Zero paints - who's used them?
Discussion
Neonblau said:
Anyone got any experience they can share?
Yes - I'd never use them again. On mine the metallic grain size was way too big, and as you say it's a hell of a hassle to go through all the different processes. They had no interest in replying to my e-mails either.For a solid colour like yours I can see little advantage over standard paint. As for colour matching, remember that if some of the kit decals are coloured to the same shade as the body, then it's more important that you match these than get the shade absolutely correct. For Tamiya models, in my experience if you use the colours they recommend, the decals will match very well.
If that was a Zero paints turquoise that RF sent to me to use on my Sauber it was brilliant
Exact colour match and was even capable of being brushed over bad colours on the Revell transfers so the car looked right all over
dr_gn did have a bad metallic as I recall it though
If I had a local stockist I'd almost certainly use the paints again for car models
Exact colour match and was even capable of being brushed over bad colours on the Revell transfers so the car looked right all over
dr_gn did have a bad metallic as I recall it though
If I had a local stockist I'd almost certainly use the paints again for car models
Steer clear of their 2 part clear, it's basically just normal auto 2k clear which contains isocyanates, nasty stuff that can cause flu symptoms and sensitisation without the right safety gear- i.e. an air fed breathing mask and overalls. IMO it has no place in the modelling hobby where it is likely to be sprayed indoors without proper fume extraction. Carbon filter masks are not good enough. I feel pretty strongly about it and I don't think it should be marketed to the hobby at all. It's for the professional auto paint trade, not hobby use and especially not indoors.
Neonblau said:
Thanks for the responses. They do look good when they're done well but I think I'll stick with Tamiya for this project, even though I find their acrylics a bit fragile.
What I did on my XJR9LM was buy the Silk Cut Purple Tamiya Spray, spray it through a straw into a bottle and leave it to degass for a few hours before spraying with my airbrush (more control and finer spray than with the can nozzle). It went on beautifully, and of course was already thinned pretty much perfectly, and matched the decals (eg the engine cover purple squares are decals, the cockpit roof is paint):
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
If I'd been using the zero system I'd probably still be building it.
Ive a bit of a mixed view myself, the finishes I've managed to get with solid colours are, in my opinion, pretty good. I also use the 2k clear with a small extractor booth without issue but I would echo Dr_Gn's comments on the flake size in the metallics. Instead I use the candy stuff with a metallic base coat which isn't seen so much through the colour.
For what they are and what you get they are very expensive but a 60ml bottle should be enough to do three or four 1:24 scale models.
This was the last one I painted, it's candy red over a medium grain metallic base and 2k clear over the top with some polishing, all by Zero.
This one was a custom mixed, solid RAL colour again with 2k clear and some polishing.
For what they are and what you get they are very expensive but a 60ml bottle should be enough to do three or four 1:24 scale models.
This was the last one I painted, it's candy red over a medium grain metallic base and 2k clear over the top with some polishing, all by Zero.
This one was a custom mixed, solid RAL colour again with 2k clear and some polishing.
Edited by Big Fat Fatty on Thursday 9th May 13:34
Red Firecracker said:
Yep, that was Zero. There is only one supplier, Steve at Hiroboy.
If anyone is outside of the UK, Hiroboy are having trouble exporting but there are other suppliers who buy in bulk from Hiroboy and export themselves:http://shop.spotmodel.com/index.php?language=es
You could also just go straight to their supplier which is a German manufacturer but I forget who they are, I will edit this once I find out again.
Interesting views. I'm going to follow dr_gn's suggestion for the Jagermeister stuff as there is Tamiya orange spray that looks close enough, and as I've got five or six kits lined up this seems the safe option.
Having seen the finished items though I'm tempted to at least give it a try but I'll give the clear a miss - I get enough grief from Mrs Neonblau for the paint.
Having seen the finished items though I'm tempted to at least give it a try but I'll give the clear a miss - I get enough grief from Mrs Neonblau for the paint.
Neonblau said:
Interesting views. I'm going to follow dr_gn's suggestion for the Jagermeister stuff as there is Tamiya orange spray that looks close enough, and as I've got five or six kits lined up this seems the safe option.
Having seen the finished items though I'm tempted to at least give it a try but I'll give the clear a miss - I get enough grief from Mrs Neonblau for the paint.
BTW on the XJR9 I also overcoated everything with Tamiya Gloss clear spray (same decanting method as with the Silk Cut purple). It's just as good as the Zero stuff IMO. Tamiya also do polishing compounds and cloths to get a really good finish if you want to go that far.Having seen the finished items though I'm tempted to at least give it a try but I'll give the clear a miss - I get enough grief from Mrs Neonblau for the paint.
Gassing Station | Scale Models | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff