Help in paint color selection

If the instructions give FS numbers you might be able to go to a conversion chart and match the FS number with a vallejo paint. Otherwise, you'll have to do some research and find out what FS numbers were on the reall aircraft. Someone here should be able to help you out with the FS numbers.

Vallejo equivalent chart

Hope this helps.

a quick google search will bring on many color equivalency charts that tell you what gunze # blah blah blah is in tamiya color.

A lot of the vallejo line for airbrushes are self explanatory... "interior green" = interior green... some of the others are a bit more cryptic, instead of saying "RLM such and such" they will have names like "German Panzer brown" or "Sand Yellow" instead of Sandgelb etc... usually what I do is if I really want to use Vallejo is go the my LHS that stocks them and compare them to the exact MM RLM or exact color off the model instructions.

Thanks to pingtang for that chart though, it will make it a lot less guesswork for me! Sometimes I have come home with something 4 shades too light trying to match stuff, not often but it happens!

And if you haven't used them yet, Vallejo works best with their own brand of thinner. If you go to their website it gives exact mixing ratios for their thinner versus their paint and so far they have been great!

http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/

Also you might already know, but there are two type of Vallejos paints... Vallejo Model Colors and Vellejo Air Colors. The air colors come pretty much pre-mixed for air-brushing and are easiest to use if using an airbrush. The model colors are a little thicker for brushing, but on their site they have the conversion for the thinners for those.. It sounds like Model Colros are what you would want since you want to use them for both... just get a bottle of their thinner as well... it's not expensive and has a dropper top to it so you can meter it out in exact drops of paint versus drops of thinner to get your ratio just right!

Good luck to you!


---edit---

I just noticed this was your first post, so welcome to the forum as well! Glad to have you here!!

First of all welcome to the forums. Stick around and you'll find that this is the place to come for amy info, advice and support.

Second, don't know if it's exactly what you're looking for, but this link has been very helpful to me. Just click on the 'colours' button for a pretty good color comparison chart.

http://www.airmodel.sk/indie_eng.html

I just checked and I never noticed this before but vallejo has the equivalency chart right on its site!

click on the acrylicosvallejo.com/, choose english as the language (click on the British flag) then model and miniature colors from the side menu, choose either model or air color and at the top a selection menu will appear, choose equivalencies and it will give you FS, RLM, RAL, etc.. etc.. equivalencies..

quite nice! I'll have to bookmark it myself because I never really noticed it before!

on the equivalencies they also have the Tamiya equivalencies so that might help you as well!

Hi,

Thanks for the welcome. I have been to the Vallejo site. The color names of some paint do not match the federal standard names. I do not have a local hobby shop whom carries the paint. I live an hour north of manhattan, could someone sugjest a hobby shop who carries
the model color line. pmm736, what colours button are you refering to?

Hey Tweety... on those aq. charts there whats those numbers on the far right "something en carta" ?

QUOTE: Hey Tweety... on those aq. charts there whats those numbers on the far right "something en carta" ?

It doesn't translate exactly that way, but I think it probably means "Catalog Number" or something like that.

yeah literally it means "position on the card", I had my wife (from Colombia) look at it and she agreed, it is either catalog number, or what page in the catalog the paint is on... she felt it was the catalog number...

anyway... the names of the paints wont match Mitch, what's more important is one, the equivalency chart does give you a better idea what you are looking for, and two even though the names don't match the FS number should correspond to a number on the Vallejo chart...

i.e you look up Non specular sea blue.. it's not on the vallejo chart, so you go to google and type something like FS number ,and the name of the paint... it should bring it up... there are some charts out there, maybe type in 'FS chart' and see if it gives you the FS number, then look it up on the Vallejo site...

if you dont have a Vallejo dealer near you, Gunze is a good paint, as well as the MM series of acryilics... maybe you can find one of those! Sharkskin lives in Brooklyn I believe, so maybe he might have an idea of what's around ya!

Good luck!!

QUOTE: Originally posted by mitchjstein Hi, pmm736, what colours button are you refering to?

Sorry, I forgot to put the link in my post. It's in there now.

