Tru-Color Paint
PRICE: $4.99 for a one ounce bottle
DECALS: None, nein, zip, nada
REVIEWER: Scott Van Aken
NOTES: Lacquer-based paint.

Many of us are old enough to remember when Floquil was a lacquer paint. There was really nothing better out there in terms of stick and ease of application. Well, Floquil was purchased by Testors and soon the lacquer paint turned into enamels, much to the dismay of enthusiasts.

Now, you have the chance to get quality lacquer paint again, this time from Tru-Color of Phoenix, AZ. They are reviving the use of quality lacquers for hobbyists. They have a large and growing line of shades, that while keyed to railroad colors, have many applications for all sorts of other models.

CRM Hobbies in St. Louis arranged for me to get a couple of bottles of their paint to test. I chose gloss white and aluminum as those are two colors I tend to use a lot. The paints are premixed and ready for airbrush use, but it looks like they could be brush painted as well.

Thoroughly shaking the one ounce plastic bottles, I used my airbrush on its maximum psi setting (which is a bit over 20 psi) and started painting some parts. These were standard kit bits and had not been washed ahead of time. The paint flows smoothly and produces a superb coat that dries in a very short time. The white covers quite well, better than just about any other white paint I have used. (A note from the manufacturer is that these paints are designed to be sprayed at 28-35 psi)

These were sprayed on day before yesterday on kits I am currently building and both are just a single application.

Both paints cleaned up well using lacquer thinner. I might suggest a slightly higher pressure than what I used or a bit of thinning as I found the paint dried on the tip of my airbrush after a while and needed a swipe of thinner to return to smooth painting.

I have to say that I am sold on the paint and when it comes time to replenish a color, I will be heading for the TruColor rack.

For more information or to purchase yours, please visit http://www.trucolorpaint.com. You can also find this paint at CRM Hobbies. He is getting in the full line and will be completely stocked soon. You can contact them at crm@inlink.com . My thanks to them for providing the review sample.

April 2012

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note to Contributors.

Back to the Main Page

Back to the Accessories Index Page