I know that Testors bought out Floquil some time ago which raises some questions in my mind.
I realize there are two ‘lines’ of Floquil - solvent and acrylic based (Poly Scale). I have been using the acrylic based for some time, but recently encountered a problem with trying to find certain colors in that line. So this brings up two questions - first, I understand Testors changed some formuals in the solvent base line and does this mean that the paint can be brushed or airbrushed on plastic wihout first applying a coat of Barrier? I remember this was always a critical step because the solvent would ‘craze’ the plastic without the Barrier being applied first.
Second question - have some colors been discontinued - namely, Grimy Black in the Poly Scale line? My LHS hasn’t had any in months and they say it is only available in solvent base. I also see that Walthers is only showing inventory for the solvent based variety.
Finally, is there some kind of a standard dilution when using this is an airbrush?
I think your acrylic grimy black question would best be answer by a call to Testors. They may have discontinued it, but it is still shown on their on-line color catalog. See the 5th row on the right in the following link: http://www.testors.com/category/137367/Railroad_Acrylics
Oh, and concerning what the local hobby shop says, one of my local hobby shops has told me on several occasions that things were not available. What that actually meant was that the sole distributor he dealt with did not happen to carry what I wanted.
They mix the paint colors in batches , so certain colors can be out of stock for periods of time. Try other online stores, Walthers is mainly a distributor, so they may have shipped out all their stock to hobby shops, both brick and mortar and online. Caboose Hobbies, MB Klein (modeltrainstuff.com) and others.
Acrylic paints should be thinned to a milky consistency (2% to whole), and airbrushed at 20-25 psi with a medium (#3) tip. Polyscale’s consistency (thickness) varies from color to color and batch to batch. Modelflex is generally airbrush ready.
I no longer use solvent paints, but Floquil has changed it’s Diosol forumula to be more compatable with plastics.
Actually, I’ve never had a problem with Floquil crazing plastic when airbrushed, but it could cause such problems when applied with a brush. While Testors may have tinkered with the formulae since taking over Floquil, lacquer thinner still works well as a solvent for Floquil paints. Depending on personal preferences and method of application, I like between 25-50% thinner for regular painting (airbrush) and up to 90% thinner when weathering with an airbrush. I don’t use Floquil as a wash ever, and almost never apply it on plastic when using a brush.
I’ll second that. The original Floquil went on just fine over bare plastic when applied with an airbrush. The only trick was to apply in several light coats. I never experienced any crazing when doing so. There is so much confusion about Floquil now as they retained the name through a few formula changes. Progress ain’t always good as the stuff they made 30 years ago worked just fine for me.
I use the Floquil paints almost exclusively for my models, rolling stock and locomotives. When airbrushing I thin them by 25-30% with the Floquil thinner. If I am brush painting (usually just trim items, grabs etc.) I use it directly from the bottle. I have never had a problem with crazing.
I do use a few of the Polyscale acrylics for weathering and as washes on buildings and rock faces.
I find that the thinner based paints are easier to blend to get the match I need. The acrylics don’t seem to blend as well and are inconsistent when they have been on the shelf for awhile.
I agree: once thinned and/or mixed to make custom colours, the shelf-life of PollyScale is very unpredictable. I have similar thinned mixtures of Floquil that are still useable more than five years after they’ve been mixed. Most are weathering colours and are added-to regularly with various left-overs from other projects. Unless I have a large project to paint or it’s a colour that’s used frequently, I no longer buy the large bottles of PollyScale. At over six bucks a bottle, it’s money I can’t afford to throw away. [swg]
Every spray any Roundhouse models with Floquil? Not sure if they were all the same but the old undec Bathtub hoppers were NOT suitable for spraying. I still have two ruined hoppers I save to remind me to check. Had to prime with Barrier a total of 58 of those buggers to get a nice finish. Total PIA.
Lot of them, including boxcars, covered hoppers, tank cars, and passenger cars. Never had a problem with crazing, although I never had to paint the cars which you mention. [swg]
Testor’s new Airbrush Thinner/Cleaner (red can) works on all current Testors and Floquil non-acrylics. I’ve only ever encountered “crazing” on black plastic such as undec Athearn or Roundhouse with the OLD Floquil Laquers (Metallic cap with feather on it). The new formula works fine with no barrier (solid black cap). I do not recommend mixing the old and new formulas together, they tend to seperate out and form a blob of the old resins in the bottle. I thin 15-20% less for dark colors more for light.