I am getting ready to start custom painting a few locomotives, and I know very little about paint. I will be painting primarily Kato locos, with an airbrush.
I know there is Scalecoat II, Badger Modelflex, Testors Floquil, and Testors Pollyscale. I believe the Pollyscale is the only one of the 4 that is acrylic. (water based)
What are the differences between the brands of paint? Which is the best? What is the difference between using acrylic paints and solvent based paints?
Thanks.
Modelflex and Pollyscale are both acrylic (water-based).
Scalecoat and Floquil are solvent-based.
The advantage of the acrylic paints is that you don’t have to deal with potentially harmful organic solvents and fumes (you should still wear a mask of some sort to avoid breathing in airborne particulates from spraying the acrylics though).
If you got the right protective equipment (either a respirator or a paint booth with a good ventilation system), there shouldn’t be much danger in using a solvent-based paint though. Floquil are good because they offer such a large variety of railroad shades. Scalecoat has the advantage of drying with a glossy surface so you don’t have to apply a separate gloss coat before applying decals.
Hope this helps.
Go with the acrylic paint.
So neither delivers a superior finish, acrylics are just safer in general? Any any brand is fine, just depending on which has the correct color?
You got it! If you can’t find the correct color, you can mix it yourself. acrylic paint mixes easier than the others.
I believe that is what it boils down to. I just painted up my Kato N AC4400CW and for my first time airbrushing and detailed painting in general, I thought it turned out great. I used the PollyScale paints and used their thinner. Peter
Alright, I’m about to get everything figured out. Now for my next question. In a two color paint scheme, take BNSF’s new scheme for example, how do I get the black on top in the right place, right size, etc.? Do I just eyeball it and mask it off where it looks about right, or is there some better method of doing this I should know about?
The only issue I’ve had with acrylics, is that when airbrushing them, if you stop the airflow through the brush, the paint sets in brush in 15 seconds.
Get your decal set first. Microscale decals come with a paint diagram that will show you which colors to use and where to apply the masking.
Nick
I just eyeball it.
As aforementioned, follow the Microscale instruction sheet that comes with the decals. That’s the most accurate way of doing it. You can also use landmarks on the prototype, such as the paint border in relation to things like air intake grilles, hood doors, etc. to determine where to place the masking.
For airbrushing I prefer a solvent based paint as you can use an internal mix or an external mix but with acrylic you are better off with an exteral mix unless you are a pro ( it clogs fast). If you go acylic and use a thinner made by the company make sure it is fresh and toss it out after a couple months after you open it or it will make a mess!!!