Current Humbrol Enamel Paints

[Typeapproval]

HI,

 

Recently I have purchased several tins of Humbrol Enamel Paints, from three different suppliers including my local model shop.

 

Three have been what I would describe as 'Normal' consistency, however two have had virtually no pigment. The tins have been correctly filled as regards volume, One in particular (code 71 Oak Satin) was extremely thin even after two+ minutes of stiring it didn't cover. The other with the problem (Code 102 Army Green) also had minimal pigment.

 

Has anyone else had this or is it just my bad luck? My local shop (100% helpful) have had no other reports.

 

Kind Regards

David.

 

 

[33C]

The satin red is very watery and the satin  black needed thinning! The satin whites vary wildly... some matt paints aren't and the gloss yellow took a week to dry! The blues don't seem to be affected and go on well.The quality is all over the place generally so I have taken to looking for collections of the old stuff which, after a thorough stirring with the L shaped piece of wire in the Dremel, go on well and dry within 2 hours. Or, if I need a particular shade, the Revell range are much more consistent and using the Humbrol paint guide, I can find the equivalent in the table on page one.

[Typeapproval]

Hi,

 

Sounds like a quality control problem. Shame as for 50 years I've used them. Perhaps a change to Revell might be called for.

 

Regards

David.

[Type 2]

I avoid Humbrol like the plague these days, it used to be my go to.

 

Revell enamels are very good

[resin001]

Hi David ,

I also changed from Humbrol many years ago due to the inconsistency of quality across the range . My preferred enamels are now the LP range from Tamiya or Mr Color from Mr Hobby . In addition I use Aqueous Hobby Color acrylics from Mr Hobby and the XF range from Tamiya - I find the Mr Hobby range are excellent for brushing. I am currently testing Lifecolor paints on my 1/350 scale Yamato build and find them to be ok ( 3 thin coats by airbrush to get a perfect finish ) . Note all these paints are readily available in the UK - Hobbycraft stock the Tamiya XF range and the other paints are available on the web or good plastic kit model shops

 

Regards

Bob 

[Type 2]

3 minutes ago, resin001 said:

Hi David ,

I also changed from Humbrol many years ago due to the inconsistency of quality across the range . My preferred enamels are now the LP range from Tamiya or Mr Color from Mr Hobby . In addition I use Aqueous Hobby Color acrylics from Mr Hobby and the XF range from Tamiya - I find the Mr Hobby range are excellent for brushing. I am currently testing Lifecolor paints on my 1/350 scale Yamato build and find them to be ok ( 3 thin coats by airbrush to get a perfect finish ) . Note all these paints are readily available in the UK - Hobbycraft stock the Tamiya XF range and the other paints are available on the web or good plastic kit model shops

 

Regards

Bob 

I've most almost entirely to acrylics over the past few years, Mr Hobby and MIG Ammo are my go-to's , with AK Interactive and Vallejo next in line.  Tamiya XF's are great too, especially when thinned with IPA

 

I did try Lifecolor but didn't get on with them too well

[Typeapproval]

PS.

 

Of course with my "Conspiracy" hat on, It could be a cunning plan to drive us to god awful 'Acrylic' 🤔😱.

 

David.

[33C]

I used the Revell acrylics once, the little pots that came with a badly started HMS Hood, and was very impressed with the finish.

[Phil Parker]

38 minutes ago, Typeapproval said:

PS.

 

Of course with my "Conspiracy" hat on, It could be a cunning plan to drive us to god awful 'Acrylic' 🤔😱.

 

David.

 

The acrylic paints so beloved of high end plastic modellers? They seem to get on fine, and produce amazing results. 

[Type 2]

38 minutes ago, Typeapproval said:

PS.

 

Of course with my "Conspiracy" hat on, It could be a cunning plan to drive us to god awful 'Acrylic' 🤔😱.

 

David.

I used to think acrylics were rubbish paints, but once I learned how to use them properly, they are my top choice.

 

Easy to apply, better coverage than enamels, thinner coats, harder wearing, low odour, quick drying and easy clean-up.

 

I still have a stock of various enamels but I don't think I've touched them in a few years

[spamcan61]

3 hours ago, Typeapproval said:

PS.

 

Of course with my "Conspiracy" hat on, It could be a cunning plan to drive us to god awful 'Acrylic' 🤔😱.

 

David.

Well last year there was that whole 'fake news' thing where Hornby claimed that it was illegal for retailers to sell the Humbrol Enamels that they'd sold them, then having to backtrack on the whole episode.

 

Edit: see this thread:-

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/topic/171254-humbrol-enamel-paints/page/1/

Edited June 18, 2023 by spamcan61

[TinTracks]

3 hours ago, Type 2 said:

I used to think acrylics were rubbish paints, but once I learned how to use them properly, they are my top choice.

 Me too!

 During the first lockdown I set to tarting up a few old carriages to save my sanity. In a moment of madness I decided to re paint some of those awful Lima shorty Pullmans into poor man's'' make believe''  DB Karwendel rake in two tone blue. I found the RAL numbers required and matched them to acrylic paint products produced by Vallejo under Model Air and Model Colour. Like 33c I pulled off the dropper top, stuck a cheapo metal spatula in the mini drill and gave it a two minute stir. Stuff goes on lovely by brush and clean up is a doddle. Being quite pleased with the results I repainted a couple of old rusty Marklin tinplate carriages into the ''Pop Farben'' Colours, same again very pleased with the results.

