Flat Black
Now that Testor’s (ModelMaster) have apparently left the hobby market (joining with MTH next April), what have listers been choosing for their solvent based paints, particularly flat black. The Tamiya is excellent, but also the very flattest of any flat black imaginable. I have some Floquil left, but it is from the end of production, it never drys, and is -hesitantly- headed for the trash.
Denny….
I have not heard that Testor’s was leaving…thanks for mentioning that fact. (Who/what is MTH?) I still have a dozen unopened Floquil bottles left so I just ordered another bottle of Testor’s paint thinner for them. Hopefully, I’ll run out of Floquil paint just after I build the last YV model on my list and those 45+ resin kits…
Jack Burgess
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2020 1:22 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io
Subject: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
Now that Testor’s (ModelMaster) have apparently left the hobby market (joining with MTH next April), what have listers been choosing for their solvent based paints, particularly flat black. The Tamiya is excellent, but also the very flattest of any flat black imaginable. I have some Floquil left, but it is from the end of production, it never drys, and is -hesitantly- headed for the trash.
Denny
Denny S. Anspach, MD
Sacramento, CA 95864
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2020 5:12:02 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io>
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
Denny….
I have not heard that Testor’s was leaving…thanks for mentioning that fact. (Who/what is MTH?) I still have a dozen unopened Floquil bottles left so I just ordered another bottle of Testor’s paint thinner for them. Hopefully, I’ll run out of Floquil paint just after I build the last YV model on my list and those 45+ resin kits…
Jack Burgess
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io [mailto:main@RealSTMFC.groups.io]
On Behalf Of Denny Anspach
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2020 1:22 PM
To: main@realstmfc.groups.io
Subject: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
Now that Testor’s (ModelMaster) have apparently left the hobby market (joining with MTH next April), what have listers been choosing for their solvent based paints, particularly flat black. The Tamiya is excellent, but also the very flattest of any flat black imaginable. I have some Floquil left, but it is from the end of production, it never drys, and is -hesitantly- headed for the trash.
Denny
Denny S. Anspach, MD
Sacramento, CA 95864
Tony,
Who is PBL ? The only Star brand paint I can find on the internet is an African company making house paint!
Regards,
Andy Miller
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2020 4:41 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
Denny Anspach wrote:
Now that Testor’s (ModelMaster) have apparently left the hobby market (joining with MTH next April), what have listers been choosing for their solvent based paints, particularly flat black. The Tamiya is excellent, but also the very flattest of any flat black imaginable. I have some Floquil left, but it is from the end of production, it never drys, and is -hesitantly- headed for the trash.
You can still buy Scalecoat, or the Star Brand paint from PBL is very dependable. I find myself using it more and more.
On Aug 31, 2020, at 2:38 PM, Andy Miller <aslmmiller@...> wrote:
Tony,
Who is PBL ? The only Star brand paint I can find on the internet is an African company making house paint!
Regards,
Andy Miller
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Tony Thompson
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2020 4:41 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
Denny Anspach wrote:
Now that Testor’s (ModelMaster) have apparently left the hobby market (joining with MTH next April), what have listers been choosing for their solvent based paints, particularly flat black. The Tamiya is excellent, but also the very flattest of any flat black imaginable. I have some Floquil left, but it is from the end of production, it never drys, and is -hesitantly- headed for the trash.
You can still buy Scalecoat, or the Star Brand paint from PBL is very dependable. I find myself using it more and more.
This shop buys and sells Floquil.
http://www.narrowgaugemodeling.com/floquil-paint/
-- Jon Miller For me time stopped in 1941 Digitrax Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI User SPROG User NMRA Life member #2623 Member SFRH&MS
Who is PBL ? The only Star brand paint I can find on the internet is an African company making house paint!
Portland, Maine
PRRT&HS No. 3966
NMRA No. L2532
rbrown51[at]maine[dot]rr[dot]com
MTH is Mike's Train House, a head-to-head competitor to Lionel in the tinplate realm which got into HO scale maybe a decade ago with interesting offerings such as SP AC-5 Cab Forwards, a slew of NYC Mohawks, and their own proprietary digital + sound system.
Todd Sullivan
whose brother worked at Lionel at one point
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2020 2:38 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
Tony,
Who is PBL ? The only Star brand paint I can find on the internet is an African company making house paint!
