The Little World

The year-long Covid pandemic has been so tragic for so many that it seems nearly a sacrilege to mention it in connection with a hobby – but it has led to a drought in the paint aisles of many hobby shops.

Oh, there’s paint still, as not all the makers have ceased sending out their colours – but none of the racks in my local seem full and most of the ranges have holes in them – holes that are not likely to be filled any time soon.

I lack several shades that I need and have resorted to the next best thing on several occasions. I don’t think anyone will notice. I’ll chafe at it, but in the end I’ll forget it too. What I won’t do is change paint horses in mid-stream.

There is always the temptation to go where the grass is closer to RLM 71 than in one’s own paddock. The different systems all seem to have dozens of colours in their ranges and many of them are sprayed at very low pressure but marketed at very high price. And we have all succumbed to the temptation to change at least once in our modelling lives. We’ve decided to switch to Colourmodellfarbtonlack Super Air because they have labelled a tiny bottle with just the colour of Low Altitude Eskimo Air Force Purple we desire. We forget several things:

a. The label is easy to print. The exact shade of LAEAFP is another matter. As no-one here in Australia has ever seen this colour ( and no-one south of Resolute Inlet has either ) they can put whatever they like in the bottle.

Rest assured that whatever shade of purple it is, some Pommie anorak on Britmodeller will tell you that it is wrong.

b. The chemistry of the paint system may be entirely incompatible with anything in your workshop. Meaning an entirely new set of thinners, retarders, and airbrush cleaners. You can bust your lungs with a new set of toxins.

c. The new paint will not spray like the paint you already have. It will not spray like anything you have ever seen. Trust me on this.

d. The new paint will either curdle or strip anything else you use. Or it will refuse to set in the presence of any other system. A lot like a diva on a television reality show.

e. A diva you’ll pay $ 15 a bottle for and you’ll need 78 bottles…

f. That’s the 2.5 ml. bottle, mind…You’d do cheaper finishing your Hurricane in Chanel No. 5 and as a bonus you’d attract pretty women.