Model Master Camouflage Gray Discontinued?

[StevenBills]

Been having a hard time finding Camo gray in any of the local hobby shops OR online, and I have seen on multiple hobby sites that say it has been discontinued. Has anyone here heard this? I have a few bottles of the enamel and a few left of the acrylic, and they're slightly different shades when looked at together.

Anyway. If it is discontinued then it's a sad day, as that is my go-to color for all of my Star Wars ships, not to mention pretty much every Vietnam-era jet out there. Maybe they're re-labeling it as a different color? Who knows.


SB

 

[Teddz]

You're lucky it's just camo gray... they've stopped importing Model Master paints to Greece for whatever reason. I found out about this sometime last June when I went to pick up a few RLM colors for some WW2 era German aircraft I was working on. They didn't have them all and when I asked when they expect to have the next shipment in, they told me no more model master paints are coming... whatever was left on the rack is it.

 

[VFX Freak]

I found a bottle of the Model Master Acrylic Camoflage Gray at my LHS and did a few tests to find something close, or perhaps something I liked better. I sprayed a few samples:



From top to bottom the colors are:

1. Model Masters Camoflage Gray in Acrylic

2. Vallejo Model Air White Gray. This is pretty close. I think I remember Jason Eaton saying somewhere that Camo Gray was a bit too pink and needed a bit of green added. Well, this paint is just a little more green . Maybe it's perfect.

3. Vallejo Model Color (different in that it's thicker than the Air series which are meant for airbrushing from the bottle) White Gray. Yes, it's the same name color-wise, but a totally different color. Very confusing. I tested this for my 1/72nd scale FM X-Wing because I wanted a lighter color since the model is so much smaller than the studio model.

4. This is Micro Lux Reefer White which is made for Micro Mark by Vallejo. I wanted a white reference and was curious how this would compare to the original Floquil color.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[retiredadguy]

Try Testers Light Aircraft Gray

I use it as the base color coat for any time I do a Mill. falcon model. It looks Really close on the monitor.

 

[StevenBills]

I found a bottle of the Model Master Acrylic Camoflage Gray at my LHS and did a few tests to find something close, or perhaps something I liked better. I sprayed a few samples:

View attachment 510819

From top to bottom the colors are:

1. Model Masters Camoflage Gray in Acrylic

2. Vallejo Model Air White Gray. This is pretty close. I think I remember Jason Eaton saying somewhere that Camo Gray was a bit too pink and needed a bit of green added. Well, this paint is just a little more green . Maybe it's perfect.

3. Vallejo Model Color (different in that it's thicker than the Air series which are meant for airbrushing from the bottle) White Gray. Yes, it's the same name color-wise, but a totally different color. Very confusing. I tested this for my 1/72nd scale FM X-Wing because I wanted a lighter color since the model is so much smaller than the studio model.

4. This is Micro Lux Reefer White which is made for Micro Mark by Vallejo. I wanted a white reference and was curious how this would compare to the original Floquil color.

Hope this helps a little.

The Vallejo Model Air White Gray does look pretty close to the Model Master Camo Gray. Definitely something to look into. Thanks for the in-depth test!

SB

 

[SGluedMyFingers]

I noticed this about five months back and brought it up on another forum. I got some flak for it. Apparently I was right. I was lucky enough to find an obscure online store that had six bottles in stock and I bought 4. Unfortunately the domain name for that site has since expired, sorry. But it's not just Camo Gray. Intermediate Blue is almost impossible to find. Even MM flat white. I had ordered 2 bottles of Flat White and by the time my order was processed, they were out and they substituted Insignia White. I wasn't too happy about that but at least I was able to stock up on colors I use a lot that seem to be discontinued. I'm not sure what has happened. The American FS Enamel line (of which both CG and IB fall under) is no longer even shown on their website. Testors has their new CreateFX line out. I'm hoping that all these colors are just in some transfer phase.

OOPS. Correction: The American FS Enamel line IS on their website. But Camo Gray is not listed. The line has been greatly reduced. Intermediate Blue is still listed as well as Flat White. I don't know WTH is going on but I've definitely observed the same thing you have.

I've been wanting to switch to acrylics anyway. Maybe this is the push I need.

Oh, and at the last two Hobby Lobby's I've visited, which was my go to store for paint, the Model Master paint section was decimated - all but empty.

 

[leyrich]

I use Testor Flat Light Aircraft Gray as you can see her on my 28in Falcon and AT-AT

 

[StevenBills]

I noticed this about five months back and brought it up on another forum. I got some flak for it. Apparently I was right. I was lucky enough to find an obscure online store that had six bottles in stock and I bought 4. Unfortunately the domain name for that site has since expired, sorry. But it's not just Camo Gray. Intermediate Blue is almost impossible to find. Even MM flat white. I had ordered 2 bottles of Flat White and by the time my order was processed, they were out and they substituted Insignia White. I wasn't too happy about that but at least I was able to stock up on colors I use a lot that seem to be discontinued. I'm not sure what has happened. The American FS Enamel line (of which both CG and IB fall under) is no longer even shown on their website. Testors has their new CreateFX line out. I'm hoping that all these colors are just in some transfer phase.

OOPS. Correction: The American FS Enamel line IS on their website. But Camo Gray is not listed. The line has been greatly reduced. Intermediate Blue is still listed as well as Flat White. I don't know WTH is going on but I've definitely observed the same thing you have.

I've been wanting to switch to acrylics anyway. Maybe this is the push I need.

Oh, and at the last two Hobby Lobby's I've visited, which was my go to store for paint, the Model Master paint section was decimated - all but empty.

I found an obscure hobby site yesterday with 2 bottles left, so I scooped them up while I still could. And I wonder why MM is phasing out the FS Enamel line? Hasn't it been around forever? I'd like to try acrylics as well, but I (mostly) have all the paints I need/use in enamel, and don't want to re-stock and figure out a new paint system, you know?

