Pelican Parts
Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   Pelican Parts Forums > Miscellaneous and Off Topic Forums > Off Topic Discussions


Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread
Author
Thread Post New Thread    Reply
Registered
 
Flatbutt1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NWNJ
Posts: 6,202
Model airplane paints

I couldn't find a thread on these paints. So, I'm looking for reco's on Testors v Tamiya v Vallejo. Also a brand of modeling air brush.

I'm digging out my old kits for things like P-51, F 4 etc. and will paint some in camo, others with invasion stripes and so on.

I'm not sure if I'll hand or air brush.

__________________
big blue tricycle

stare down the darkness and watch it fade
Old 01-07-2024, 05:34 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #1 (permalink)
Control Group
 
Tobra's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Carmichael, CA
Posts: 53,593
Garage
You will want to do regular brush for some stuff. Sister's father in law was into trains, had a miniature village he built. Some buildings were from kits, some he made using balsa wood and an exacto knife He used a loupe to paint stuff, the little people were plastic and he bought, custom painted those. Held his work in one of those clamps for making your own flies for fishing. He had brushes that were tiny, with only a couple strands of hair to them
__________________
She was the kindest person I ever met

Last edited by Tobra; 01-07-2024 at 08:41 PM..
Old 01-07-2024, 08:39 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #2 (permalink)
Model Citizen
 
herr_oberst's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
Posts: 18,980
Anecdotal only, tamiya and vallejo get the best reviews. AK also makes a good quality paint. There's a 5hit-ton of airbrush reviews on the university of YouTube, and some of them are (once again this is anecdotal) surprisingly good for just a few dollars.

__________________
"I would be a tone-deaf heathen if I didn't call the engine astounding. If it had been invented solely to make noise, there would be shrines to it in Rome"
Old 01-07-2024, 08:43 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #3 (permalink)
Model Citizen
 
herr_oberst's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
Posts: 18,980
This is my favorite modeling channel. This guy builds ships and airplanes. Here he is doing the camo on a Tempest.

__________________
"I would be a tone-deaf heathen if I didn't call the engine astounding. If it had been invented solely to make noise, there would be shrines to it in Rome"
Old 01-07-2024, 08:47 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #4 (permalink)
Registered
 
Bill Douglas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: bottom left corner of the world
Posts: 22,780
Another brand to consider is Humbrol.
Old 01-07-2024, 09:32 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #5 (permalink)
Registered
 
Flatbutt1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NWNJ
Posts: 6,202
Quote:
Originally Posted by herr_oberst View Post
This is my favorite modeling channel. This guy builds ships and airplanes. Here he is doing the camo on a Tempest.

That was great thank you.
__________________
big blue tricycle

stare down the darkness and watch it fade
Old 01-08-2024, 05:48 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #6 (permalink)
 
Registered
 
Flatbutt1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NWNJ
Posts: 6,202
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobra View Post
You will want to do regular brush for some stuff. Sister's father in law was into trains, had a miniature village he built. Some buildings were from kits, some he made using balsa wood and an exacto knife He used a loupe to paint stuff, the little people were plastic and he bought, custom painted those. Held his work in one of those clamps for making your own flies for fishing. He had brushes that were tiny, with only a couple strands of hair to them
Great idea. I found one called a "third hand".
__________________
big blue tricycle

stare down the darkness and watch it fade
Old 01-08-2024, 05:49 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #7 (permalink)
Registered
 
HobieMarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Opelika, Alabama
Posts: 5,002
Harbor Freight has this one that is fairly inexpensive. I made something similar out of a soldering iron holder, a metal clip, and a small magnifying glass that I had.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk
__________________
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
Wonka
Old 01-08-2024, 08:02 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #8 (permalink)
Registered
 
IROC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 11,475
Garage
A couple of observations on this subject: 1. Model paints are WAY more expensive than they used to be. As a kid, I would ride my bike up to the corner drug store and right next to the tube-testing machine was a rack of Testors paints. The small bottles were typically $.12 or $.19 each. Fast forward to now and those same bottles are something like $3?!?!??

Also, they now make water-based model paints. I don't like those. I'll pay $3 for a bottle of Testors.
__________________
Mike
1976 Euro 911
3.2 w/10.3 compression & SSIs
22/29 torsions, 22/22 adjustable sways, Carrera brakes
Old 01-08-2024, 08:36 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #9 (permalink)
Registered
 
HobieMarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Opelika, Alabama
Posts: 5,002
I use the small bottles of Testors enamel paints and I also have some Testors Model Master acrylic paints. The acrylic ones clean up easier with water but I perfer the enamel paints. The little bottles are something like $3.99 at Hobby Lobby!!!