Regards,
Andy Miller
From: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io <main@RealSTMFC.groups.io> On Behalf Of Tony Thompson
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2020 4:41 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
Denny Anspach wrote:
Now that Testor’s (ModelMaster) have apparently left the hobby market (joining with MTH next April), what have listers been choosing for their solvent based paints, particularly flat black. The Tamiya is excellent, but also the very flattest of any flat black imaginable. I have some Floquil left, but it is from the end of production, it never drys, and is -hesitantly- headed for the trash.
You can still buy Scalecoat, or the Star Brand paint from PBL is very dependable. I find myself using it more and more.
https://www.p-b-l.com/pdfs/Painting_&_Weathering_with_Star_Brand_Paints_150dpi.pdf
They also import Sn3 locos and equipment, and have a line of detail parts.
Todd Sullivan
And Tamiya's Matte Black
And there's a place on eBay
that sells Tamiya's lacquer (flat black among others).
Appears to be real lacquer as I have added from my gallon of
lacquer thinner and it didn't gel, just thins down. Never
have seen it in the US. I have ordered and got half a dozen
containers. It's not cheap.
-- Jon Miller For me time stopped in 1941 Digitrax Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI User SPROG User NMRA Life member #2623 Member SFRH&MS
Check Hobbylinc for Tamiya paints. I just bought 12 cans of Tamiya Fine Light Gray Primer, and they discount Tamiya products 20%.
Nelson Moyer
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2020 12:29 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
On 9/1/2020 10:14 AM, Ken Adams wrote:
And Tamiya's Matte Black
And there's a place on eBay that sells Tamiya's lacquer (flat black among others). Appears to be real lacquer as I have added from my gallon of lacquer thinner and it didn't gel, just thins down. Never have seen it in the US. I have ordered and got half a dozen containers. It's not cheap.
--
Jon Miller
For me time stopped in 1941
Digitrax Chief/Zephyr systems, JMRI User
SPROG User
NMRA Life member #2623
Member SFRH&MS
For black where decals need to be added, I use either ScaleCoat I or II (depending on whether the model is metal or plastic). By the way, I use standard lacquer thinner with the ScaleCoat I and put it in a 200° oven for about 1/2 hour or so to dry. Comes out looking like a new Steinway piano!
-- John
I learned the hard way to always use Scalecoat II thinner with Scalecoat II paint. Mont Switzer
Sent: Tuesday, September 01, 2020 5:14 PM
To: main@RealSTMFC.groups.io
Subject: Re: [RealSTMFC] Flat Black
For black where decals need to be added, I use either ScaleCoat I or II (depending on whether the model is metal or plastic). By the way, I use standard lacquer thinner with the ScaleCoat I and put it in a 200° oven for about 1/2 hour or so to dry. Comes out looking like a new Steinway piano!
-- John
I use standard paint thinner (a/k/a mineral spirits, a/k/a Stoddard solvent) with SCII (I do not use the low-odor paint thinner).
SCI is a whole different problem. Since DioSol has gone the way of the dinosaurs, you have lacquer thinner (do not use the junk they sell as HD or Lowes, go to a good paint store and get the "hot" automotive lacquer thinner), and Steve Hoxie uses xylenes (a/k/a xylol). I've tried the xylenes and it works well but is more expensive than the lacquer thinner (I get my LT at Sherwin Williams). The junk they sell at HD, Lowes and Ace is only good for cleaning brushes, spills, etc.
If you are in California, getting these solvents may be a problem, so drive over to Nevada. ScaleCoat paints (both I & II) require a high-VOC thinner to work properly. I think the latest can I got was like 800 g/L VOCs (would give a California tree-hugger a stroke!).
-- John
SCI is a whole different problem. Since DioSol has gone the way of the dinosaurs, you have lacquer thinner (do not use the junk they sell as HD or Lowes, go to a good paint store and get the "hot" automotive lacquer thinner), and Steve Hoxie uses xylenes (a/k/a xylol). I've tried the xylenes and it works well but is more expensive than the lacquer thinner (I get my LT at Sherwin Williams). The junk they sell at HD, Lowes and Ace is only good for cleaning brushes, spills, etc.
If you are in California, getting these solvents may be a problem, so drive over to Nevada.