Painting my helmet

D

DarthVeach

Hunter
I have the silver done and I am ready to go on the colors, but I am on the fence about using rattle cans or breaking down and buying an airbrush. For those of you who use an airbrush and the Floquil and Polly Scale colors, since most of them are acrylic, are they still fairly durable once they are sprayed on and clear coated? If I go the airbrush route, I plan on sealing layers with a flat clear coat like Testors Dullcote or Krylon Flat. I have used both and never had issues with either on other projects. Just want to make sure the Floquil and Polly Scale acrylics are durable enough. Not planning on abusing the helmet of course, but I am hoping a simple fingernail nick won't remove paint either. Thanks!
 
Floquil make different type of paints the Polly Scale paints are acrylic paints they will be fine to use and take the clear coats well , the only problem with acrylics iis when removing the liqiud mask once painted over the acylic has a tendancy to tear and not come of cleanly were you did the liquid mask how ever if your doing the topical method acrylics are fine and there a some good colours from the old pollscale paints how ever,
if you are just trying to decide which way to go, go with enamel they are a beter finish more and when using in conjunction with liquid mask the results are much beter
So you can look for Floquil enamels or testors ,/ model masters , they have all the colours youl need
 
Listen to BGH Enamels are the way to go. I think all of the colors I use are enamel except for two or three. I went with an air brush right from the get go with no experience using them. I could not imagine trying to do a paint up with a rattle can but thats me and my fear of having the paint run, at least with an air brush you can control how much paint is coming out and how fast it is coming out.
 
I always thought the Polly Scale and Floquil lists here on the forums were acrylic only. Are all the colors available in acrylic and enamel? I thought most of what I have read, they are acrylic. I understand what you mean about the durability of the enamels over acrylic though.
 
Polly scale is Acrylic so yes all the pollyscale colours are acylics BUT the floquil lists are both if the paints are made by the same company just enamels and acylics and the names are the same the colours are basicly the same how ever becouse different materials go in to the difrent types of paint it has a varying afect on the colours so a POG green in enamel wil look slightly difrent than a POG green in acylic How ever they use the same tint formula , so its ok to use the list and apply it to the enamels , the originals were done in enamels (well weather or not the ESB was, is another thing though it would seem that it was painted in enamels )
 
Bummer. The local hobby shop has a whole line of Polly scale and Floquil but it is all the acrylic line. Maybe if I were to clear coat in between the layers as suggested by deadland, it would help the acrylics durability. I worry about what you said BG about the masking not removing cleanly. It is just that the acrylics are so readily available and so much easier clean up in an airbrush than enamel. AGH!! decisions... I have rattle cans of all the necessary colors right now, but I am thinking of returning all of them and just getting an airbrush.
 
lmao....you can do it either way, if you can find graphix liquid mask at hobby lobby maybe? It works best IMO...actually hands down its best very thick and u can tint it with watercolor like others but its not runny like WN and other frisket...Ive been getting much better results with it then with that other junk
 
Yeah Polly S is fine , it will work , just make sure not to do it to thick as the thicker it is the more likley it is to tare
 
I've used the Floquil enamels and the Polly Scale acrylics for quite a while, and they're some of the best, most durable paints I've ever used.
I can see why the model railroaders love them so much.

I actually prefer the acrylics because I can clean my airbrush with water. I've sprayed Testors dull coat and Krylon clear over both the acrylics and enamels and it doesn't have any adverse effect. With Testors clear sprays, I always apply a couple of light coats as opposed to a heavier coat, because that lacquer-based spray can eat into the paint if it's applied too heavily.

With careful handling, I'd say either the Floquils or Polly Scales should work just fine.
 
I love my Krylon clear coats. Glossy, Satin and Flat, for all my other projects they have never let me down. One thing I can depend on to go right!
 
It's just tough trying to figure out which way I wanna tackle this and make it work. It really sucked the other day when I peeled up the masking tape and the paint came with it! I am too much of a perfectionist and never been good with trial and error. My history usually goes trial, error, quit!
 
Fett 4 Real said:
Double on the testors dull coat also Krylon matte clear works but its a bigger can for the same price....its not as dull though
Click to expand...

It's also a different set of chemicals isn't it? I've had lots of problems with clear coats damaging the lower layers of paint, but haven't ever with dullcote.

I have to wait days to safely clearcoat with krylon, but do dullcote same day at times.
 
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