scale, but for me it works just fine. I find the bigger cans alot easier to handle also and the paint lays down a lot smoother in my case.
Art Anderson Posted February 2, 2015 Posted February 2, 2015 Back 50 yrs ago, it was AMT lacquers (those behaved very much the same as today's Tamiya and Modelmaster lacquers) which were excellent. However, I got into building 1/25 scale Indy car models with a passion, which made the AMT line more than a bit inadequate. Fortunately, I had a NAPA store close to where I worked, and I discovered that their rattle cans of Martin-Senour acrylic lacquers were stocked under that adage "It ain't old till it's sold" which meant I was finding cans of the stuff going back several years! By then I was used to decanting spray cans into my airbrush color jar, and adding just a touch of lacquer thinner to that before spraying. Ever since, I've used both automotive spray touchup lacquers (preferring whenever possible to use the small touchup bottles--generally I can find a much greater variety of colors that way), and thin that with generic lacquer thinner (Kleen Strip is what I use nowadays). It does take a lacquer primer, and as I airbrush every body shell, the brand of primer doesn't much matter. Art
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