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Matching Tamiya TS paint to Tamiya XF and X paint........HELP!

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  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Newfoundland, Canada
Matching Tamiya TS paint to Tamiya XF and X paint........HELP!
Posted by rodc on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 8:43 PM

Guys,

I am in the process of building Tamiya's I-400 Japanese sub and have a question about matching Tamiya rattle can colors with the corresponding XF or X bottles.  For instance, the kit called for TS-66 which is IJN Gray (Kure arsenal) and so I also picked up a bottle of XF-66.  The two grays are significantly different.  After talking to the lady at my LHS, she found that XF-75 is actually the same as TS-66 and so I picked up a bottle of that.

Now I have the same dilemma with the TS-33 color reference.  It would seem that TS-33 in the instructions is called Dull Red and when I searched Google for it, most matches came back as Hull Red.  Since I now have a difference in the color name and I know the 2-digit Tamiya color reference between TS- and XF- series paint also differ Censored [censored] Banged Head [banghead] Sigh [sigh].  How can I find the match to the TS-33?  I have a bottle of XF-9 which is labelled Hull Red and I am afraid that it may not be the same as the TS-33.  Is there any cross-referencing tables for Tamiya TS- XF- and X- series paints?

Any help appreciated..........sorry if my message reads a little bit confusing!

RODC

  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: Navan, Ontario
Posted by Jagdwolf on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 11:24 PM

Here you go...

TS-1 = XF-64
TS-2 = XF-61
TS-3 = XF-60
TS-4 = XF-63
TS-5 = XF-62
TS-6 = XF-1
TS-9 = X-5
TS-12 = X-6
TS-13 = X-22
TS-14 = X-1
TS-15 = X-4
TS-16 = X-8
TS-21 = X-12
TS-23 = X-14
TS-24 = X-16
TS-25 = X-17
TS-26 = X-2
TS-27 = XF-2
TS-29 = X-18
TS-30 = X-11
TS-32 = XF-25
TS-33 = XF-9
TS-38 = X-10
TS-47 = X-8
TS-61 = XF-67
TS-62 = XF-68
TS-63 = XF-69
TS-66 = XF-75
TS-67 = XF-77
TS-68 = XF-78
TS-69 = XF-79
TS-70 = XF-74
TS-71 = X-19
TS-72 = X-23
TS-73 = X-26
TS-74 = X-27
TS-77 = XF-15

Hopes this helps out.

  • Member since
    April 2004
  • From: Windy city, US
Posted by keilau on Thursday, April 2, 2009 7:09 AM

Jagdwolf,

How did you get the corresponding list? I check the colors at the Tamiya USA and Tamiya Japan web site. The color tabs do not look the same, for example:

TS-66 vs. XF-75

TS-33 vs. XF-9

 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Newfoundland, Canada
Posted by rodc on Thursday, April 2, 2009 7:52 AM

Thanks Jagdwolf...........and just like keilau asked, I also wonder where you got the list!

I have learned a long time ago never to trust looking at color swatches on the net......too many variables regarding seeing the correct shade.  Color shifts can occur with different monitors, video cards, the image itself, how the image was created - hardcopy scan or RGB color generated using HTML code...........

I agree with keilau that the swatches do not look the same but the TS-66 and XF-75 are indeed the exact same paint color.  I tested last night and I can spot paint with XF-75 over an area of TS-66 and after it dries, there is no difference.

I guess instead of looking at the paint number, we really need to be looking at the paint name.  The lady at my LHS matched the TS-66 with the XF-75 by simply looking for the same names on the paint display.

Thanks for your comments guys.....

 

RODC

  • Member since
    April 2022
Posted by JStevensoon on Monday, April 11, 2022 9:26 AM

Hi RODC,

Not sure if you're still monitoring this (now ancient) post.  Just yesterday I was "Ranting like Rick" about how Tamiya doesn't just give us a direct XF/X to TS/AS cross-reference chart.  I *know* that the actual paint they use in at least the TS and AS series are indeed the same as the Acrylics.  It works the same with "Frog" tape for example (unlike most other sprays which actually attack the adhesive in all masking tapes I've used).

Anyways, during the construction of two recent HUGE ship projects (1/200 Trumpeter HOOD, and now also her "sister in arms" the Bismarck) I have had to figure out exact paint matches to allow the post-spray touch-ups needed.  In fact, I made sure that if I used TS/AS types I had the matching XF equivelent.  By trial and error I was ablke to determine that:

TS-6 (Flat Black) = XF1 (when air brushed.  hand-brushed was more matt)

TS-32 (HOOD main hull grey) = XF66  "Haze Grey"

TS-33 (Hull Red) =???  (see after.  It's NOT XF-9 directly!)

AS-11 (Medium Grey) = very close to RAL7001 = XF82  (Bismarck Superstructure)

AS-31 (RAF2 Ocean Grey) = XF83  (RAL7000)  (Bismark main hull grey)

TS-68 (Wooden Deck) = XF78

Note, in contradiction to previous popsts, XF9 is more like a "Boxcar Red" (more of a brown) which I actually have used successfully for CN Boxcars (for my other ModelRR hobby).  I haven't found the right "mix" yet but I have seen a mixture ratio elsewhere (which I can't find) that involves XF-9 and XF-7 that comes close to TS33.

BTW - I also discovered a bit of a "trick" to matching up Tamiya spray versus brush-on.  If you use Testor Dullcote to post-spray an area with both paints, it seems to reactivate both, and when it "resets" you get a very nice blend.  I discovered this by accident whilst cursing on a botched paint-job near then end of a B-25 project, and experience the "miracle" of how well this works!

Cheers,

J.Stevenson

St.John's, NL

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Newfoundland, Canada
Posted by rodc on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 7:00 AM

Hi J.Stevenson,

Thanks for the info.  The I-400 has long been put to bed.  Hard to believe this was 12 years ago.  It is a small world.  I am from Portugal Cove and also the VP of our local IPMS-SJ chapter which has been quite active in the COVID era.  We would love to see new members join and share their knowledge and work.  We meet virtually first tuesday of every month and then at least three times per month, have virtual build sessions with whoever is available.  We all build and just shoot the breeze.  It has been great.  If you are interested, shoot me an email at rod@altiusminerals.com and we can chat further.

RODC

  • Member since
    March 2024
Posted by Cobusp on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 1:14 AM

Thank you! I had the same issue with that colour. This list is very useful.

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 4:05 PM

The TS-3 is spot on lwith XF-60,came in handy for my 1/16 Tiger build

  • Member since
    June 2024
Posted by Kumamon on Friday, June 14, 2024 10:54 PM

I'm new on this site and don't know to to create a new thread.  I was wondering, what is the best substitute for Tamiya AS-12 - Bare Metal Silver?  The TS and AS paints are spray paints and i can not use spray paints due to health reasons.  Am looking for brush on paints from Tamiya.  I am starting to build an old Fiat G.91.  Any help is appreciated.

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