Whose Paint Do We Use Now?

[Pete Steinmetz]

Valejo. The military and figurine modelers seem to like that stuff, I see the chain craft store here carries some of it now so I may give it a try.

For the guys that want to duplicate RR colors in Vallejo.  Take a bottle or a train car to the store.  I matched boxcar red pretty close by taking a bottle of BCR with me and holding it up to the color chart.

Vallejo is great paint.  I have been using it for over a year.  They have Model Air which can be airbrushed right out of the bottle and Model Color which is a little thicker.

I've been buying my paint at military and plastic kit hobby shops.  There sure are more of them than train shops anymore.

[mmagliaro]

If I am spraying from a can, Tamiya.  It's finely atomized and their blacks have done well for me on steam.
For airbrushing,  Scalecoat.   

This is ironic, in that I had always used Scalecoat preferentially over Floquil, but in the past year or two
I have been using Floquil a lot more and really liked it.  And now it's going away.

[bman]

Citadel paints by Games Workshop have some nice colors as well that they produce for their Warhammer lines and other games.  They make a color that I need to try for Conrail blue called Teclis Blue.  The little containers look to be a pain to get paint out of into the airbrush bottle though.  I have just started using the Valejo paints on my Warhammer stuff. Only hand brushing so far, and I've like the results.  I will have to give their air brush mix a try. I was not aware Valejo had that.   I've used Model Flex with mixed results.  Getting better the more I use it, which makes sense.  Was very please this last time painting CSX Dark Future for a friend.

for Primer, I use either Tamiya rattle can or Testors rattle can off the auto colors rack for white.  Gray is/was once I run out, Pollyscale undercoat gray.  Tamiya gains another purchase from me here for gray.

While it will be a little period of adjustment,  things will work out.  If someone gets a mix of craft paints that they like, we can share the info with each other. 

[Bob Bufkin]

I  also like to use Tamiya rattle can gray primer.  Use if for military model also.  Funny thing about paints that everyone see the colors a little differenty, no matter what brand your using.  It like what is Tuscan Red, UP scarlet, DGLE, etc., some real flame wars can get started between people on correct colors.  I've got enough stocked up that I'm not worried about running ou for quite awhile.  I'm keep reading the postss here on everyone's opinion on what is not the best colors and brand to use.

[kalbert]

While it will be a little period of adjustment,  things will work out.  If someone gets a mix of craft paints that they like, we can share the info with each other.

Indeed. There have been stirrings of discussion on another forum about starting a cross reference for paint based on contributors findings and experimentation. Just because it doesn't say CSX Dark Future on the label doesn't mean it won't be a good match right out of the bottle, or with minimal mixing.

[Catt]

What I will do if I am going to be painting more than a few locos or cars in a certain colour is mix up a batch that will last for several projects then store it in a airtight container preferably in a dark place.

Most of my Grande Valley Ry. locos are now rattle canned with Krylon Fusion paint. Some rolling stock too. As long as you warm the can up the paint sprays very nicely on N scale size locos and rolling stock.

[Dave V]

The thing though, is that it's not even "from scratch" projects that this hoses.

I've got a Reading GP35 that needed its handrails painted (it's from the dark ages) and rain gutters added. I went to MBK, grabbed a bottle of Reading Yellow and Reading Green and I was good to go.

Now, in this brave new world, I'd have to go grab... I don't even know what, and then custom mix some paint, and make sure to take copious notes so that if I have to touch it up at some later point, I can recreate my original mix.

So even if you're not painting from scratch, the second you need to touch up some detail parts, you're fscked.

Ed, you have some options.  I never cared for how poorly PollyScale Reefer White covered dark items like handrails, so some time ago I started using white arylic craft paint.  The deal there is to Dullcote twice; once to before painting to give it tooth and once after to keep it sealed.

Another handrail option is using paint pens.  I've done super-fine yellow handrails on PRR cabins with paint pens I got at Michael's.

You can still mix custom mixes and document using other paint types.  To be fair I always felt true Conrail blue falls between Pollyscale's D&H Avon and Conrail blue.  You'd be surprised at how close you can get with a good selection of craft blues.

[Bob Bufkin]

Dave, thanks for the tip on using the paint pens.  I actually have a couple I got from Michaels in yellow and never thought to do that. 

[CodyO]

Love that tip Dave I've recently been debating how to do that!

[TiVoPrince]

Hopefully
a mixing chart will spring to life giving a drop by drop equivalent for common railroad colours from commonly available craft paints.  Floquil paints have always been a backup to Scalecoat.  Even in the dark days for Scalecoat it was my preference but the Floquil weathering palette will be sorely missed...

[pmpexpress]

I just found that Vallejo has a 9 piece set just for us! I couldn't find much info on it on their website, but here's a link that says what's in the box. Sounds like there's stuff in their catalog that will work for me anyway, maybe change is a good thing?

http://www.scalehobbyist.com/manufacturers/Vallejo_Acrylics/Paints/VLJ00073099/product.php?man=tam

A manufacturer's link for the complete (and rather extensive) line of Vallejo Model Paints and Pigments:

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/model-paints/division/3

Njoy

[ljudice]

You're right Ed, I'm looking here and I have a bunch of misc. Floquils and PollyScales used for touchup and small projects....

[ArtinCA]

Vallejo is a good choice, with 500+ colors listed. But I may have to look at Tru Color for model RR paint. Or go the craft route. Maybe it's time to open a database of colors and matches?

There's also Gunze, but it may be tougher to track down.

[rogergperkins]

I found Vallejo when I was painting a "bronze" monument for my layout; I liked the paint.   
Then when I decided to add some US Civil War locomotives and rolling stock to my layout I also elected to purchase some Civil War figures.
The military models shop next to the LHS offer an extensive display of these paints.
Most of my painting is of structures versus locomotives or rolling stock so I am not attempting to match specific railroad colors.
So far I am delighted with these paints in my limited use.

[JoeD]

Back in the late 70's...the dark ages of modeling, a number of us got together and worked up paint chips and had quart cans of enamel mililtary colors mixed up at a local auto paint store.  We also had primer and gloss and flat coat done as well...then we dispensed the paint as needed.  You may chuckle, but I had my share of that paint until the late 90's and was pretty prolific building 1/72 scale ac...No problem with color matching or consistancy in my collection.  This might be an option for clubs?  I  know the HO club I'm in did that with the Green and yellows they use on their engines and rolling stock.

Just a thought

Joe