PaintPot

Thanks @Hook, @Muzz, @Giorgio N, @Des - the consensus seems to be Medium Sea Grey over RAF Barley Grey (i.e. the ones that should be represented by Hu 165 and Hu 167 respectively). So it sounds like the instructions are indeed awry for the underside colour. Cheers Steve

Thanks for all the answers folks - its great to be posting again after a 9 year break - I'll try not to start the same topic under two different threads next time...☺️ Yes, you will find this topic elsewhere...

Many thanks Des - As it happens I do have old old pot of (acrylic) Humbrol 166 which actually does look like a Satin version of (Matt) Humbrol 28. Regards Steve

Many thanks Dave Just noticed that Hannants make mention of this a/c (XR679) on one of their decal sheets and this agrees with you. So I think I'm good to go with Humbrol 165 (Medium Sea Grey) over Humbrol 167 (RAF Barley Grey [aka Camouflage Grey]) - both of which are in the Humbrol Acrylic range - and which hand-paint beautifully (IMHO) 🙂 You're right, no mention of an enamel 167 at Humbrol.com at the moment - how ironic - maybe just out of stock? P.S. I thought that BS4800 18B21 might be synonymous with BS639 as it is mentioned in this context here: https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/search?q=Barley+Grey Thanks again Steve

Hi All I am currently building the Airfix Jet Provost T.4 (A02107) and I have a question regarding the colours for the (A) scheme - which appears to be a “low-vis” scheme. The Humbrol number / name suggested for the underside is 28 / Matt Camouflage Grey - which the instructions state is an approximate match to BC381C 626 (Barley Grey). However, Humbrol 28 is only available as an enamel and I very much prefer to use acrylics (Humbrol ones mostly). I’m not overly precious about colour accuracy but would at least like to be in the right ballpark So - my questions really are - does Humbrol 28 sound/look right for this type of scheme based on other's knowledge / experience? If so, can anyone suggest an acrylic alternative. If not, what should be considered the “correct” BS colour? Many thanks. P.S. I thought maybe the instructions were wrong and I should use Humbrol 167/Satin Barley Grey (which IS available in acrylic) but… Humbrol 167 is meant to be a match for BS-18-B-21 (or BS639) - so not the same BS number that Airfix are suggesting - nor do these two colours (from the Humbrol tin) look the same - so I suspect the instructions are OK. I understand that Barley Grey was later renamed to Camouflage grey (in the real world) but that only makes matters more confusing!

Hi All I am currently building the Airfix Jet Provost T.4 (A02107) and I have a question regarding the colours for the (A) scheme - which appears to be a “low-vis” scheme. The Humbrol number / name suggested for the underside is 28 / Matt Camouflage Grey - which the instructions state is an approximate match to BC381C 626 (Barley Grey). However, Humbrol 28 is only available as an enamel and I very much prefer to use acrylics (Humbrol ones mostly). I’m not overly precious about colour accuracy but would at least like to be in the right ballpark So - my questions really are - does Humbrol 28 sound/look right for this type of scheme based on other's knowledge / experience? If so, can anyone suggest an acrylic alternative. If not, should be considered the “correct” BS colour? Many thanks. P.S. I thought maybe the instructions were wrong and I should use Humbrol 167/Satin Barley Grey (which IS available in acrylic) but… Humbrol 167 is meant to be a match for BS-18-B-21 (or BS639) - so not the same BS number that Airfix are suggesting - nor do these two colours (from the Humbrol tin) look the same - so I suspect the instructions are OK. I understand that Barley Grey was later renamed to Camouflage grey (in the real world) but that only makes matters more confusing!

Hi Folks I had a look in my local Hobby Craft today and they seem to have 2 Windsor and Newton flow improvers for acrylics. One in a clear plastic bottle and one in a yellow-labelled tub marked "Galleria", both about £7. Which one do you guys use? They both seemed to be suggesting the improver needed diluting pretty heavily with water before adding to paint - but you don't bother with this, no? Cheers Steve

Hi Mike You seem to get great results bristle brushing with acrylics - may I ask what kind / brand do you use? I have experimented with Tamiya, Xtracrylics, Humbrol and Revel acrylics but always found they just didn't brush / leave no brush marks as well as good old Humbrol enamels - so I always go back to them. The thing that keeps attracting me to acrylics though is the water clean up and the faster drying time. Anyway, this thread has inspired me to have another go though, esp. the tip about the Windsor and Newton additive. Cheers Steve

Hi, I used this stuff (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elegant-Touch-Nail-Polish-Remover/dp/B001RIYO0G) which contains acetone and it worked fine with Squandon's white putty, however, it just didn't react in the same way with Revell's Plasto. Rather than making it smooth and workable it seemed to cause it to go lumpy and totally unworkable. I'd give white putty a try, fill your gap, give it a couple of minutes to dry and wipe with a few Q-tips soaked in the above. This works fine for me and has not melted any models yet. Just keep the window open while you're doing it!

To be fair, I used to use Polly Scale acrylics in the past and after a couple of times, I literally could not get the lid off without immersing the jar in boiling water for 5 minutes. Amusing the first time it happens, but thereafter rather annoying . Here is my field-tested advice to avoid your Humbrol / Revell tins drying out: Do not shake before removing lid. Use a pair of scissors to lever the lid off, sliding each blade under opposite sides of the lid (you will need to find the right size scissors, but once found they will be your friend for life). This will avoid bending and distorting the lid less (if at all) than levering at only one point as say, a screw driver will. Having removed the lid, do NOT do what would seem natural and lay it top-side down. Any paint that is on the underside of the lid (despite NOT shaking) will now run onto the rim of the lid and eventually dry to a powdery crust. After a few uses, this will then prevent the lid from fitting properly and forming an airtight seal. Even if you put the tin in a vice an "press" the lid in, once this crust has formed, the lid will then bend the rim on the tin itself which will lead to the same result. So, before talking you lid off in the manner prescribed above, fold a sheet of kitchen roll into 4 and place the lid UNDERSIDE down on the sheet and slide it back and forth a couple of times to wipe the underside of the tin clean. You might waste a bit of paint this way but in the long run you will gain. Now, the lid is of off but the paint is not shaken, let alone stirred If you are a keen brush painter like me, you must purchase a little battery operated coffee mixer like this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Milk-Shake-Frother-W...b1#ht_886wt_930. Hack-saw off the mixing bit and then bend enough of the remaining "rod" at 90 degrees such that it will now fit into a tin of Humbrol comfortably. You can now use this device (with caution) to mix your enamel paint. Put the mixing rod right to the bottom of the tin and switch on for a minute or so. First time you try this, just hold a kitchen towel around the tin to stop any splashing. Eventually, you get to know when you can do without. If the paint has really gone solid in the bottom, give it a traditional stir with a cocktail stick first. Only really old tins seem to need this. The electric stirrer will not only mix the pigment with the carrier but it will also rip apart the pigment resulting in very smooth, hand-paintable enamel. Stop the stirrer and, having withdrawn it from the tin, under no circumstances turn it on again. Wipe the mixing rod with a kitchen towel. You are now ready to hand-paint. Resist the temptation to "wipe" your brush on the rim of the tin as you withdraw it. This will eventually lead to the "crust" problem described above. Instead, use any piece of flat plastic as a palette and wipe the brush on there to "clear" the brush. Using this approach has worked for me. If a tin does look like it it drying out, keep a few of these handy: http://www.hannants.co.uk/product/XTIN "Crack" the rim of the old tin with a pair of wire cutters, stir as best you can and pour into the new tin. You've just saved £1.40. I just wanted to pass on this advice, hope it helps, sorry if I've taught anyone to suck eggs.

I'm a dedicated Humbrol brush painter but I would be interested to know where you are getting them from.

Hello there, I read this thread with some interest as, though I own an airbrush, I still enjoy and prefer the tranquillity of hand painting. I've just got started with modelling again and discovered that my tried and trusted pre-decaling coat (Pollyscale Gloss) is no longer made Regarding your "yellowing" fears, I notice Windsor and Newton do a Artists' Acrylic Gloss/Matt UV Varnish which is supposed to protect your "art" and presumably itself from UV "damage". I bought some a couple of days ago from HobbyCraft and tried it out on a scrap model. It is already pretty thin but I watered it down a little more with water and hand painted it with a flat soft brush (also from HobbyCraft). So, far so good. I painted on top of a couple of coats of Humbrol enamel with no problem - nice flow, no glaring brush marks, no white "mist" and it dried within an hour . Then applied some "test" decals with Microset (the red one) with no problems and put another coat of gloss on top. I am going to use this approach on my current build and see how it goes. Will keep you posted. P.S. I did try Klear in the past but found it was difficult to get an "even" level of gloss and odd things started to happen to it depending on what I applied next. Didn't have this problem with Polly Scale. I know others love Klear so maybe I was just too impatient