Model Railroading > Model paints

With the demise of Floquil, what paints are you using now for both airbrushing and brush painting? My supply of Foquils such as Rust and Grimy black are at a critical state and I think it is time to start searching. Most of my painting anymore is weathering and Floquil was my preference. Thanks!

Scalecoat

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> Scalecoat

Get 'em while you can.

Mr Hobby or Tamiya
https://veteranus.co.uk/pages/mr-hobby-hobby-colour-chart

Tru-Color
(formerly known as AccuPaint)

Weathering colors:
https://www.arizonahobbies.com/Weathering-Colors_c_1017.html

Lots of Railroad colors:
https://www.arizonahobbies.com/Railroad-Companies_c_1150.html

Be sure to use their Thinner to thin the paint.
Cleans up great with Acetone.  It even dissolves dried paint.
Use a few drops of the Retarder to slow drying, so the airbrush will apply wet-on-wet with each pass.

Self-levels for a smooth finish. 
Dries like nail polish, for a durable surface.  As long as the model is prepped properly, it will adhere tightly.
Dries with a semi-gloss finish, which is perfect for applying decals.
Prior to weathering, apply a coat of Clear Flat.  This gives some "tooth" so the weathering can bond.

Be aware it has one idiosyncrasy.  The solvent molecules are so small that they permeate the plastic containers.  This means if a bottle is left for several years, a "new" (unopened) bottle will be less than full.  If left for a decade, it will appear to be "dried out".  At first I thought it was because of a bad cap seal, but after comparing notes with other Tru-Color users discovered that is not the case.  When I get a new bottle, I add an eye dropper squirt of Retarder, and then fill with Thinner to the bottom of the neck.  I got tired of dealing with the lame plastic bottles and transfer them to glass bottles.  I also spray the cap with paint color so I know EXACTLY what the color looks like.  I also spray a 2"x2" piece of styrene and label it.  This is added to a collection of color chips in an archive sleeve for photographic slides.

One other issue is the owner of Tru-Color is getting on in years.  He is in his 70's now and no telling if he is going to retire some day soon.  Someone might pickup the business, but not guarantees.  If Tru-Color does quit, I would consider making the jump to water-based acrylic paint.  Joe Fugate @ MRH (Model Railroad Hobbyist) has a cross-reference of recipes for matching popular railroad colors.  If you are an MRH member (free to join), a PDF can be downloaded for free.
https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/mrh-acrylic-painting-guide-other-goodies-12204011

If you prefer a hardcopy version, it is available too:
​[url=https://store.mrhmag.com/store/p130/mrh-acrylic-paint-guide.html]https://store.mrhmag.com/store/p130/mrh-acrylic-paint-guide.html[/url]

Take care and God bless!
Dave



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/23 11:46 by tmotor.

A little Tru-Color, a little ModelFlex and some Vallejo. Each have their merits and deficiencies. I do mostly small items, so I am a brusher, sometimes using Tru-Color spray.

TJY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/23 10:42 by icancmp193.

I am a former professional painter, mostly old brass.    On metal the only way to go is Scalecoat 1.   Scalecoat 2 is my over all preference.  Both Scalecoats cover other colors very well with minimum layering.   However you specify weathering.   I think your best bet there is Tru Color.    Thier pigments are super fine and you can thin the paint down to a tint/wash level and get smooth even coverage beyond what is possible with Floquil.    If you check the color charts they have two pages of brown, great for picking weathering hues.     They also have many shades of blacks and grays and rusts.    As mentioned above you MUST use thier thinner other wise you get into issues with coverage and how well it might stick to your work.   I find it dries so fast it can have issues sticking so I almost always add some ot thier retarder to slow the drying process.     I would not try and use Tru Color directly on metal, it does not stick well.    I use a similar shade of Scalecoat as the metal primer, this is because Tru Color needs to be layered up quite a bit to get coverage.     On base colors you will need to allow time after the first and second coats for the piant to set up before you can layer it enough to cover.    Tru Color is the only other paint I like to use.   I have not had enough experience with Mr Color or Vallejo to have an opinion.   The one brand you need to absolutely avoid like the plague is Badger Modelmaster, that stuff is garbage, it is by far and away the worst paint to airbrush, largely because it is water based.   I have a bunch of Polly Scale, also water based, but it is at least reasonable to use, but also no longer made.   Last;   when weathering with TC, turn up your air pressure, try 35lbs as a start, it will give you finner atomization to make for finer tones and hues in the weathering.

Richard Harris.

Your future self may be glad if you opt for water based paint.
Inhalation of many paint chemicals is known to be bad for human health.
I use little bits of solvent based paint now but mostly water based.

I have used Tru-Color on a number of brass and other projects with not one issue at all.  Covers just fine.  

Thanks all for the responses. I have ordered some Tru Color to see how it performs and will go from there. I don't normally paint more than 3-4 times a year as I tend to let things build up before I finish them. I've used Scalecoat many times and do like it but it had been easier to get Floquil until now. Guess I should go through all of my botlles and see what extras I have that I could put on Ebay for $35 a bottle!!   

Well, Floquil's "Grimy Black" was the best grimy black. I've not found anything that comes close!

TJY

Scalecoat 1 on brass and 2 on plastic. Weathering I would recommend Tamiya flat colors mixed with 99 percent isopropyl alcohol. 90 percent alcohol to 10 percent paint. I use the Tamiya flat white mix for fading and flat black for soot or grime. Tamiya earth tones for dust or grime weathering. When you mix it 90 percent isopropyl alcohol, it lays down on your model surface slowly so you can't overdo it. This may be a good alternative for your weathering painting. 
But if you really want to get into weathering I would recommend Artist oils mixed odorless mineral spirits. These take longer to dry but are forgiving as you have time to dial in your work to achieve the results you want.
Lets just say theres life after Floquil paint. I still have a few bottles to use, but not for weathering 
Good thread....

Tamiya, no doubt! Plus, their X20A Thinner works well with other acrylic paints.

icancmp193 Wrote:
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> Well, Floquil's "Grimy Black" was the best grimy
> black. I've not found anything that comes close!
>
> TJY

Tamiya XF-69 Nato Black is very close.....

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I tend to do a lot of brush painting and I prefer the current lines of wargamers or military model paints such as Vallejo, Scaecolor and Mig.  Badger still makes some good acrylic..  Tamiya makes the best "rattle can" spray paint, but their acrylics can be fiddly for brushing.   Scalecoat still makes a very good representation of UP Armour Yellow,  but it sounds like it will be hard to get.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE