Paint Review: Mr. Hobby Aqueous Hobby Color (H)
TLDR–this is a fail.
It’s glossy, for some reason. I know that in a logical world. model paint would be glossy and we could skip the “glossing” step and just apply decals. I know that. But that world is not this world.
This paint also has a strong ethyl alcohol smell. Too strong for me. I know that Tamiya has the same smell. Right now, at this point in my life, I’m backing away from Tamiya for that reason.
This is a paint that one might buy in order to get “pre-mixed” colors. The one color I have (RLM 74) looks hella off to me…
This paint is a pain to acquire in the land of the fee and home of the brave. If it’s sold in a store near you, then fine. But usually, I like to see paint that I buy, in person.
Finally, Mr. Hobby paint reacted strangely, years ago, when I tried to overcoat it with Polly Scale flat. It had a classic “lean over fat” reaction where it “checkered.” It was the first, last and only time I’ve run into that kind of incompatibility. I believe this is same stuff.
In general, this paint beats Tamiya on many levels, and I can see why Mr. Hobby products are so popular, but I can’t recommend it. Your mileage may vary.
Not My Thing-- May Work for You
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Self Leveling
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Need for Additives
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Coverage
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Proper Drying Time
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Compatibility
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Stippling
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Fingerprinting
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Adhesion
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Line Drawing
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Color Selection
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Smell
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Price
I hear that in spite of the name, those paints are actually very close to the Mr Color acrylic lacquers and can be thinned with their full strength lacquer thinner just fine. I believe the Acrysion line is their true water-based acrylic paint.
Hmmmm…. the hunt continues.