So I have finally found the paint color I would like for my proto-lanced route. A nice green. A little bit darker than Hunter Green with Flat Black rail and chasis. The issue is that it had to be mixed by hand by me. Since I have 4 engines to paint to start with and probably others later, and I REALLY don’t want to mix by hand are there custom mixers that will do batches?
Pretty much any store that sells paint.
Of course you will probably have to buy at least a quart.
Yeah put those are mostly latex’s. I haven’t seen any stores that deal in oils that will mix paints.
I’m not aware of any custom mixers for hobby paint. One of the major paint suppliers might be willing to do it, but they would probably require you to order a very large amount of paint.
If you know the ratio you used to mix your colors, then why don’t you want to just mix some up whenever you need it? With the proper measuring tools, it should only take a few minutes to mix up a batch of your custom colors., and this way you will be working with fresh paint every time you paint something.
Yes, just keep a record of the mix ratio. However, I don’t recommend mixing a large batch and then tapping into it everytime you paint a loco. I have not had good luck with paint that I’ve mixed holding up. In fact, the last time I tried this the color was not the same after it had sat for a while…
Check with a body shop in your area.
Is the green simply a colour which you’ve found, on a paint sample perhaps, that you’d like to have mixed or is it a colour which you’ve actually created, using model paints? What kind of paint do you want to use on your locos - water-based or lacquer-based?
I mix almost all of my own colours, although I keep records only for those which need to match either prototype colours or ones that I use repeatedly which are somewhat unique (company colours, for instance).
If you have a sample or paint chip, it shouldn’t be difficult for you to match it yourself, working with whatever brand and type of commercially-available model paint you prefer. Select a colour that’s close to the one you want, and a couple of ones suitable to alter that “starter” colour in the direction you desire. After mixing the paint thoroughly (stir and/or shake until all of the pigment is mixed completely with the vehicle), wrap a small piece of masking tape around the handle of a small brush, then dip the handle into the main colour, up to the level of the tape. Move the paint-laden handle over your mixing vessel (could be a piece of sheet metal, a jar or bottle cap, or even a piece of blister packaging from a small item) and allow a single drop to fall from the handle. Next, wipe the handle clean, then dip it, to the same depth, into the second colour, and place one drop in with the first one. Mix the two drops thoroughly (an old X-Acto blade works well) and compare the result to your sample. You should be able to tell what’s required to bring it closer to the colour you seek - it may be a drop of another colour, or additional drop or drops of the the colours already used. Keep track of the total number of drops of each colour used. It shouldn’t take long for you to tell if you’re headed in the right direction or if you need to start afresh. While this method is not overly precise, it’s easy to do and economical. Don’t forget, when you find a mix that looks promis