Dave G.

I don't know about over seas shipping. But the paints are actual 1:1 paint materials used, from a company like PPG or Dizler ( I forget which brand but the real thing at any rate). In the case of metallic paints, the flakes used are more to scale than 1:1 though. Also it used to be, not sure about now, that the flakes are also more to scale than even Scale Finishes are. You can order paints by auto paint code, buy year and model name or even by sample chip. Again, last I knew, as I haven't used them in a few years.

{"I have used Duplicolor primer decanted in a airbrush with no problem. It may need thinned a bit."} Most spray paints I decant I put in a touch of lacquer thinner for airbrushing. I assume that would be the same for the Duplicolor ? I wouldn't want to see the OP use the wrong thinner and wreck his primer, I don't use Duplicolor primers personally but Mr products.

Hah! I didn't know there was any other seller but MCW themselves, aka Mike.

I have no favorite, I just use what will fit my need at the time, per model. If you're looking for one magic bullet, just be warned that it may be here today and gone tomorrow. We've seen that happen with several brands over the 65 years or so, at least I've been painting models for.

I've only ever heard and seen great things about the Infinity !

I just use the metal side cup on my 200 for metalizer, I like the taper in that better than in my gravity feed. Just turn the 200 on it's side and swing the metal cup upward. I think the ideal airbrush for Metalizer conservation in my case, though would be the tiny cupped version of the Badger 100 using a .2 or .25 tip setup.. I use the .25 on the 200 ( same tip sets as the 100, thus they could be shared)/ My own gravity brush is an Iwata knock off the cup is too big, though you could eye dropper the paint right into the body I suppose.. I have a .2 for that one. Also there is a nice little metal cup with good taper for the Paasche VL. If you cut the flow way back using the fine needle, it does fairly well too on conserving paints in general. But the small tip is something like .4, though it will only feed what you give it munch on. Still, and since I don't own a 100, the Badger 200, metal cup, .25 tip is my favorite for Metalizer and lacquers in general. Always has been, I've owned that brush since 1975 or 76ish.

I'm with everyone else, several choices in metal finishes but the MM buffing has not been duplicated as yet. IMO. I have perhaps half a bottle left of Aluminum Plate Buffing. Hah, and I try not to use it lol !!

To me Micheals is good for artist grade paints and grade 2 canvases, canvas boards etc.. In that regard both my wife and I paint and have bought stacks of canvases for classes or even 20x30 for our own art work. Become a rewards member and you can do quite well on pricing. I've never bought a model there. In looking around the model section it's never been well stocked even in it's hay day. Not compared with well stocked hobby suppliers, for certain. Find someplace else to get your model supplies from or shop online is my suggestion.

I would think the Sparmax should be fine. The pancake is noisy but you could air it up ahead of your session and shut it off. That's what I do with my 8 gal portable for airbrushing. It's a once a week air up kind of thing with the 8 gaL, so I listen to it bang away once a week or so. Meanwhile it's silent. I know nothing about the HyperTough.

Set the pressure to 25-30 psi, the highest pressure to ever likely be used. Then flow air. You will see a slight pressure drop to 28-29 psi, if it maintains that drop number you got a winner. I've used 30 psi with some enamels. And 25 regularly with enamels if to use enamel. Most likely both compressors will pass the test but it's good to know up front.

Same in art supplies, lots of gaps. Yet other items you may or may not want seem in over supply. It's everywhere not just models. And with every excuse under the sun,usually supply chain related. Also worker shortages. How about that weather, even weather patterns. Creation groans, believe it.

There hasn't been many models at Micheals stores in years here in the NE USA, least not of the three I visit.. I more go to Micheals because the wife and I do crafts and art painting. Hobby Lobby has much more for car models and once a week or every two weeks plastic models go on 40% discount for a day or two. The key is hitting the place on those days, who doesn't like a nice kit for nearly half price , even if to stash it if it's something you know you will be enthused to get to! But still not stocked like a really well stocked actual Hobby store. We have one of those in the area, he marks things up though, not down.

Rustoleum 2x decanted, thinned slightly more with lacquer thinner and airbrushed, comes out as nice as any hobby enamel I've ever shot. They may also have a safety yellow that may be good. But this assumes the OP wants to go the extra steps. If anyone is not willing to take any extra steps with any Rustoleum paint, then just stay away from the stuff is my suggestion. I've shot this stuff over Stynylrez primer which is a poly acrylic primer and sealer. What I'm not a fan of is trying to paint a model with Rustoleum 2x from the can. If you do that, heat the can in very hot tap water and shake liberally, repeat until the can remains warm to the touch. Now try spraying it. Rustoleum 2x settles, you gotta get the solids and resins all mixed in or the stem to the nozzle will hopelessly clog. There is nothing inherently wrong with 2x as an enamel paint as long as you use a primer sealer on the model. Of the two methods I mentioned, I much prefer the first. It's a thinner method,you can build on your coats and there is less waste with improved flow out. That said, I'm slowly turning over to Tamiya LP lacquers.

