Federal Standard Matched Touch-Up Paint

[SkyKing]

Available as acrylic enamel in many sizes of bottles, sprays, and cans:

https://www.crosslinkpaints.com/Federal-Standard-Matched-FEDSTD595-Touch-Up-Paint.html

[EFGrune]

Mike, go read their Material Safety Data sheets and product descriptions.   They are Alkyd Enamels, they are a solvent-based enamel.   Their front-page web text is wrong

[EFGrune]

According to the product description these paints are reduced (thinned) with Acetone, Naptha, MEK, MAK, or Xylene; according to the product Q codes.  Cleanup with MEK or Acetone

Definitely not benign acrylic paints  

[SkyKing]

1 hour ago, EFGrune said:

According to the product description these paints are reduced (thinned) with Acetone, Naptha, MEK, MAK, or Xylene; according to the product Q codes.  Cleanup with MEK or Acetone

Definitely not benign acrylic paints  

I never claimed they are “benign,” no paint is. But the chemistry does sound more like the old Floquil lacquers than anything else. What I found most interesting is (1) they are available to match all FS 595 colors, and (2) they are available in many quantities and a variety of application methods.

[dmorrissette]

And for what it is worth, acrylic paint are far, far from benign. They contain alcohols and all sorts of additives. And if you spray anything at all, you need a spray booth

Dave

[Ralph Nardone]

21 hours ago, dmorrissette said:

And for what it is worth, acrylic paint are far, far from benign. They contain alcohols and all sorts of additives. And if you spray anything at all, you need a spray booth

Dave

Or a respirator, or both.  Not a dust mask, not an N95, but a cartridge respirator.

Respirators are cheap--big-box home centers sell them for around $35.  Buy one.  Use it.  Your lungs will thank you.

Cheers!
Ralph

[Schmitz]

Modelers have been abusing the term "acrylic" for a long time - "acrylic" does not mean they're non-toxic water-based, its just the chemical family that the paint resin is drawn from. Out in the real world, there are "acrylic enamels" with petroleum-based solvents and "acrylic lacquers" with even more aggressive petroleum based solvents. Read the labels, if it comes out of a spray can you almost certainly need to wear a respirator if you're using it indoors.

 

[Ralph Nardone]

Even if it comes out of a bottle and you thin/reduce it for spraying (or spray it straight), you need to wear the PPE.  It doesn't matter if the paint thins with water or acetone, protect your lungs (and the rest of your body). 

R