Dave, you know what is really stupid, I have recently bought Pactra RC paint from the states and at decent prices, I can't find it in Australia and the only guy that used to have it wouldn't post it for any amount, I have bought Tamiya paint from Japan with out any problems, and unless Testors has dropped the metalizers along with all the other hobby paints they decided to do away with you should be able to get them in the US fairly easily, when I want a silver base I check the auto shops for spray touch up paint, I suppose you should be able to get that somewhere, it is acrylic base and nearly every thing goes over it, I always used to have a gallon or two on the shelf when I was mixing and spraying cars but not any more, I have also bought candy paint from Poland at really good prices and cheap post, it should all depend if you buy acrylic instead of enamel as far as safety for air travel.
Dave, if you know the part number for the Tamiya paint you are looking for, let me know, I may be able to get it for you and the send it,I don't need a lisence or permit to send paint LOL
the little cans will possibly be humbrol and are enamel, to get a decent color coverage out of Tamiya acrylic you really need to invest in an air brush, you can get aerosol propelent but a small hobby compressor would probably be best for your purposes, they really are not hard to master and you would soon get great results, Tamiya is reasonably cheap and the propper thinners are cheap enough too, I was told once that water is a suitable reducer for Tamiya but the thinners is the way to go, go on have a go, you won't go back once your used to it.
$16 unbelievable, what a rort, if you check ebay for Tamiya paint it is about $3.50 including post, that is to Australia but I really can't see it would be any dearer to you guys, there is a new hobby shop in Tamworth with a full range of Tamiya for about $5 or close to, the post from ebay takes a couple of weeks but gets here to the door, I usually call into the hobby shop when we have to go the the specialists but if I want anything in a hurry my granddaughter lives in Tamworth and she gets it and sends it over, I usually don't just get one thing as the post is a little dear here, like I said if I'm not in too much of a hurry I buy it of ebay.
We don't have ready access to the isopropal alchohol here, maybe if I knew what it is used for I could track it down, I see it mentioned in all the train related articles in hobby mags but have never found it.
I thought a hobby compressor would be OK for Pete as they are only small and really quiet, just right for a basement, the bigger compressors are great if you have a garage or workshop my little paint area is 35' by 60' so the compressor doesn't take up much room.
I finally found isopropyl alcohol and seems it is used in the making of illicit drugs so not readilly available, I can get it from a couple of mail order sites, one I have dealt with from time to time, looks like I can get some to try after all.
Barry, Isopropal alcohol here is sold as Rubbing Alcohol in the drug store. It is either 70% or 90% and cheap. We find it in the first aide section.
You are right about the Humbrol cans. She also stocks the paints from Model Shipways.
I'll stick to brushes and ratttle cans. I don't do that much plastic to warrant an air brush set up and I don't have a good area for a hood. I do the can painting outside in the basement stairwell when it is not windy. The overspray just colors the drainage rocks under the deck.
Pete, we don't have drug stores here and pharmacys don't carry any component that can be used for drug making, supermarkets are just a waste of time, it seems isopropyl alcohol is sometimes used in mold making, I have made a few molds over the years and that is the site I found it.
Humbrol is a very old English paint and is enamel and that is why it is easy to brush paint, I used to brush paint model cars in the 60s and 70s using humbrol and the finish was shiny and really smooth looked almost spray finish, there is no way you can spray out of the tin, it has to be thinned like any enamel usually 10% thinners (super grade petrol worked real good)
I know Tamiya spray cans work well but there is so often the cans are out of stock but nearly always bottles are available, I just thought you would get a great deal of satisfaction out of being able to spray all your goodies with a whole lot more blending of colors with out great amounts of overspray. I often use cans of auto touch up spray, way more variety of colors than tamiya and usually nice metalic mix for custom car finishing.
Dave, I have a water trap air regulator in my air line and airbrush at 45 psi, as I have said before I used to spray cars in my shed so every thing is set up from then, my compressor runs at about 200psi sort of a bit much for an airbrush and there is no way I could carry it around LOL.
if it tastes anything like alcohol wipes ( I have them because I am diabetic) which are saturated in isopropyl alcohol (another useless bit of information) YUCK, our indigenous citezens prefer methilated spirits ( makes you breath heavily just smelling it) I do know it does an excellent job of removing the original paint on all the train cars I have wanted to strip and repaint, cleans all the messy bits in N scale locos too, then if you play too much it also lifts the skin on your hands, this has happened often LOL, I know you should use latex gloves I just haven't been able to find any big enough for my hands.