Thanks, ya I should have included that info. Yellow can be fussy with what color is under it, in whatever iteration.Be that acrylic ( water borne), lacquer or enamel.

The Chrome Yellow will be fine for a service truck, especially the two toned ones.

Id use craft paint in a heart beat but then Im used to it, having worked with it airbrushing for years. One note, you need primer. Second note you, need a couple of light initial coats and flash them off fully before getting to the heavier coats. Createx thinner is a good choice, though I make my own knock off of it that works just as well. And the third point: you need to clear coat this stuff. Both for gloss and to seal it. On the other hand Chrome Yellow is very close and a one shot deal in a spray can. I imagine the Tamiya is fine, my experience was with Model Master enamel, no longer made. With MM, spray it you were done.

I make my own green from craft paints. Really though, there are a few that are close enough from the bottle, especially if you add weathering. And unless you're building something off the showroom floor, it's going to be weathered. Not to mention the factory colors even varied some. As far as the red goes, weathered red flatheads were pretty faded. I doubt most hot rodders kept that. Pictures I've seen of hot rod flatheads in red are pretty much fire engine red. Testors bright red is fine in that case.

A transplanted flathead 8 could arguably be about any color. Many hot rodders use what color paint they desire.

Ive decanted Rustoleum 2x , thinned it with lacquer thinner and airbrushed it over Stynylrez primer/sealer and it's turned out awesome. There are a few good colors or some basic colors mixed with their white that makes for some good classic car pastel colors. After thinning and airbrushing it comes out as nice as any model enamels do. The key to my statement above is " I've " past tense. With the advent of paints like Tamiya LP lacquers it's just less work and faster dry time to use those, with even nicer results. Those I've shot to bare plastic for small stuff or over Mr Surfacer otherwise. I already posted my sentiment on primers in another post, so I'm not going there. By the way, is the OP poster still in this thread or are we just conversing with one another here, minus him ?.

Rustoleum primer is basically enamel primer, various solvents to speed initial dry but still enamel. Enamels have a long cure process. I deemed it unusable for basing models. I tried a can, gave it one shot on a scrap piece and by smell alone I knew it was not lacquer. It smelled the same as every other enamel based primer I ever used and so returned it, since I told the hardware store guy ahead of time ( they have a return policy). You have to be careful what you spray over enamels, not to mention when you do it. Hotter Lacquer in particular wrinkles the stuff all up. I never use enamel primers.

I think it's just the perspective between the Cord and Packard, even in real the Cord is low and wide appearing compared to most of the bigger classic era cars. The Deusenberg seems narrow, long and high as well, when compared with the Cord ( I've built both though decades ago). I suspect the Packard is to scale. All those Monogram classics build up into nice models at any rate !

The only paints I put Rustoleum clear lacquer over confidently is artist acrylics and craft paints. Never an issue, goes great. I wouldn't ever put Rustoleum lacquer over any enamel as hot lacquer over enamel is a well known issue, or even the hobby lacquers, as it's too vague as to what those lacquers really are. Or for that matter some of the hobby acrylics even. Certainly not without testing. The clear's solvents and carrier attacked your color coat, as has been mentioned. The color coat and Rustoleum lacquer are not compatible.

The best I can say to that is there are many types of plastics. Household plastics vary but at that they probably/most likely are not like the styrene in modern models. The can says plastics but it's not specific, the first thing that comes to my mind is lawn or deck furniture or plastic trim pieces around the house,flower pots etc. Not model kits at any rate. Now that said, when my kids were young and we did a bunch of model train kits I used a lot of Krylon primers back then. But Krylon has changed formulation at least two times that I know of since then. Never had an issue with the old Krylon primers on kit plastic in model trains at any rate.

I'd just get a color that was as close as I could find and paint the whole danged thing personally.

Monty, If you're airbrushing enamels, I think you will find yourself just as comfortable with Tamiya LP Lacquers. Thin them with Mr Leveling thinner around 50/50. They go on beautifully, gloss paints retain full gloss when dry and dry time is minutes not days or weeks. Maybe give them a try and see for yourself. Try the gloss black on some old Model A fenders or something, amazing. My first test of the stuff was the black on 34 Ford pickup fenders. I shoot this stuff with a Paasche H, thinned like that I use around 18 psi. You can also use the Tamiya LT to thin them, just after your last coat load whatever paint is left in your cup with thinner ( even medium dry hardware store LT will work)and blow that right over the finish before dry, it will totally level right out. Just with Mr Leveling thinner you don't need that. Anyway, the nice thing about these lacquers is it's about impossible to make them run. Also any lingering odor is gone within a half hour or so. Any over spray melts right into the previous coat too.