Testors Model Master Acrylic Military and Railroad Paints

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Just recently, I was looking over the 2014 color chart on-line from Testors on the above subject.

Like to here of others comments that are using the Militry line, to substitue the former Floquil Poly-Scale Railroad colors.

Curious, of the military colors, which are close in shades of the Floquil Poly-Scale, as a example is the International orange, close to reefer orange and or maintenance of way orange (Fairmont Railway Motors used RPM interational oragne for mw orange on prototype equipment).

Is the Model Masters Earth, close to Floquil Mud?

Anyhow, possible we the modelers can convience RPM/Testors to add several more colors to the railroad line, like reefer orange, dark green, dark blue and so on.

Would be nice also, if Testors would offer a blending chart for sale, on tacking base Model Master paints and let’s say, how many parts of signal green to reefer yellow, to come up with BN green, as a example.

What are your thoughts?

2

I can’t tell you about the military colors, but at the only local store that sells hobby supplies (Hobby Lobby), I just bought a bunch of Testors Model Master bottles that are seem to be exact matches for the old Polly Scale acrylics. So far, I have purchased rust, rail brown, dirt, and dust that spray and dry the same as Polly Scale used to. I would assume that the bulk of the line will return with the most popular colors coming first. I base this assumption completely on hope and desire.

3

Run Eight,

I would say the Tester Model Master International Orange would be a closer match to The Floquil SP Daylight Orange #110134, not the Reefer Orange.

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/tes/tes4682.htm

Also check out Tamiya acrylic paint for Military colors and Railroad colors, also Vallejo, many different colors and great paint. I use them both on 1/35 scale Military dioramas, another of my vice’s.

Take Care! [:D]

Frank

4

I used to use the Model Master Acryl and PollyScale paints. About 5 years ago, when Rustoleum started selectively discontinuing PollyScale colors, I discovered Vallejo acrylics. There is no comparison. I never looked back.

Considering that Rustoleum owns both Testors and the now defunct Floquil / PollyScale brands, they shouldn’t have any trouble matching shades.

5

This is a bit off the subject but I thought I would pass it alone on this thread.

Many years ago while building boxcars, I needed some “boxcar red” touch up paint. Well, it took only a short time to realize there are umpteen different shades out there - including the Testors line.

So I ended up with a dozen different bottles of that shade, and then realized you can’t tell if it will match the model as the paint sits in the bottle.

Soooo, I took a piece of 3x4 styrene, and around the edge marked off 1/2 inch spaces. Then I put two coats of each bottle in its own space, identified with a number. I then painted the number on the side/cap of the bottle.

Now, when I’m looking for a boxcar red match, I hold up the styrene piece to the car, and can easily see which flavor fits best.

6

Actually, I just put a dab of paint on the outside of the bottle. You can use that to match paint.

7

I use a wash of Testors Milatary Brown as rust with good results.

Charlie

8

Post on Model Masters Arcylics sound good.

Recentely requested from Rust-Oleum a color chart on the Model Master Line of Brushable Arcylics and they sent it right out.

Looking over some of the military colors, most a gloss and or semi-gloss, with some flats. The 16 or so railroad colors are flats, just the same old Floquil Poly-Scale, in a container 3/4 less in most cases of content volume, for a higher price!

Hopefully, they will add a few more of the former Poly-Scale base colors, such as Reefer Yellow, Dark Green, Pullman Green, Dark Blue, as examples.

Don’t be bashfull, this manufacturer will indeed send you such! That’s how a business should be operated.

And in reply to a previous post of mine concerning SSAE, see next paragraph for a definition.

Not like some so called vendors in this hobby, that will not respond to a self-stamped addressed envelope, simple question inquiry.

Very simple, if you know how to write in the English Language. Paper, pen or pencil and write. No money out of your firms pocket for postage!

All I ask is send it back with a comment, if only saying, thanks for my interest in your firm.

Nothing “Old” about this.

It’s called common business courtesy!

Takes just as long for a business to send a e-mail to you.

9

RunEight,

Respectfully I disagree with you while hoping that you’re right as I am a baby boomer (born during the JFK era). Some businesses, flat out, put letters to customers on the back burner and respond more quickly via email. Ask reps from medium sized businesses, such as the majority of our model railroad manufacturers, to pick between responding via SASE’s vs email and see what the majority of the responses will be.

You and I grew up in an era where simple customer courtesies were still the rule in businesses. Like the punch-card computer, that’s no longer the norm. I still miss calling a business and getting “a person” instead of “Press 1 for this, Press 2 for that, Press 3 for this and that”.

As I’ve stated before, lately Athearn, Walthers, and Bowser tend to respond quickly to my email inquiries.

I picture myself now back in 1979, writing letters to Model Railroader and Athearn and remember receiving responses one or two months later. While I miss those days (U-Boats, SDP40Fs, graffiti-free freight trains, and cab rides), I certainly don’t miss the “snail mail” method as I’m certain many modelers will concur.

I don’t understand how you feel that responding via paper letter is just as fast since it only takes seconds for a customer service rep to tap out a response on a keyboard and hit “send” and less than a minute later it’s in your email box.

Compare that to a rep taking 1 to 3 minutes to actually write a memo or letter to a customer, folding it, placing it inside of the SASE, and placing it in the outgoing mail, and then that letter takes 1 to 3 days to arrive at your home or PO Box, depending on your location.

Respectfully, my opinion

High Greens [;)]

10

I will second that point. I use MEC Green as one of the main colors for my railroad. I used Polly S/Polly Scale paint after I used that color on a Christmas project for some of my cousins (RR Car banks). Unfortunately, now the only line that makes that particular color is Tru-Color and I don’t use an airbrush. (Northern climate and no place in my apartment for a fume hood. Over the years, I have learned how to paint my equipment old school [with actual paint brushes].)

I have yet to see any good mixes to replicate MEC Green in any of the other paint lines. (I like water-based paints, but I have used SC-II paint for another part of my layout.)

11

My thought is that it’s unlikely to happen. Way back when Floquil Polly-S Corp. was located in Amsterdam New York, they introduced PollyScale paint and began to discontinue the Polly-S line. At that time, I was using Polly-S military colours for my freelance road’s corporate colours, and wrote to them requesting suggestions on which PollyScale colours to mix in order to match (at least reasonably closely) a particular Polly-S green. While they did reply to my letter, they declined to answer my request, citing proprietary concerns. That struck me as odd, since I intended to still use their paint, and did eventually manage to come up with a decent match.

The other reason that it’s unlikely you’ll see a blending chart is the nature of colour and how it’s perceived differently by different individuals: one man’s Armour Yellow is another’s Railbox Yellow, and Reefer Yellow to yet another. Selecting the proper colours and proportions to obtain a desired hue is easy for some of us, but there’s also lots of info on-line about mixing custom colours - not necessarily specific colours, but which ones to use to mix an approximate match and then to shift it in the direction needed for an even closer one.

Wayne