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I'm looking for a paint suggestion to replace the MM enamel line I've been using for so long.  Need something with accurate colors that I can get here in the states that will lay down similarly to the MM enamel.  I've tried a few water based acrylics but I really don't like them.  Tamiya is fine but they really dont have a color range like the Model Master line had.  I can't really go to the LHS and try things out cause they've all closed up in my area and I'm not driving an hour away.

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I have been going through the same thing.  I used MM for over 30 years.  When they shut down, I thought it might be time to switch to acrylics.  I have tried Vallejo Air, Mission Models paints, and Tamiya.  They don't have the adhesive capability to withstand being pulled off by masking tape (Tamiya tape).  I have heard a lot of good things about lacquers and in particular Mr. Color lacquers (available at Spruebrothers).  They definitely adhere well, have an extensive range of colors (many FS 595) and spray very evenly with or without thinning.  Drawbacks are the lacquers smell.  I use a vent hood and filter system that works adequately, and my wife stays out of the room while I am airbrushing.  There are many other brands out there to choose from that probably work just as well.   I still have many bottles of MM in certain colors that will last for many years to come.  

 

Geoff M

Edited by Geoff M
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I gave up on MM long before they were killed off, switched to Mr Color, and never looked back. Mr Color is pretty easy to get here in the States now. I get mine from Sprue Bros. or one of several eBay stores. Tamiya's LP lacquers are great and are useful for a lot of your basic colors. I've used Hataka orange label lacquers, also from Sprue Bros., and was pleased with the results.

 

Ben

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Can't go wrong with Tamiya and I include the rattle cans in that. I decant those and they spray awesome. Mr. Color is great AK real color is really good and MRP Pre-thinned Lacquer inks? is right there. My issue with MRP is coverage. If you pre-shade it may take 4-6 coats to get the color saturation you need.. It took almost a complete(1oz.) bottle to paint an F-14 I did a while back. With Model master It takes maybe 1/3 oz. for the same job. I find Mr. Color Tamiya and AK real Color have MUCH better coverage. One thing I'll add is in my testing and applications all 4 are inter-mixable. That said you could get Tamiya(notice I'm pushing them) and add in the missing colors from the others. Just my .02 HTH.....

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I switched over to lacquers this year when I got back to building after taking a hiatus for the move.  Could not be happier!  And don’t limit yourself to MRP. I use MRP and Mr. Color.  MRP you can only airbrush while Mr. Color you have to thin to spray, which gives you the option of some brush touch ups and small details. 
 

Im a former paint and bodyman from back in the lacquer days and I use the same tricks on my paint work as we did on cars. 
Painted this one Friday 

mcbFzJ.jpg

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4 minutes ago, Scott Smith said:

I switched over to lacquers this year when I got back to building after taking a hiatus for the move.  Could not be happier!  And don’t limit yourself to MRP. I use MRP and Mr. Color.  MRP you can only airbrush while Mr. Color you have to thin to spray, which gives you the option of some brush touch ups and small details.

 

Ah yes, I forgot to mention that MRP is airbrush-only. It's far too thin to paint, and the high solvent content will attack the plastic if you try brush-painting.

 

Rob

Edited by Rob de Bie
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4 hours ago, Spectre711 said:

Anyone using the Hataka Hobby Orange Line paints?  looks like they have to be thined but how would it work with hand painting in a cockpit?

Yes, the Hataka Orange line are brushable acrylic lacquers, they need to be thinned for spraying . They have their own thinner, and while I have used it, they also look to work quite with Mr Color Levelling Thinner, my ‘go to’ for any acrylic lacquer needing thinning if sprayed.

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On 9/27/2022 at 6:59 AM, Spectre711 said:

No need for any special thinner is one thing I loved about the MM enamels.  You thin the right ratio and down it went smoothly and it stuck.

Yea, but that dry time….  I loved the MM enamels but would often paint and walk away for several days so I didn’t leave fingerprints in the paint. Especially gloss colors. 