Here are the Federal Standard colors for the F-105. Not sure what the Vallejo equivelents are but here's a starting point. In case you have to use other paints; available paints are from Testor MM Acryl line, Gunze Sangyo acrylic, Testor MM enamels, and Humbrol enamels.

Camouflage Gray (FS 36622)
Dark Tan (FS 30219)
Dark Green (FS 34079)
Medium Green (FS 34102)

there ya go Mitch, if ya go back to the equivalencies link on the vallejo link I put up, the FS number is the first one to the left and the actual vallejo one is the next one to the right...

The Med. Green (FS 34102) doesnt have a match. Plasticmod you sure on that number?

Yep, straight from an actual FS 595 color chart and cross referenced with my Testors Technical Guide book. The Vallejo equivelent is under their "Model Air" selection listed as follows on their site:

092 Medium Green - - 34102

Perhaps it should be mentioned that Vallejo "Color of Eagles" paints are "toned down" meaning that they are just shade lighter. I don't know if this is true for their entire color line, but it applies to all of the RLM colors that I have ever bought.

I personally don't like that aspect of them, so I add a few drops of black to the darker greens and grays to darken them a bit.


stinger

ahhh you know I just bought a set of RLM colors "Color of eagles" and was wondering why RLM 02 was so light (Just last night as a matter of fact)... now I know.. never had that prob with Vallejo Model Air so I might stick them from now on...

QUOTE: Originally posted by tho9900 ahhh you know I just bought a set of RLM colors "Color of eagles" and was wondering why RLM 02 was so light (Just last night as a matter of fact)... now I know.. never had that prob with Vallejo Model Air so I might stick them from now on...

I know what you mean. I buy my paints from either Great Models or Squadron, and neither of them really tell you that they are toned down. I didn't realize it until I bought my first bottles and noticed it on the label. I've never tried the Model Air series (actually, didn't even know about it), but from a post above, I see that they need to be thinned down. I love the way the C of E paints spray perfectly right from the bottle, so for me it's easier to darken them, although I may not be getting the exact color.

BTW, those are some great links you all have posted. Thanks for the info.

Edit - I thought maybe I should try the Model air series after all, but can't find them at GM or Squadron. Does anyone know who sells them in the US?

thanks,


stinger

QUOTE: Originally posted by plasticmod992 Camouflage Gray (FS 36622) Dark Tan (FS 30219) Dark Green (FS 34079) Medium Green (FS 34102)

FYI-
I just recevied an F-105 F/G (Revell) and it lists the same 4 Colors for the main camo paint .

Hi,

Now that I have the FS numbers how do I figure out which Vallejo paint to select. The model color names are different than the fs names.

Also does anyone know of a retailer in the NY metro area who carries Vallejo paint?
I e-mailed the importer over a week ago with no response.

Stinger, you can order them online with a paypal account from http://www.minimadd.com/

and pay regular with:

http://www.modelmecca.com/cgi-bin/shop.pl?category=all&inactive=all&location=all&price=all&scale=all&manufacturer=VA&type=all&description=&partnumber=&go=Search

personally I like the second one... haven't used them but look more reputable and have seen people here recommend them.

I really recommend buying thier thinner at least for airbrushing as it has a retarder in it I believe.. at any rate the paint goes on very smooth and several coats cover well with no build up or ripples etc...

Mitch, when you go to Vallejo's website, click on the english flag, click on model color link, then equivalencies, the first number on the left on the chart is the FS number, find the one you need and the number to the right of it is the Vallejo paint number... find it on one of those sites and order away!

I don't know of any ditrinutors in NY but you could probably email Vallejo or their US marketer from their site at: http://www.r-kproductions.com

Thanks for the links Tom. I put them in my favorites list.

Off topic, but I see they list a "Pumice stone putty". Have you or anyone else heard of or tried it?


stinger

no, I noticed it but it didn't register I guess.. hmm maybe for dio's or figures? They seem to advertise that side of the business quite a bit!

I'll go back and read it... maybe it's something I've been missing out on!!!

---edit---

it's for making rough surfaces, as in murals... it's in their fine arts section on their website... hmmm ight work for a pacific diorama, as in coral beaches...