The Little World

Yes, I paint model kits. Yes, I have more than one bottle of paint. Yes, I lose the occasional one down the back of the sofa…

Now that I am building more model aircraft kits from different air forces I am getting more paints. Some are direct shades and some are mixtures. I have transcribed colour equivalence from enamel charts to acrylics in my chosen maker but will not hesitate to modify this based on advice or research. I will also not hesitate to cheap out and combine what I’ve actually got in stock to do what I want to do. I have not got to the point of painting anything  Canadian Back-Porch Grey or End-Of-Tins Salmon but it has been a close-run thing a couple of times…

But the organisation…I found myself raking through the entire stock the other night looking for one colour…and decided that it was time to get the ducks in a row. Fortunately we have been saving the old plastic containers that we get from the local Chinese restaurant ( where we are VIP customers ) so I was able to print some labels and press them into service.

Some colours, like basic red, blue, yellow, green, etc. and the flat blacks and silvers can go in the ready-use paint rack just in front of the building bench. Rubber Black and Dark Iron are truly universal, as are most iron oxides, rusts, and brown colours. They can serve anyone. Indeed, if I make up a special mix of gunge for weathering it might go into the Weathering box, but most dirt is impromptu and gets mixed as needed.

Custom colours are going to be rarer – but as I do buildings that may have a proprietary colour like the Muzz Buzz green and purple I will save the bottles for touch ups and extensions.

Hot rod and Automotive colours are also rare in the stash at present but that doesn’t mean to say they won’t increase. I’ve found a paint shop that will mix little tins of authentic car colours and if I can also find other enthusiasts who want to share the cost we can divide the tints out amongst us.