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On 9/24/2022 at 5:22 PM, ORANGF15Guy said:

I made the switch from MM to MRP and have not regretted it at all!  I love the stuff!

 

I find myself in the same boat as my stash of Model Master paints runs low. I have bought some MRP as it seems to be highly regarded, and I like the fact that they've done a number of colors, particularly for USN adversary aircraft, that MM never did. I haven't tried it yet, but am working on a couple of kits that I would like to give it a go on. My big question.... what to clean it with? Thanks, Fred K.

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Fred, lacquer thinner will do it.  Don’t use the good stuff from Mr. Color. Go to a big box store like Lowe’s or Home Depot and pick up a gallon of it. 
Another trick ( I learned as an autobody guy 30+ years ago) is to use Mr. Color leveling thinner (we called it a hot thinner) and airbrush a wet coat across your almost or dry paint.  It will blend any edges in and if shooting a gloss it will make it shine a little more. (I think I already mentioned this above. Oops)

Heres the Texan done. 
RpN4qp.jpg

Edited by Scott Smith
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I went through this a few years ago and ended up using a mix of MRP, AK Real Color, Hataka Orange Line and a some Tamiya. 

 

At the same time I started using primers. I used to just lay down MM enamels on bare plastic, but I'd read most of the newer paints really needed primers to adhere well. The primers have given me more grief than the paints. Mr. Surfacer and Tamiya Fine Surface Primer seems to be the only reliable ones I've used. The "airbrush ready" primers I've tried seem to gum up in the airbrush as often as they spray. Tamiya Surface Primer White is the only white I've ever run across that is easy to spray and has good coverage. It's good for priming under bright colors like International Orange and I often just use it as a substitute for Insignia White. 

 

Really I'm not a fan of Tamiya paints primarily because I hate mixing colors, but at the time I could buy them at the local Hobby Lobby (not any longer) I just use them for brush painting generic colors. But I do like their clear colors.

 

MRP is airbrush only, so I got the AK and Hataka initially for brush painting touchups and occasionally when MRP either didn't make a color and a couple times when MRP was out of stock in the US. MRP sprays somewhat translucent, so several layers are needed and your primer color can have an influence on the outcome. It's seems designed for panel line highlighting under paint or black basing techniques.  

 

AK RC, Hataka Orange and MRP are all lacquers and I haven't run into compatibility problems, but I'm usually not mixing brands for over larger areas. The colors don't always exactly match for the "same" color, i.e. FS36375 is a little different from everyone, but they are usually close enough for me on small touchups. I do love that lacquers are safe to handle in minutes instead of waiting over night like I would with MM. 

 

To thin for spraying I use Mr Color Leveling Thinner with everything I've mentioned and that has not been a problem. For cleanup, I buy cans of the cheapest hardware store lacquer thinner I can find. 

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9 hours ago, Scott Smith said:

Fred, lacquer thinner will do it.  Don’t use the good stuff from Mr. Color. Go to a big box store like Lowe’s or Home Depot and pick up a gallon of it. 
Another trick ( I learned as an autobody guy 30+ years ago) is to use Mr. Color leveling thinner (we called it a hot thinner) and airbrush a wet coat across your almost or dry paint.  It will blend any edges in and if shooting a gloss it will make it shine a little more. (I think I already mentioned this above. Oops)

Heres the Texan done. 
RpN4qp.jpg

 

Hi Scott,

     Well now I'm thoroughly confused 😆 I looked on my MRP paint bottles and it says "Acrylic Laquer" . I always thought that acrylic meant water based, and laquer was solvent based? Clearly I'm missing something.

 

     

    Your Texan looks awesome by the way!

 

     I had a car modeler from the local club show me the trick of using a "hot" thinner to level the paint out some years ago. I use finger nail polish thinner from the local beauty supply store. It works just fine and is hot as a pistol. Thanks, Fred.

 

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It's a pain in the neck - at least for me - to switch to another company.

 

I still have quite a stock of MM paints and until I use them all, I do not plan to switch to another company.

 

As a suggestion, I definitely recommend MRP. It does have some accurate FS colours .

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