I've also had some pleasing results from the Railmatch acrylic paints as long as they are well stirred.

 I'm pretty much converted to acrylic and now tend to use enamel only for repainting Dublo or Marklin diecast locos

 Regards, Rich

Edited June 18, 2023 by TinTracks

[Typeapproval]

Well it seems I'm the odd man out these days, I have tried acrylic a while ago and didn't have much success. It was what I can only describe as "Lumpy", didn't matter how much I thinned and stirred. I guess that was probably back in the early days! So perhaps I need to try again!

 

Regards

David.

[ROSSPOP]

Nothing wrong with todays Acrylics if using an airbrush ( the usual fastidious approach to airbrush cleaning essential)

 

At 72 I`ve just decided to move over to them having used Enamels (Humbrol and Revell since the age of 12)

 

 

Railmatch GWR Grey Acrylic thinned with Railmatch thinners.... applied with a £22 chinese airbrush...

 

 

[Steamport Southport]

Depends on what you are painting. Acrylic is fine for figures, buildings and scenery. 

 

Enamel is better for things such as locomotives and carriages IMHO. It does seem to have a lot more "weight" to the colour/finish.

 

I would expect most people now use a mixture.

 

 

 

Jason

[ikcdab]

9 hours ago, Typeapproval said:

PS.

 

Of course with my "Conspiracy" hat on, It could be a cunning plan to drive us to god awful 'Acrylic' 🤔😱.

 

David.

The acrylics I've used have been excellent and I now use for everything. Only time I use enamels is if the shade is not available in acrylics.

Ian C

[cypherman]

Hi all,

Acrylics can be extremely cheap depending on what you want to do with them. Last year I bought 3 tubs of assorted tubed acrylic artists paints from Aldi, Each with 24 tubes in for £6.99 a tub. Ok I would not use them for locos or rolling stock. But they are great for scenery and buildings. I like many have a large stock of Humbrol enamel paints which I have collected over time. many still unopened. But I recently bought Humbrol yellow and red paints. They were as described above little more than a colour wash. I threw them in the bin. Like many here I am slowly going over to acrylic paints for everything.

[Johan DC]

I changed over to acrylics about ten years ago, mostly for ease of use when airbrushing. Yesterday I used a (very large tin) of Humbrol 69, my first enamel in a decade, was in my father's basement for over 40 years, unopened. After a very good stir, and a little bit of Humbrol Thinner, it works perfect in my bowpen for lining teak coaches. That's quality! Can't comment on the state of new Humbrol Enamels, but their acrylics are good. Not the best maybe, but almost there.

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Johan DC
Typo

[wainwright1]

These issues come up periodically.

I use mostly Precision Paints or Railmatch for painting rolling stock or specific company building colours where regular handling is required, but still tend to use Humbrol enamels for most scenic jobs, buildings, figure painting etc. and have a large stock of it.

Acrylics I like to use for weathering, where they can be thinned and applied in almost transparent coats until the right amount is in the right place. All my work is brush painted as I have nowhere that I can use an airbrush.

Tamiya is also good, as it mixes very easy and thins down well. Certain Humbrol enamels have always been a bit wishy washy, matt yellow and red stick out, and matt white has always been strange, perhaps a different smell to the others, and once opened it does not seem to keep as well. There have always been problems with some colours or batches of matt paints not drying matt, or at all. Two of the worst are matt black and matt varnish. The black can dry with streaks in it and the varnish can be patchy or cloudy.

 

I have a procedure for preparing and checking paint before I use it:

Open the tin and stir well for at least ten minutes using a flat wooden coffee stirrer. Larger tins such as Precision 50ml will require at least 15 - 20 minutes. Test the paint on a piece of non-porous card or plasticard. Wait to see if it dries properly, especially important with matt colours. If it does not, repeat the stirring and test again. I once had a tin of Precision Track Colour which required to be stirred for nearly half an hour each time I used it before it would dry matt. But Humbrol tins should be a lot less.

I also have some cards with colour patches which I specifically use for checking varnish, as I also use tainted varnish with some paint mixed into it for overall weathering finish and this needs to dry both matt and with an even cover.

 

Important note.

These days Humbrol put a label on the bottom of the tins which quotes the paint number and a batch number. If you get a dodgy tin, take it back to where you bought it, tell them what is wrong and ask for a replacement with a different batch number if they have one. They can then send the dodgy ones back to Hornby for replacement.

 

If you get a good tin you get a good un. But please test properly before using it on a valued model.

 

All the best

Ray

Edited June 19, 2023 by wainwright1

[Jenny Emily]

I always look for older tins of Humbrol enamels - at the back of display racks in smaller model shops I sometimes find older tins. I’ve also looked out for other people’s old castoff tins for pennies at shows where a trader is trying to shift the dregs of collections they have bought. 

 

The ones from the 1980s last forever and are of excellent quality (marked as ‘Humbrol Enamel’ in a plain black font on a white background) or the 1990s ones (same font but as ‘Humbrol Color’) are not too bad.
 

The later tins are very inconsistent with mostly needing thinning before use, or occasionally lacking much pigment. I generally avoid these.