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Model Master enamels getting harder to find


ipmsusa2

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I was in my local Hobby Lobby and discovered an unpleasant change. They now have two large racks of Testors paint. However, the only Model Master paint in the 1/2 ounce bottle is Model Master Acryl and they carry the entire line. At the same time, they carry the complete line of the old Testors 1/4 ounch square bottles of enamel paint. But the majority of both racks are taken up with $6.49 spray cans of automotive lacquer colors and a limited ranges of Model Master enamel FS colors. The Model Master 1/2 ounch FS line of enamels is nowhere to be seen.

 

If you, like a substantial number of us, prefer an airbrush and enamel paint, you will now have to track down a less conveniently located brick and mortar hobby shop that carries Model Master enamel or order by mail. Buy online and you will have to be in the continental U.S. because solvent based paints can no longer be shipped by air (anywhere, for obvious reasons) or by ground outside the contiguous USA.

 

Finally, and to make matters worse, enamel paint today has a limited shelf life. I have Model Master paint on the shelf that I've had for 20 and 30 years. It's still perfectly good. The latest MM formula that I've bought in the last couple of years? If I'm lucky, it will last two or three years. If I'm not...and I buy more than a couple of bottles...it'll be bad in the bottle before I ever open it.

 

While I'm in Fort Worth, Texas, it'd be interesting ...and possibly informative...to know what's happening in other parts of the U.S. where MM paint availability is concerned.

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No problem getting MM paints here in Ohio. My LHS s fully stocked with acryl, oils, and car paints (lacquer?). Heard the PLA enamel line is being discontinued, though, so it may go away, but rumors have been wrong before.

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I can still get MM enamels at my local shop, but the stock is incomplete. In my experience, that can be blamed on the shop (who neglects the plastic side) and not on an inability to restock from Testors. They have, however, done away with the Floquil rack! :smiley13:

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Yeah, Floquil's gone. It wasn't lacquer anymore anyway, It was the same acrylic as Tester's other lines, so they killed it. The Model RR guys are frantic! All those RR specific colors are gone.

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Ron (and all others),

 

I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that Tru-Color Paint in Arizona now offers a solvent based acrylic polymer line that is a direct replacement for Floquil. Their URL is http://trucolorpaint.com . I lifed the following information on their paint directly from their website. Also had a chance to get a whiff of the stuff at a hobby shop and it's the real thing. When they say solvent based, they mean it!

 

"Tru-Color Paint is a solvent based paint with an acrylic polymer used as the binding agent which adheres very well to plastic or metal models, when those models are properly prepared. The pigments and/or dyes used to produce the correct colors are very finely ground so that they do not clog air-brushes.

To insure proper adhesion for plastic models - wash the model in mild soapy water to remove residual processing oils and dirt, rinse thoroughly with clean water and let dry or use a lint free cloth to dry. It is now ready to be painted. For metal models (brass for example), sand blast or treat the metal surface in some fashion to give Tru-Color Paint a prepared surface to adhere to. Then use our Primer, Tru-Color Paint 07, and spray paint the model, allow sufficient drying time and then paint the model with the desired color(s)."

 

More and more hobby shops are beginning to carry the line. Also, hobby shops don't need to throw out their Floquil racks. Tru-Color has sized their bottles to fit the Floquil racks.

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Hobby Lobby here has a large selection of rattle can colors, some 1/4 oz and a very small collection of 1/2 oz.MM paint. They do have a good selection of Valejo acrylics. Virtually no FS colors. The LHS has most MM Acryl colors. Their selection of MM enamels is now down to only one rack. The manager has said that he may drop all RPM (Testors) paints due to their decision to abandon the model RR market. Floquil and Poly Scale were the bulk of his paint sales.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm south of Fort Worth, the local Hobby Lobby tries, but they generally don't stock the stuff I need. So, I usually order directly from Testors. I've also kind of gotten away from enamels and into acrylics. Funny story on that, my son likes to repaint his GI Joe vehicles and acrylics covered in an sealer wear pretty good, but enamels don't.

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