Tamiya clear paints

[peteski]

@peteski  - I'm watching daily to see when the Laquers are going to ship. That is the day the Modelmaster rack goes in the trash. Right now we have no solvent based options in the store with Model Master stuff going, going, gone. Have tried TrueColor and it didn't sell well. Starting to look at the MR Hobby stuff to fill in if Tamiya doesn't get on the ball and get this stuff here. Been waiting close to a year for it at this point.

Did you have a chance to look at the latest issue of FineScale Modeler? They have a nice article comparing several lines of organic-solvent based (read "stinky") acrylic lacquers.  You could probably stock some of those in the hobby shop.  You could always start stocking Scalecoat II paints.  Those are really good too. How about Humbrol and the long-awaited Revell paints?

[SkipGear]

Did you have a chance to look at the latest issue of FineScale Modeler? They have a nice article comparing several lines of organic-solvent based (read "stinky") acrylic lacquers.  You could probably stock some of those in the hobby shop.  You could always start stocking Scalecoat II paints.  Those are really good too. How about Humbrol and the long-awaited Revell paints?

We have it in the shop, I will have to take a look.

We tried Humbrol, the only people interested in it were figure painters. It dried up on the shelf. I can get Humbrol quite easily, I wish it sold better, they have some really nice sprays that the rep gave me as a sample to play with. Revell is struggling to keep models on the shelves, I don't want to go down another rabbit hole with them. Vallejo, which I love, has the same problem, it is next to impossible to get. I have a list of paint to try to restock that will top close to $4000. I will be lucky to actually get maybe $1500 worth of it this week.

[peteski]

We have it in the shop, I will have to take a look.

We tried Humbrol, the only people interested in it were figure painters. It dried up on the shelf. I can get Humbrol quite easily, I wish it sold better, they have some really nice sprays that the rep gave me as a sample to play with. Revell is struggling to keep models on the shelves, I don't want to go down another rabbit hole with them. Vallejo, which I love, has the same problem, it is next to impossible to get. I have a list of paint to try to restock that will top close to $4000. I will be lucky to actually get maybe $1500 worth of it this week.

I wonder why Humbrol is such a poor seller?  It is very similar to old Testors PLA enamels (but IMO better), and has a wide range of colors.  I used Humbrol when I was in Poland (well that was all that was available), but it was a good paint.  Is it that people have not adjusted to the fact that Testors is going away?

How about that Scalecoat II?

The hobby shop closest to me (about 20 miles) carries a really wide range of paints, including Vallejo, Humbrol, Alclad, Tru-Color, Tamiya, whatever is left from Testors/Model Master, some Scalecoat, and couple others I don't recall now.  They are really well stocked in paint.

[SkipGear]

We carry: Vallejo (full line), Tamiya (soon to be full line), Testors Enamels, Mission Models, Army Painter, Citadell (Warhammer paint), Alclad, Spazstix, Mr Hobby, some AK and MIG paints. We have it covered. We are out of space. We are trying to double our square footage this summer and with that will come more room for more lines.

[Joetrain59]

Wow, lot's of info here. I only use the clear tints for altering color output of 3mm LED's. I wanted red to tint 2x3 SM Led's, until Tim @ Ngineering
 said it would ruin the chip. I want a bottle of blue, to go along with the orange and yellow I have.
 Those are round bottles, acrylic labeled, that I got at Willis Hobbies in Mineola, L.I., NY, sometime in the '90's perhaps.
 BTW, Mineola Station is a great railfan spot, esp. at rush hour.
 I will order from one of the suppliers mentioned.
  Thanks,
 Joe D

[peteski]

I'm not sure why Tim would tell you that tinting the LED case would ruin it (or the chip inside).  LED cases are molded epoxy which withstands the soldering temperatures, and solvents used to clean the flux after soldering.  The epoxy is very robust.  I've used paint on LEDs, and have even filed down the LED cases without any effect on the LED.  I would not hesitate using paint of any sort (especially the rather mild Tamiya alcohol-based acrylic paints) to tint the LED.

Back before warm LEDs were available, I was tinting cool white LEDs to "warm up" their light.  Never had a problem.

[Joetrain59]

Pete, I'll have to go back and find that email from Tim.
 Big Y says Pazcki (spelling) are here! A bit early???
 Joe D

[peteski]

Pete, I'll have to go back and find that email from Tim.
 Big Y says Pazcki (spelling) are here! A bit early???
 Joe D

Ah, pączki - Polish donuts.  I like the ones with prune (um, plum) filling.  Yum!  No Big Y's in my area.  I usually pick up a box of pączkis when I attend the Springfield show (and I'm glad that I can't buy those year around - I'm watching my girlish figure). 

I hope you find that email because I'm really curious about his reasons.

[Joetrain59]

Here you go Peteski, copied right from the email from Tim;

DO NOT try to tint the gel pocket in the 2x3 LEDs!!! This WILL damage the LED! The manufacture strongly recommends not touching or placing anything in the gel pocket that holds the LED die (the part that makes the light).

 What you think, Big Chief?
 Joe D

[peteski]

Here you go Peteski, copied right from the email from Tim;

DO NOT try to tint the gel pocket in the 2x3 LEDs!!! This WILL damage the LED! The manufacture strongly recommends not touching or placing anything in the gel pocket that holds the LED die (the part that makes the light).

 What you think, Big Chief?
 Joe D

Ah, now that I have the context of the warning, it makes sense.  He is not talking about the most common LEDs with molded epoxy housing.  The LEDs he is describing have white ceramic housings, and instead of epoxy, the cavity where the LED die sits is filled with a phosphor mixture suspended in a soft gel.  I suspect that it is actually similar to silicone caulking material.  If you try to gently paint the surface of that gel, the paint will likely bead up anyway  (like it does on silicone caulk).

I didn't even think of those LEDS, because the majority of small SMD LEDs we use in our hobby have epoxy housing.  But N-Gineering does sell that type of LED (and I also have bunch I bought from a surplus shop).  So yes, with that specific type of LED, tinting it not recommended.

[Chris333]

Chief 

[peteski]

Chief 

That is "Big Kahuna" to you!