Paints for your model, who do you trust?

flypaper2222 said:

so do you use an airbrush or a roller yadda yadda.....soooo close but no cigar

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I do use an airbrush. Itsa Paasche, nearly 50 years old VL.
I do use SMS lacquers. Strait from the bottle, shake and spray.

Paint is one of the Hazards of model building.
I have been To Hell and Back with paints.
Had so many issues with water based and everything else.
Then I found SMS lacquers, what a relief. No probs!!!!

I used this Airbrush when I was sign painting back in the 80's.
Mostly true sign enamels, thinnnnnnned to flow. Couple drops
of lacquer thinner to dry quick.

It certainly varies but I like the reliability and finish of AK Real Colors. Not for every color but it's a great base line.
As for the accuracy argument, unless you've personally seen the actual subject straight from the factory, there isn't any possible way to know what "right" is. Even then, there could be variances based upon production time, location and other variables. Within reason one couldn't argue that "close enough" is misrepresentation.

Flylo said:

It certainly varies but I like the reliability and finish of AK Real Colors. Not for every color but it's a great base line.
As for the accuracy argument, unless you've personally seen the actual subject straight from the factory, there isn't any possible way to know what "right" is. Even then, there could be variances based upon production time, location and other variables. Within reason one couldn't argue that "close enough" is misrepresentation.

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When you buy paint for a full size airplane, one batch may not be a perfect color match for another batch. There's no telling how much variation there was in wartime for what was supposed to be the same color. Zinc chromate colors are even worse. I've seen new surplus assemblies where the green zinc chromate colors on on detail parts varied a lot.

I still have three spray cans of Krylon Zinc Chromate primer we used on C-119s in the mid 60s. Same color as present day and still use it today for cockpits.

I've worked with Vallejo, Humbrel, Life Color, Model Master, Testor's, Pactra, Scalecoat, AK Interactive, Mission Models, and Tamiya. Of all of these, I keep coming back to Tamiya. It just works better. Vallejo dries too slowly and Mission Models needs to have acrylic binder added or else all you're spraying is pigment. Matching Olive Drab is near impossible. I don't believe their actually is one Olive Drab. It never existed.

A recent problem was using Mission Model Dark Ghost Gray for equipment on the New Jersey Engine Room. I ran out and bought more. I swear, the batch is different. It has a distinct purple overtone and when painted next to the original and it was awful. It's also fragile after drying. I just ended up mixing Tamiya Neutral Gray with about 20% Tamiya Gloss White and the color is now uniform and perfect. I've been using Tamiya paints since they came on the market and keep going back to them. It's not for want of trying. Life color is pretty good too and they had a very nice updated USN Haze Gray. It airbrushes and hand brushes nicely. It's not that easy to locate.

I'm probably closest to Crimea_River in my attitude to my colour finishes. I'm fortunate enough to have several reputable physical colour references but even with those, it is going to come back to what I think looks about right to my eyes, those terribly unreliable 70 year old relics of mine, the only ones I have sadly. Yes, I regard myself as a modeller, but I model for me, no-one else & if I'm happy with what I arrive at I couldn't give a rats rear end or a flying fire truck for anyone else's opinion. Luckily, most people on these forums are supportive & complimentary so rats & fire trucks seldom get invoked.