Testors products being discontinued?

[viper730]

Any word if Dull Coat in the 1,3/4 oz bottle #1160X   is on the chopping block as well.....

[tosouthern66]

Here is a new one for you guys. I have six bottles of paint. Three are FS36375 and three are FS36320. They appear the exact same color when sprayed. There is no color difference. 

[picknpluck]

I ran into that myself on a recent build. I just lightened the Light Ghost Grey with a few drops of white.

[Geoff M]

I noticed the same thing.  I did the opposite and added some black to the 36320.  This may be a scale effect.  Maybe on a full size plane you might notice a difference.  

 

Geoff M

 

[tosouthern66]

With all that's going on with their paints I think I am done using their stuff. Guess I need to start looking for a more reliable paint company. I hate to switch after using their stuff for 40 years but ever since Rustoleum took over they have been going down hill.

[martin_sam_2000]

Yeah...the MM shelf at the LHS was pretty baren the last time I went. I need to look at a new company to go with, most likely going to switch to acrylic.  

 

 Sean

[mike_45]

I am quitting Model Master also.  Have used it since I first got into the hobby when my dad took me to the LHS.  I loaded up in stuff I needed for some projects and am now switching.

 

Luckily the LHS has Humbrol, mr color and tamiya all in stock and full displays.  

 

Mike

[Scooby]

On 2017-07-06 at 5:16 AM, martin_sam_2000 said:

Yeah...the MM shelf at the LHS was pretty baren the last time I went. I need to look at a new company to go with, most likely going to switch to acrylic.  

 

 Sean

 

If you ever try Mr. Color or Mr Paint you'll never look back.

[tosouthern66]

On 6/7/2017 at 3:29 PM, ReccePhreak said:

Their "Bean-Counters" don't care, because they have no clue about the hobby.

Just my 2¢.

 

Larry

 

#BOYCOTTRUSTOLEUM

I'm on board with that. Lately the only thing I have bought of theirs is Testors but not anymore.

[Sebastijan]

I've switched from mostly MM enamels to Mr.Paint acrylic lacquers and never looked back. I still use MMs for small paintbrush detail work but that's it. MrP come prethinned for airbrush, apply extremely thin, dry very fast and are as durable as enamels.

[southwestforests]

I don't have documentation readily available. I was in the hobby business on and off during the 1980s and the early 2000's and even then there was the beginning of a tidal shift away from enamels to acrylics. Including for me. Especially after Tamiya acrylics became available in mid 1980s where I lived. Was already using PollyScale.

Recent growth of other acrylic lines has strengthened that tide.

If it no longer sells enough to pay the bills it has to go. A hard financial reality of doing business.

Not only do you have to recover the manufacturing costs, also coming out of the selling price are operational costs and some money to save for future expenses.

Another thing I can't easily offer documentation for at the moment is that producing solvent based model paint has more costs than one might initially realize.

 

Testors is reissuing, I guess that's the right word, some of the discontinued PollyScale brand's railroad colors in its Acryl line.
I'm doing more trains now than space or aircraft so that's what impacts me the most at the moment.

 

 

[tosouthern66]

After talking to a LHS owner that I order from. He said that that LHS are having and have had trouble getting paint from Testors and that the Largest buyer that Testors has stopped ordering their paints due to Testors not answering their phone or emails. You can't sell something if you are not going to put it in the supply chain. This all on Rustoelum killing off another company so they can claim a tax loss. If another group had bought Testors instead we might would have had a better chance of having their paint to buy.

[305swag]

Sad news indeed, the thought of re-learning how to paint with acrylics might push me out of the hobby. 

[dnl42]

I didn't like Tamiya because of all the mixing. I didn't like Vallejo or Acryl because of coating thickness and constant tip drying. Acryl also peeled badly for me.

 

Why don't you try Mr Color or Mr Paint? Both are lacquers. While I've only read glowing reviews of Mr Paint, I use Mr Color extensively. As long as you thin it appropriately (1% milk consistency), lay down thin coats, and spray closely so it lands wet, it rewards you with the a beautifully smooth, thin, and robust coating. You can also mist on very overcoats to your heart's content.

[Scooby]

5 hours ago, 305swag said:

Sad news indeed, the thought of re-learning how to paint with acrylics might push me out of the hobby. 

