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ET2SN · 07-09-22, 02:52 PM

A good link for paint.

https://mcwfinishes.com/

MCW Finishes specializes in hobby enamel and lacquer paints.
Their paints are sold pre-thinned for airbrush use and their catalogue is pretty deep.

While MCW is building a solid rep with the car modelers (their paints are starting to get some traction in hobby stores), they also cater to many military and electric train subjects.

So, don't assume they're just a source for building street stocks and rat rods.

MCW is located in Massillon, Ohio and you can check their web site for business hours. Direct-order prices are fair and service is fast if you're in the US (six days from placing an order to delivery in my case). While I'm starting to see some buzz about their paint in the UK, I'm not sure how much of a hassle it would be for them to ship individual orders globally. US shipping is slightly high, but these are bottles of paint after all.

Overall, MCW is a good source for hobby paint but their pros and cons tend to be the same.

The paint is pre-thinned for airbrush use. While its not that big of a gripe, it would be nice if they offered a more universal formula, especially in enamels.

Their product line is currently.. freakin' HUGE.

This is great when it comes to finding the right colors and finishes, just be ready to spend some time in actually finding them (the spy glass on their header opens a search function, which you WILL need). If you're looking for a specific color name or paint code, write it down so you won't forget it while you search. While they also provide sub-categories based on common uses such as auto manufacturers, expect a long slog to find what you want (but you will probably find it). For now, I'm treating their paints like Tamiya so don't forget stuff like thinner, cleaner, and retarder if you're getting fancy.

So, anyway, I had a couple of small repair projects for some 1/18th scale die casts- a '64 Mustang and a '66 GTO- both wearing metallic dark maroon. I went with a 1 oz. bottle of lacquer color matched to the Ford, if there is a difference to these colors I can't see it. Like I wrote earlier, the paint showed up six days after I placed the order and I paid a little less than $20 for a 1 oz. bottle plus S&H. Not too bad in terms of convivence.
The paint is packed in a 1 oz. glass bottle with a metal cap. I can also hear a small agitator inside the bottle when I shake it.

Application was a bit off-the-path for you airbrush snobs.

I used a small sharpened toothpick to flow the paint into the small chips and scratches. Color matching and metal flake is really good and the paint dried quickly. I'll give it a day or two before I buff and polish the repair spots.

MCW also provides some really good instructions on how to use their paints.

So, what's the difference between MCW and the last paint company I wrote about? MCW is hobby based. With die-casts, especially in 1/18th scale, its a bit of a "push" if you use hobby paints or paints made for the genuine article. This gave me a good excuse to try both.

MCW paint is highly recommended for hobbyists in North America. What you get is first-rate and realize that shipping is high due to the product. For users "off the continent", its top quality stuff but be ready for some headaches in terms of shipping- or bug the heck out of your favorite hobby shop.

Will MCW take over Testor's old turf? Well, we could do a lot worse.

07-09-22, 02:52 PM	#26
ET2SN ET2/SS Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,513 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 0	A good link for paint. https://mcwfinishes.com/ MCW Finishes specializes in hobby enamel and lacquer paints. Their paints are sold pre-thinned for airbrush use and their catalogue is pretty deep. While MCW is building a solid rep with the car modelers (their paints are starting to get some traction in hobby stores), they also cater to many military and electric train subjects. So, don't assume they're just a source for building street stocks and rat rods. MCW is located in Massillon, Ohio and you can check their web site for business hours. Direct-order prices are fair and service is fast if you're in the US (six days from placing an order to delivery in my case). While I'm starting to see some buzz about their paint in the UK, I'm not sure how much of a hassle it would be for them to ship individual orders globally. US shipping is slightly high, but these are bottles of paint after all. Overall, MCW is a good source for hobby paint but their pros and cons tend to be the same. The paint is pre-thinned for airbrush use. While its not that big of a gripe, it would be nice if they offered a more universal formula, especially in enamels. Their product line is currently.. freakin' HUGE. This is great when it comes to finding the right colors and finishes, just be ready to spend some time in actually finding them (the spy glass on their header opens a search function, which you WILL need). If you're looking for a specific color name or paint code, write it down so you won't forget it while you search. While they also provide sub-categories based on common uses such as auto manufacturers, expect a long slog to find what you want (but you will probably find it). For now, I'm treating their paints like Tamiya so don't forget stuff like thinner, cleaner, and retarder if you're getting fancy. So, anyway, I had a couple of small repair projects for some 1/18th scale die casts- a '64 Mustang and a '66 GTO- both wearing metallic dark maroon. I went with a 1 oz. bottle of lacquer color matched to the Ford, if there is a difference to these colors I can't see it. Like I wrote earlier, the paint showed up six days after I placed the order and I paid a little less than $20 for a 1 oz. bottle plus S&H. Not too bad in terms of convivence. The paint is packed in a 1 oz. glass bottle with a metal cap. I can also hear a small agitator inside the bottle when I shake it. Application was a bit off-the-path for you airbrush snobs. I used a small sharpened toothpick to flow the paint into the small chips and scratches. Color matching and metal flake is really good and the paint dried quickly. I'll give it a day or two before I buff and polish the repair spots. MCW also provides some really good instructions on how to use their paints. So, what's the difference between MCW and the last paint company I wrote about? MCW is hobby based. With die-casts, especially in 1/18th scale, its a bit of a "push" if you use hobby paints or paints made for the genuine article. This gave me a good excuse to try both. MCW paint is highly recommended for hobbyists in North America. What you get is first-rate and realize that shipping is high due to the product. For users "off the continent", its top quality stuff but be ready for some headaches in terms of shipping- or bug the heck out of your favorite hobby shop. Will MCW take over Testor's old turf? Well, we could do a lot worse. Last edited by ET2SN; 07-09-22 at 03:00 PM.