Page 20 - January 2019

Enamel Paints - What do I need to know?

Hobby and Toy Central carries enamel paints made by Testors distributed
under the brand names of Testors and Model Master. Enamel paints are oil based therefore you will need
thinner to clean up small mistakes and your brushes. Enamel paints are thicker than acrylics, and while this
allows them to brush on very smoothly requiring less touch-up, they have a tendency to show brush strokes if
you are not careful.

Acrylic and Enamel Paints - Can I mix these?
If you need to use an acrylic paint and an enamel paint together on your model they must be applied in the
correct order. Acrylic paint must be applied first, and allowed to dry. If the acrylic paint is applied after the
layer of enamel paint, they will begin to chip and peel once dried.

Spray Paints - No more brushing!

Both Tamiya (Acrylic) and Testors (Enamel) make spray paints for model kits. Tamiya uses a lacquer based
acrylic paint which allows the paint to dry fast. This is an advantage for people who want to move onto
additional paint colours without waiting overnight for their paint to set. Testors has a small selection of
lacquer based enamel paints which are also fast drying, but the majority of their spray paints are simply spray
versions of their popular enamel brush-on paints.

Tamiya and Testors both offer clear coat sprays. When applied to completed kits, they can give different
effects depending on the finish you're looking for. Clear or Glosscoat gives a shiny finish desirable for cars and
trucks. Flat Clear or Dullcoat gives the model a "worn" finish, prefect for military vehicles. Other options
include Semigloss which provide a satin finish and Pearl Clear which makes your models sparkle.