 

With Testors giving up on the Hobby I am sure you will see

Mr. Paint on shelves everywhere. Probably Mr. Color too. I stopped using Testors enamels years ago when I discovered Mr Color.

[305swag]

48 minutes ago, Scooby said:

 

With Testors giving up on the Hobby I am sure you will see

Mr. Paint on shelves everywhere. Probably Mr. Color too. I stopped using Testors enamels years ago when I discovered Mr Color.

I've never had luck spraying acrylics☹️

[Scooby]

2 hours ago, 305swag said:

I've never had luck spraying acrylics☹️

 

They are acrylic lacquer and are what I call lazy man's paint, the paint does all the work and is very durable.

 

I have trouble with acrylics too, such as Tamiya. That paint isn't durable enough for me.

[nspreitler]

 

6 hours ago, 305swag said:

I've never had luck spraying acrylics☹️

 

 

They aren't water based acrylics like Model Master acrylic, they are lacquer based.  Mr Paint is ready to spray, I use an Iwata Eclipse and spray it at around 8-10 psi and it goes on great.   There really isn't anything to learn

[Murph]

3 hours ago, Scooby said:

 

They are acrylic lacquer and are what I call lazy man's paint, the paint does all the work and is very durable.

 

I have trouble with acrylics too, such as Tamiya. That paint isn't durable enough for me.

 

Never had any problem with Tamiya.  The only acrylics I have used that I won't buy again are the Model Master acrylics.

 

Regards,

Murph

[305swag]

3 hours ago, Scooby said:

 

They are acrylic lacquer and are what I call lazy man's paint, the paint does all the work and is very durable.

 

I have trouble with acrylics too, such as Tamiya. That paint isn't durable enough for me.

 

I will need to read up on it

[southwestforests]

\

On 7/9/2017 at 3:42 PM, Scooby said:

 

They are acrylic lacquer and are what I call lazy man's paint, the paint does all the work and is very durable.

 

I have trouble with acrylics too, such as Tamiya. That paint isn't durable enough for me.

Which is kind of interesting since when it arrived in 1980s I started using it on my freelance model train liveries, and miniatures game vehicles, because it was a nice thin coat (airbrushed) which was hard and durable, especially after hitting it with their clear gloss before decaling. Paint stood up quite well to model train and miniatures game handling.
Hmm, now I wonder if thinner used for airbrushing might be a factor, I used their own.
And an added bonus at no extra charge was that if the model paint gods were not happy with me that day, or the moon was out of shui, or something, and I screwed up bigtime, isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol, would take the paint right off with no discernible effect on styrene model or train body shells.

But ... I have noticed over the decades since the 1980s that different people seem to have natural vibes for either enamels or acrylics, much as in school some were more ' in tune' with math and some with English and literature.

[Mr Matt Foley]

On 7/9/2017 at 3:42 PM, Scooby said:

 

They are acrylic lacquer and are what I call lazy man's paint, the paint does all the work and is very durable.

 

I have trouble with acrylics too, such as Tamiya. That paint isn't durable enough for me.

 

The secret to using Tamiya is to thin with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. Do not use the X-20A thinner which is alcohol based. The X-20 Lacquer thinner enhances adhesion ten fold and levels much better. Not to mention that you'll have NO trouble with clogging if thinned correctly.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Mr Matt Foley

[Scooby]

1 minute ago, Mr Matt Foley said:

 

The secret to using Tamiya is to thin with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. Do not use the X-20A thinner which is alcohol based. The X-20 Lacquer thinner enhances adhesion ten fold and levels much better. Not to mention that you'll have trouble with clogging if thinned correctly.

 

I have actually discovered that, thank you.

[Jim Barr]

Just to make sure I understand correctly, you say you get better results thinning Tamiya acrylics (as sold in the US) with their own Lacquer thinner, or say Mr Color leveling thinner?

 

Thanks

Jim Barr

[Camus272]

Just a reminder that the original Model Master will still keep going.  I've always found them to give the best result, so I'm surprised by some of the negative  things I've read.

 

As far as Mr Paint and Mr Color, they sound interesting.  Does anyone have links to the complete color lists?  From what I've found so far, they are a little short on FS colors.  Also, where do people order these from?