Spray Paints?

[ohmic12]

Not sure if there are any shops around brisbane to buy spray paints for TF's ?

If you know of any around australia that ship to Queensland let me know?

Also what brand do you recommend?

[Stug]

I'd recommend any of the rattle cans made specifically for models as they're engineered for a better finish with thinner coats and smaller pigment particles on plastics. (Though I will qualify that I've never used these on TFs - only scale models). They do cost more than your multi purpose types. I've only used Tamiya and Mr Color... but there's also ModelMaster/Testors and even Humbrol now have a small range of colours (or it may have been only finishes - I didn't look closely when I saw them the other week).

Most Toyworlds hold Tamiya though they are either locked in displays or held behind the counter. Hobbyramma at Stafford has the wider range of brands...

Don't know if that helps.

[GoktimusPrime]

Damn holiday brain... I initially read the topic of this thread as "spray pants" and some interesting mental images formed. Time to drink some coffee and wake up.

[Iriorne]

I'll second Stug's recommendation for Tamiya sprays. Any hobby shop should have a good selection. For maximum durability you might want to lay down some primer first, and a clear coat on top. If you're mixing paint types, enamel is ok over acrylic but not the other way round. Acrylics also work on top of lacquers, but lacquers will eat both enamel and acrylics.

[Ae-Evolution]

Great time for me to ask a question. I have stacks of Australian Exports Enamel ($2 shop paint or supercheap auto stuff) from a previous hobby, how does that go on TF's? They used to go on Nerf blaster so assume it's somewhat okay, just want a confirmation on it though.

[Iriorne]

I imagine the plastic is probably similar so if you had good results on nerf, you'll probably have good results on Transformers. Best to test it on an old figure or in an out of the way patch to be sure. You can decant some paint from the can (spray into a container or the cap from the can) and apply with a brush to limit the test area or for detail work.

[lancalot]

The cheap enamel paints " Australian Exports Enamel ($2 shop paint or supercheap auto stuff)" from a spray can is too thick for small transformer figure as a second layer will properly fill in the small detail panel lines .. so you have to be careful of that.... that why the tamiya can paints is more thin in consistence ... for large object like nerf with large detail is ok ... But remember to prep the plastic first or the spay paint wont stick to it and it would just flak off...

[Iriorne]

Lancalot is right. I think what I meant to say was, the effect you'll get on is should be similar to the effect on Nerf guns. The cheap stuff will probably not preserve the fine details on transformers as it will have very coarse pigments and probably go on quite heavily. Definitely test it on a junker if you're keen to use them (use light mist coats), but purpose-made modelling paints are almost certainly going to give you a better result.

[ohmic12]

Thanks for all the advice i did see some of the export paint at supercheapauto but wasnt sure

So when you say "clear coat on top" is it best to use any spray clear coat or i did read about one person who said they brush on some Pledge One Go?

[Iriorne]

Generally any clear gloss will work, just be careful not to mix your acrylics/enamels in the wrong order. It'll give your paint a hard coating and help protect it from wear. It also provides a good surface for water-slide decals (seal them with clear again, if you use them) and you can apply a matte/satin coat over the top of your last gloss coat.

I think the Krylon clear aerosol sprays are ok but check the paint type as I had trouble finding the acrylic spray. Tamiya also sell clear spray cans in a variety of finishes which should also give good results and should be matched with their other acrylic paints for compatibility, though it'll be more expensive than Krylon.

With regards to using floor polish:

In the US, you can get an acrylic floor wax called 'Future Floor Polish', or it might be 'Pledge with Future Shine' now - I think they recently changed the name. This stuff is supposed to be magical for scale modelling - it's a great clear gloss coat, it's resistant to most solvents, it can be used to help restore scratched clear parts or just to give them extra clarity, it can be airbrushed or brush painted straight from the bottle, and it costs somewhere in the region of a few dollars per bottle.

Future, or equivalent, has been available in Australia under various names over the years. I believe Pledge One Go was the most recent, though as of sometime last year it has apparently been discontinued with no plans to reintroduce it.

"Pledge One Go" is good if you can find it, or others have had good results with "Long Life self shining floor polish", possibly obtainable from Bunnings, if supermarkets don't carry it. It may look yellow or milky in the bottle but should dry clear, just be careful to test it with your chosen paints as it might contain ammonia. You could try "Pledge Floor Care", which could be imported from the US, as it's pretty pricey. There's also a product I found a while back when I was looking into this called [url=http://www.armsmodelit.com.au/prodrangelist.php?scatid=29]"PASST" which is an acrylic sealer, supposedly very similar to Future and fairly reasonably priced. I've been meaning to try it at some point, just haven't got around to ordering some.

I guess the TL;DR version is you should pick your gloss coat depending on your paints. Krylon spray is ok if you can get the paint type right, otherwise I'd stick to Tamiya or something designed for scale modelling. Floor polish is economical and should give good results if you can find the right one.