The title explains it. Has someone come out with a Weathering Pack; or, Railroad Colors? What are you using to replace Floquil and Poly S paints?
Scalecoat and Scalecoat II - better than floquil ever was.
http://www.weavermodels.com/page7.html
Personally, I never used Poly S, to any great degree, I don’t care for acrylic paints.
Sheldon
I miss “Grimy Black” and “Engine Black” in small spray cans. Any suggestions for those? “Milwaukee Orange” is another one I’d like to find. I don’t have an airbrush.
I do miss my Floquil. One of these days my stock will be exhausted. However, I find rattle cans of auto primer, Krylon or Rustoleum are very useful. Dark gray makes a good grimy black, a fine color for steam locomotives, and a good color for the undersides of cars, and for railroad owned bridges and other ironwork. Light gray makes a fine weathered wood color, say flatcar decks, and covered hoppers. Red makes a good boxcar red, and a good brick red.
Then there are the craft shop acrylic paints, Apple Barrel and Ceramcoat, and others. Price is right. For an acrylic paint they are pretty good. I haven’t found a brushing lacquer to replace Floquil. I don’t have any hobby shops left up here, so I’d have to mail order to get any.
I use Tru Color. Solvent based and the RR colors have a glossy finish that’s perfect for applying decals. I also like their clear coats.
They do have flat weathering colors. I just purchased a RR tie brown. Haven’t used it yet, but if it’s like their other colors, I’ll be happy with it.
When my supply of Floquil/Polly Scale acrylics started to run out, I made the big switch to TruColor. They work well, but are not the same. I spray just about everything, but TruColor does not brush paint at all. The more I have used them, the less I like it.
Recently Model Master has released acrylic paints covering most of the old weathering colors. I have bottles here of Rail Brown, Rust, Engine Black, and Grimey Black and they seem to match perfectly. The only thing I havent found in the Model Master line yet, is an orange replacement.
I need to try this stuff. I have never been a big fan of spraying acrylics, but I do like to brush paint on occasion.
Original Floquil, in the square bottle, was a good paint, but over the years it was altered in various ways. In it’s last (mercifully) iteration, it didn’t merit even being called paint, in my opinion. PollyScale was a good paint right from its introduction, but I initially had difficulties airbrushing it - repeatedly clogging the tip within seconds of beginning. After many disastrous results following methods suggested in this forum and others, I finally checked Testor’s own site for their recommendations, and had instant success. It’s too late for PollyScale now (the last version of it was pre-thinned, precluding brush painting, for which the original was very well-suited). It’s difficult to imagine why they took that last step, as their own instructions for airbrushing suggested PollyScale thinner or distilled water - who the heck doesn’t have access to distilled water? It’s readily available in supermarkets, but the water out of my dehumidifier is the same stuff and works equally well.
If you still have PollyScale on hand (not the latest version, though) and are having difficulty airbrushing it, use distilled water to thin it - your preference as to the amount, but I’ve used up to 90% distilled water when using PollyScale for weathering. The other key is to lower the air pressure - 15-20psi works very well. My first attempt using Testor’s instructions allowed me to paint four dozen freight cars, in various shades of boxcar red or black, without stopping except to change or refill bottles - absolutely no clogging. Even better, the finish, once the paint had fully cured (dry to the touch almost immediately, but at least 24 hours for it to harden) is tougher than Floquil. It worked equally-well on plastic or metal, and it was very disappointing to see it discontinued.
Scalecoat I or II is a good substitute - they offer a full range of colours (73, plus 6 weatherin
I still have many Floquil paints left and many that have the new label on them. I have been using a lot of Testor’s Model Master Enamel/Lacquer based paints and a lot of the colors, are Floquil colors, but with different names on them,( I believe that’s why RPM stopped making Floquil and upgraded their Testor line of solvents, but that’s my theory) and so far had great results. Don’t care much for Acrylic’s, unless I’m forced to use them like, Tamiya, Velljo and Citadel made in UK for Warhammer pieces. Also use Humbrol enamels, that come in the little 1/2oz tins, that paint will last forever, if you put the lid on correctly.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
I guess I should have specified that I only brush paint on. I do use Dull Coat and Gloss Coat in spray; but, the amount of spraying I do is very low. Not making a statement about spraying on paint, don’t have an airbrush and don’t feel I need one.
Mark,
All the paints that I mentioned in my reply can be brushed on…I also use a brush and air brush. But I don’t use cheapo brushes,all real hair brushes, Red Sable’s and the like. They cost a lot more, but You’ll have them forever if you clean them properly.
Take Care! [:D]
Frank
Model Master all the way!
Cleaning brushes! Now there is a topic that could use some discussion.
We’ve covered it…heck, a few years back I even started a thread on keeping artist brush tips pointed
Don’t have a Michaels’ near by and don’t need what they sell, anyway: Depending on the type of paint used, I will use either Mineral Spirits, or water to clean a brush. I will agitate the brush in either water or spirits and brush on a rag; or, paper towel to dry, inspect and repeat the process, generally 3 times. If Spirits I will fan the brush against an upright corner to remove as much spirits as possible. Then for both, I will take into the bathroom and rub on a bar of soap, under tap water then rub against the bar until I get some lather, repeat and once I get nice clean lather like shaving cream, I will rinse all the soap out and again fan against an upright corner to dry. This leaves the brush thoroughly cleaned, dry and like new. I may wrap in a paper towel to shape the bristles, if I feel it is necessary.
The above process has worked excellent for me for 25 years, since I started using the process.
That’s the right way to do it. It’s worked for me for a long time. Works on the big brushes I use to paint the house and the small brushes I use on HO models. “Mineral Spirits” is sold under the name “Paint Thinner” in hardware stores, and under the name “Charcoal Lighter Fluid” in grocery stores.
One other minor point. You need lacquer thinner to clean lacquer (Floquil for example) out of brushes. Mineral spirits isn’t active enough to dissolve lacquer, Lacquer thinner is much more active than mineral spirits.
I’ve been switching over to Tamiya acrylics, not exact color matches to Floquil but its by far the best paints I have ever used.
I’ve used spirits to clean Floquil for years and never had a problem. However, to each his own. Kind of a moot point, now that Floquil is no longer available.
I use acrylics exclusively. I have started using Vallejo paints. They brush quite well. I have been using the Model master line for a long time. These also work quite well for brushing. I have used Badger acrylic as well. Not as crazy about that brand. Didn’t like the texture when sprayed - OK for brushing.
Micro mark has some of the more common Pollyscale colors available under their own brand name at their site. I haven’t been able to bring myself to pull the trigger on these yet as the bottles are expensive and come out be very expensive with shipping when ordering just one.
I think that the paint situation Going to be OK. I am sorry to see Polly scale go as it was a great product.
Guy
I don’t see Scalecoat or Scalecoat II offered in the 2015 Walthers Catalog, not that Walthers sells every manufacturers goods. However, they used to sell it. Walthers soed sell TruColors!