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk
__________________
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
Wonka
Old 01-08-2024, 09:55 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #10 (permalink)
Model Citizen
 
herr_oberst's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: The Voodoo Lounge
Posts: 18,980
Instead of a vise or alligator clips, I'll sometimes hold tiny parts with bamboo skewers tipped with masking tape and then set them in a corrugated cardboard stand to dry. You can paint lots and lots of parts and never have to touch 'em, and the skewers are super cheap and reusable.

__________________
"I would be a tone-deaf heathen if I didn't call the engine astounding. If it had been invented solely to make noise, there would be shrines to it in Rome"
Old 01-08-2024, 10:32 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #11 (permalink)
Parrothead member
 
VINMAN's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Monmouth county, NJ USA
Posts: 13,847
When I was real heavy into my military models, my go too were Polly S and Humbrol.

Testors has really stepped up their paint game.

.
__________________
Vinny
Red '86 944, 05 Ford Super Duty Dually '02 Ram 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually, '07Jeep Wrangler '62 Mercury Meteor '90 Harley 1200 XL
"Live your Life in such a way that the Westboro Baptist Church will want to picket your funeral."
Old 01-08-2024, 10:57 AM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #12 (permalink)
 
Registered
 
Zeke's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Long Beach CA, the sewer by the sea.
Posts: 37,792
I've never used anything but Testor's. Didn't even know about others. Yes, it is as expensive as my wife's FN polish.
Old 01-08-2024, 12:45 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #13 (permalink)
Registered
 
Bill Douglas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: bottom left corner of the world
Posts: 22,780
I've got lovely high gloss finishes with my old Paasche airbrush and suitably thinned Humbrol paints.
Old 01-08-2024, 01:03 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #14 (permalink)
Registered
 
HobieMarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Opelika, Alabama
Posts: 5,002
I watch a YouTube channel called "Model Car Videos" and he uses an airbrush and MCW paints and his stuff comes out looking really good.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk
__________________
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
Wonka
Old 01-08-2024, 01:15 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #15 (permalink)
Registered
 
HobieMarty's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Opelika, Alabama
Posts: 5,002
Quote:
Originally Posted by herr_oberst View Post
Instead of a vise or alligator clips, I'll sometimes hold tiny parts with bamboo skewers tipped with masking tape and then set them in a corrugated cardboard stand to dry. You can paint lots and lots of parts and never have to touch 'em, and the skewers are super cheap and reusable.



That's a good idea. I use a lot of wooden clothes pins and these metal clips for holding parts for painting. I get packs of assorted sizes at the Dollar Tree. I try to find a place on the part that won't be exposed and clip there.

Sent from my SM-S916U using Tapatalk
__________________
"A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men."
Wonka
Old 01-08-2024, 01:21 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #16 (permalink)
Navin Johnson
 
TimT's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Wantagh, NY
Posts: 8,810
When I was still building models...The first airbrush I bought was a Badger single action

When I wanted to have more flexibility and get artsy etc...but didn't want to spend a bunch of money on something I'd just use a few times..

A Paasche VL kit was recommended as a good all around kit.. Since Testors was the only paint available.. thats what I used









The Paasche VL kit is around $60 now...
__________________
Don't feed the trolls. Don't quote the trolls
http://www.southshoreperformanceny.com
'69 911 GT-5
'75 914 GT-3
and others
Old 01-08-2024, 02:17 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #17 (permalink)
Registered
 
Flatbutt1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NWNJ
Posts: 6,202
Given my shaky hands I'm now thinking the air brush is the way to go. So, can anyone give me their opinion on an airbrush compressor?

I won't be using my Porter Cable pancaker.
__________________
big blue tricycle

stare down the darkness and watch it fade
Old 01-08-2024, 03:08 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #18 (permalink)
Slackerous Maximus
 
HardDrive's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 18,196
I'm a model railroader. I have been using Vallejo for about 5 years, very happy with it. I prefer Testors for spray paint, or Montana Gold, which is typically found at art stores, not hobby shops so much.
__________________
2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor.
2012 Harley Davidson Road King
2014 Triumph Bonneville T100.
2014 Cayman S, PDK.
Mercedes E350 family truckster.
Old 01-08-2024, 03:15 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #19 (permalink)
Registered
 
Flatbutt1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NWNJ
Posts: 6,202
Quote:
Originally Posted by HardDrive View Post
I'm a model railroader. I have been using Vallejo for about 5 years, very happy with it. I prefer Testors for spray paint, or Montana Gold, which is typically found at art stores, not hobby shops so much.
Which compressor do you use?

__________________
big blue tricycle

stare down the darkness and watch it fade
Old 01-08-2024, 03:17 PM
  Pelican Parts Catalog | Tech Articles | Promos & Specials    Reply With Quote #20 (permalink)
Reply


 


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 08:16 AM.


 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2025 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page
 

DTO Garage Plus vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.