Compared to Poly Scale, my results have been better. Remember too that acrylics have their own dangers, spray it with a mask on because breathing in that overspray is worse than smoking. Both Modelflex and Valejo acrylics are better than Pollly Scale, just be mindful of the PSI. Having sprayed both Tamiya and Modelflex acrylics I can say they work well if you don't want a solvent base.
I may have to look at ModelFlex again but still have bad memories of so many dried out bottles and clumpy paint. I would love to try Vallejo, but I'm not overly excited about the time and money it will take to get the stable of colors I use and need. Next time I'm in Phoenix, I may try and contact TruColor and see if they've ever looked at a water based line. Jason
Rather than restocking the paint drawer all at once, as the PollyScale bottles get used up/dried up I'll replace them onsey twosey just like I do now only with some suitable color of another brand.
I thought about that, but if anyone ever asks about a paint job or if I ever get around to doing an article, I don't want to mention anything about Testors. I'll do my part to remove them completely from the Model Railroading fabric. I hope they sink. Jason
Here is a link to the company that owns Testor. I will think twice before I buy Rust-0leum. Just a corporation worried about profits. I'm sure Testor is a pimple on the elephants butt to RPM.
I was unaware that Testors also owned Rust-Oleum until yesterday. With that said, and as pi$$ed off as I am about the whole thing about dropping the paint line, I will say that I will in the future check the label on ANY kind of paint that I buy and make sure it is NOT mfg by RPM Intl. However, since Testors has already got my $$$$ with the god knows how many bottles of paint and different types of glues that I have in my tool box, I will not just throw them out. I will use what I have until my supply is depleted. When it comes time to replace paints and glues, I WILL LOOK ELSEWHERE!!!!!! I would rather support the little guy that LOVES the hobby vs the corp that ONLY cares about his bottom line. Enough of me rambling I hope they sink Ryan
Tru-color is made by The Freight Yard . And when Accupaint went out of business, they bought the formula since that's all the freight yard used for their Dream Designs & Premier Editions it seemed only logical to them to make the paint. So I personally don't think you will see water based paint come from them.
Me too... and THAT'S what I posted on their FB page. Fortunately, most of my painting Wilmington & New York Railroad rolling stock (NYC Jade Green and D&H Avon Blue) is behind me. As is true of many of my fellow model railroaders, I have enough of a stash to keep me busy for the rest of my life...
I think I am going to go buy some "glass belly buttons" and mail them to ALL the Testors execs. That way they can still see the light of day since their heads are buried up you know where.
What I've been noticing of late is a kind of MBA culture...So many companies, in so many fields, have PR types who will say the nice things like we've seen in some of the replies folks have posted here, but are still going to make decisions the same way. What annoys me most about this trend is that we'll hear the comforting words about how much our business is appreciated and they hope to continue earning our loyalty going forward, but so many don't show that loyalty in return. It is, after all, a two way street... That said, I have long used ModelFlex for RR products and the ModelMaster acryl line for military projects for quite some time with results that well satisfied me. In both cases, however, I have held to the notion that neither of these paint lines stores well in any kind of medium or long term, and will get fresh bottles for airbrush projects. Others may well have different experiences, that's just mine.
I worked in mfgr for 15 yrs and every time upper management got the company ( their fault ) in trouble $ wise , they cut not only the fat they had added on but the lines of product that were close to the margin. It is too bad that in this economy, the hobbies that support these lines is facing increase expense ( them ) and loss of participating hobbiests (you and me ) . We have watched this phenominon happen in the RTR and kit classes , to wit increase price and lack of availability and how many times do we see new stuff come out only to drizzle away later because it did not hit the companies margin out look ? Lets face it , they ( Testors ) is not going to go out on the corp limb for a marginal product that only barely makes any money at all ... who knows maybe the line was kept because one of the uppers was a modeler and is now decesed ??? Maybe , just maybe , Insead of being upset with Testors , we need to devise a way to make / formulate what we need with out them by using what is avaiable !
I suspect that's the case for any paint. Eventually it goes bad and you need to get fresh stuff. House paint being the exception... House paint you intend to use again has a shelf life of about one week prior to the next time you need some for touch up, or indefinitely for paint that was left behind when you moved in and doesn't match any color the house was ever painted.
I guess I'm not that passionate about model paints. I probably won't use much if any Testors paint anymore, but more because they canceled the only products I used. There are better paints out there than the products they chose to keep. Kind of like how Taco Bell used to have a burrito on the menu that I really liked, but they don't have it anymore, so I don't go to Taco Bell anymore. I'm not boycotting them, they just don't have anything else there that interests me, so I don't go there. Someday, if Taco Bell is still around, and has a product I'd like to eat again, I'll go there.
Check out Tru-Color Paint: www.trucolorpaint.com/ They have most of the paints the others have & are always adding more. It's a solvent based paint using the old Accupaint formulas. Try it you'll like!
Don't get me wrong still a good brand of paint. Scott, Darrens brother runs it so might be worth a shot.
I contacted Model Railroader via the web form asking if the Editor could contact Testor Corporation to put the views of the hobby. Jim Hediger replied by email saying they are looking into it. Cheers David
