Enamel or acrylic?

Don Stauffer

In the round bottles they have a couple of new metallic colors, and have brought back the semi-gloss black, which I really like.  I believe they used to call it black chrome, but the new semi-gloss black seems to have the same sheen as the old black chrome.

 

 

Black Chrome is and always was the same as Semi-black all along. Neither were different from the get go.

Model Master always had semi-gloss black in their line. I still have mine although

bluenote

 

 

stikpusher

In the Model Master line, some of the new colors are German- Feldgrau (Olivgrau) RAL 6003, Olivgelb, the previous mentioned naval colors such as hull red, RN, USN, and DKM colors. In the little square bottle colors they have new colors such as pea soup, sunflower, honey, etc. They are named in crafty names, but of course have uses in our hobby.

 

 

 

 

All of those Modelmaster colours you mentioned are part of the Modelmaster II line (International Military & Figure Enamel Paints) which according to Testors were all discontinued.  

 

https://www.testors.com/~/media/DigitalEncyclopedia/Documents/Testors/ColorCharts/RM280040_0914_ModelMaster_IntMilitary_FigureEnamelPaints.ashx

 

But perhaps you mean that they've kept some of those and combined them with the Modelmaster I line?

 

Ugh, Testors always seems to make this so confusing!  Even on their website they make no indication of the discontinued paints!  It would be so much easier if they had an up-to-date paint chart.

 

Thanks for the information Stikpusher!  Perhaps I jumped to the wrong conclusion that Testors was discontinuing their enamel line.  

 

No, the RAL 6006 is different from the Felgrau uniform color that was introduced as part of their MM II line. As it should be. It is the color that all the metal personal gear was painted in- Helmets, gas mask case, canteen cup and mess kit... Also the Olivgelb is new, being the Bundeswehr pre tri color NATO camo  shade painted on their vehicles. And they never before offered their naval colors in enamels, only as acrylics. Enamels had far better adherance properties to plastic compared to acrylics. Especially Model Master acrylics. Primer is a must with them. That’s another stage of painting and a day or more of delay. Acrylic primers are worthless in my experience.

Edit- Its Gelboliv RAL 6014 that also is a new color not previously offered by Testors. Before they brought this color out, your only enamel options for it were the discontinued Roco Minitank paints, or Revell Germany. If you’re a Bundeswehr fan, the color is long overdue here. Yes, now there are also some acrylic options... finally. But before, nope.

Testors really needs to update their site/colour charts.  I have no idea what colours are still available, what's discontinued, etc!

bluenote

Testors really needs to update their site/colour charts.  I have no idea what colours are still available, what's discontinued, etc!

 

The color charts are what’s currently available after the two MM lines were consolidated and the newest colors introduced. They also introduced railroad colors, probably to replace the Floquil rail road colors that they discontinued. Although their railroad line is a fraction of what Floquil offered. As far as their paint charts go, if it is discontinued, it’s no longer on the current chart. Their site was revamped recently as well. Much more crafty and far less hobby now.

stikpusher

 

 

bluenote

Testors really needs to update their site/colour charts.  I have no idea what colours are still available, what's discontinued, etc!

 

 

 

 

 

The color charts are what’s currently available after the two MM lines were consolidated and the newest colors introduced. They also introduced railroad colors, probably to replace the Floquil rail road colors that they discontinued. Although their railroad line is a fraction of what Floquil offered. As far as their paint charts go, if it is discontinued, it’s no longer on the current chart. Their site was revamped recently as well. Much more crafty and far less hobby now.

 

That doesn't make sense, because on their website I see:

https://www.testors.com/~/media/DigitalEncyclopedia/Documents/Testors/ColorCharts/RM280040_0914_ModelMaster_IntMilitary_FigureEnamelPaints.ashx

According to Testors, the International Military and Figures line was all discontinued. 

I don't see any chart showing the consolidation of the 2 lines.

(by the way, I'm not trying to disprove you, I really want to see what's available for MM!)  

No the paint chart does not show the consolidation, per say (this was discontinued, this is still here, and we added these new colors). But from personal experience, I’ve been using Model Master paints since they first came out back in the day. I recall first seeing the expansion of the Model Master II line in the 90s. As well as their first iteration of Acrylics (gray bottle top) in the later 80’s. I had a pretty good idea of which colors were available in which line. Original Model Master was almost exclusively FS colors, along with some generic stuff. It was geared heavily towards the colors in use at that time: MERDC, IDF, SEA, Europe I, Ghost Grays, Aggressor, USN/USMC TPS and Temperate Land schemes. Model Master II added the Figure and flesh colors, WWII ANA colors, foreign colors (IJA/IJN Aircraft, modern & WWII Soviet, WWII French, Italian), Gulf War colors, and some new FS colors, and the new NATO vehicle tri color camo. Naval colors were never issued in enamels, nor were many of these new armor colors. The latest iteration of the charts has those, but does not have some of the older colors. 

I think that the confusion comes from the title of International and Figure line being discontinued. Many of those colors that were introduced for those lines are on the latest chart. They did not exist back when Model Master first hit the store shelves and you’re only other enamel options were Pactra and Humbrol.

One of my local hobby shops carries the full line of Testors paints, enamels and acrylics. With the latest revamps of the charts, they added the new colors onto the racks, and put discontinued colors into their clearance boxes.

I know several folks here have written posts about contacting Testors online or by phone and being told by them that enamels will be discontinued. Yet I have yet to see such information on their site. And their introduction of new colors would seem to indicate otherwise. Why introduce new colors in a line that will be discontinued. I can understand the discontinuation of ones that do not sell well.

Looking at their current enamel paint charts, I can see that Flat Sea Blue (FS# 35042) and Armor Sand (FS# 30277) have been discontinued in their American FS enamel line. In their International and Figures chart, all of the French colors are gone, as are some of the Japanese, Italian, and Soviet/Russian.

these are their current enamel paint charts on their site. which would indicate that that is what they are currently selling. They are at my best local shop, so that’s all I need.

https://www.testors.com/~/media/DigitalEncyclopedia/Documents/Testors/ColorCharts/RM280037_0914_ModelMasters_AmericanFSEnamel-MetalizerPaint.ashx

https://www.testors.com/~/media/DigitalEncyclopedia/Documents/Testors/ColorCharts/RM280040_0914_ModelMaster_IntMilitary_FigureEnamelPaints.ashx

As for how long, who knows. Just like Revell/Hobbico, they could suddenly go away due to bad business practices.

thanks for the information Stikpusher!