Who knows. Once I run out of my current stock of enamels, that could push me over into acrylics.

We'll see.

SB

 

[SGluedMyFingers]

... I'd like to try acrylics as well, but I (mostly) have all the paints I need/use in enamel, and don't want to re-stock and figure out a new paint system, you know?

Who knows. Once I run out of my current stock of enamels, that could push me over into acrylics...SB

That is exactly my situation. I started back into the hobby by going to a Hobby Lobby and purchasing a roughly $200 stock of MM enamels. I don't live in a big city and hobby shops that carry Tamiya, Vellejo, Gunze etc. are hard to find. Buying paint online is a pain and you don't know what you have until you've paid for it. Running down to Hobby Lobby was simply convenient. I have gotten very used to how they airbrush, mix, dry, respond to weather and weathering. And I have this HUGE stock of paint and thinners. It sucks to have rug pulled out from underneath me. Not only the MM enamels, but the Polly Scale Railroad Acrylics. I have used them for some time for washes and weathering and had gotten very comfortable with them and... discontinued. It's kind of looking like I'm going to have to completely change the way I paint models in almost every way including how I shop for my materials. I made a lot of mistakes trying to figure out paint/thinner ratios for my airbrush and how my airbrush handled said materials, humidity effects, drying times, reactions to weathering techniques, what colors I liked for different projects, and thinning for washes and I JUST really got my groove on when these discontinuations started. Back to the drawing board and costly mistakes. Oh well, I have plenty of low quality models to practice on. Mostly I hate shopping for materials online.

And I must admit that the results that I see others attaining with acrylics bases and enamel washes with other brands has had me wondering if I should move in that direction anyway. Testors new CreateFX line does have some cool products like pre-thinned enamel washes (stains) in some cool colors and it seems that the MM acrylic line still has a wide range of colors, including Camo Gray and intermediate Blue. Maybe they are on to something we've missed.

 

[newmagrathea]

I'm glad you brought this up StevenBills. I've got half a bottle left which should be enough to do my 144th Falcon.... I hope.

VFX Freak, thanks for the comparison, very handy. Is there any sort of sheen to the Model Air white gray? The only Model air paint that I have is not quite completely flat.

 

[JMChladek]

The enamel camo gray has been gone for awhile now, which IMHO is the most idiotic thing Testors could do given how many SF models can potentially use it. I managed to snag two more bottles of it from my LHS not too long ago, but like a dummy I stashed them in a place where I can't find them. Yes, the acrylic stuff is the same FS shade. They look a little different in the bottle, but on a model and fully cured they are the same shade. Camo gray in spray can form also looks to still be available. But I am not a big fan of decanting spray into a form that I can airbrush, not when a bottle paint is available.

Light gray doesn't work for all projects because it is a cool gray while camo gray is a warm gray shade. Sometimes you want that slightly brown tint to the shade. In the case of Star Wars model projects, I like using Light Gray for Imperial ships while Camo gray makes a good starting point for rebel stuff. In the case of my 1/72 Falcon, I mixed both paints together because I needed the warm tone to counteract straight light gray being just a hair too blue when shot over a black basecoat. My reasons for stockpiling the color when possible is I have tentative plans to use the same mixture on my DeAgostini Falcon build.

 

[StevenBills]

The enamel camo gray has been gone for awhile now, which IMHO is the most idiotic thing Testors could do given how many SF models can potentially use it. I managed to snag two more bottles of it from my LHS not too long ago, but like a dummy I stashed them in a place where I can't find them. Yes, the acrylic stuff is the same FS shade. They look a little different in the bottle, but on a model and fully cured they are the same shade. Camo gray in spray can form also looks to still be available. But I am not a big fan of decanting spray into a form that I can airbrush, not when a bottle paint is available.

It's good to know that the enamel and the acrylic both dry to the same shade. I have also seen that there seems to be plenty of 3 oz. spray cans still available, but I find that spray cans go on super thick. I bought two of the cans about a year ago, and it turns out that the cans are slightly darker in color than the bottles.

SB

 

[VFX Freak]

@newmagrathea,

The Model Air color isn't the flattest paint I've ever seen. Just the tiniest bit of sheen compared to the very flat Model Color White Gray. But it's nothing that would keep me from using it, especially considering the layers of washes and weathering that go into finishing a Star Wars spaceship.

As for using spray cans, this is the best method of decanting spray paint I've found:

https://www.tamiyausa.com/articles/...y-301?category_id=8&type=article#.VcTgEPlVhBc

The paint lasts a lot longer (in terms of how much you use) and so far the shelf life has been very good for me. I have a bottle of the gray primer I decanted two years ago that is still working well.

 

[newmagrathea]

@newmagrathea,

The Model Air color isn't the flattest paint I've ever seen. Just the tiniest bit of sheen compared to the very flat Model Color White Gray. But it's nothing that would keep me from using it, especially considering the layers of washes and weathering that go into finishing a Star Wars spaceship.

As for using spray cans, this is the best method of decanting spray paint I've found:

https://www.tamiyausa.com/articles/...y-301?category_id=8&type=article#.VcTgEPlVhBc

The paint lasts a lot longer (in terms of how much you use) and so far the shelf life has been very good for me. I have a bottle of the gray primer I decanted two years ago that is still working well.

Thanks for sharing that decanting article, that's great information.

I was afraid that there would be slight sheen. I had that problem with their paints before, unfortunately it'll drive me crazy. I'd have to buff it out with some steel wool or something.

 

[JMChladek]

I wouldn't worry too much about sheen if you plan to add a clearcoat over the top (pretty much a necessity if you plan to decal over it).