Testors: Model Paint, Plastic Cement and Starter Kits

What Testors makes

Testors is a supply brand first. In our Amazon US data, most Testors listings are paint and cement:

• Enamel model paint, single bottles and sets, mostly 1/4 oz
• Acrylic finishing sets
• Car paint: a model car paint kit and an aerosol lacquer
• Plastic cements: tube, liquid, non-toxic and clear-parts glue
• Brushes and one airbrush kit
• A few prepainted model kits for ages 8+

The grid above shows them all. The notes below sort them by job, because that's how you'll shop. You don't go looking for "Testors". You go looking for a flat olive green, or a glue that won't fog a window.

Testors' own about page says the brand has been trusted in the industry for more than 80 years. That's the one history fact the first-party page gives, so it's the one I repeat.

Testors enamel paint

Enamel is the biggest group in our data. You'll find single bottles and sets.

Single 1/4 oz bottles:

• Flat Red
• Gloss White
• Red
• Purple
• Flat Olive Green
• Orange Fluorescent and Green Fluorescent

Sets:

• Enamel Paint Set 9115X Gloss and 9146XT
• Enamel Paint Set 9132X Fluorescent
• Enamel Paint Set 9149
• Gloss Enamel Paint Finishing Colors Set, 1/4 oz bottles
• Camo Flat Enamel Paint Set
• Auto Detail Enamel Paint Set
• Gloss Enamel Hobby Paint Kit: black, blue, red, silver, white and yellow
• Enamel Paint Assorted Colors Set and a Military Assorted Paint Set

The sets group colors by job: gloss for cars, flat for military, fluorescent for markings and fun. A camo set is a shortcut. You get the colors that belong together without matching them yourself.

Sam, Theo's youngest, has seen the fluorescent orange bottle on my bench. He wants it on everything. Theo's ruling: a road cone, yes; the cat, no. I stayed out of it.

Who suits the enamel line: builders who want a durable, glossy finish on cars and like brushing. Who should skip it: anyone painting at a kitchen table with no window to open. Read the label first; it lists thinner, cleanup and ventilation.

Testors acrylic paint

Testors also lists acrylic sets in our data:

• Acrylic Paint Finishing Kit
• Aircraft Acrylic Paint Earth Tone Colors Set
• Acrylic Value Finishing Paint Set 9196T

The earth tone aircraft set is built around one job: camouflage on airplanes. If you're building a WWII fighter, that set and a flat clear coat cover most of the paint plan.

Acrylic and enamel don't share a thinner. Pick one type for a kit when you're starting out. Then you need one cleanup, one set of brushes and one label to read. That's a tidy bench. Mine is tidy because I label things, including the parts tray, which is labeled "parts tray".

Testors car paint

Two listings in our data are made for car models:

• Model Car Paint Kit 9119X
• Revving Red Aerosol Lacquer Paint, 3 oz

Aerosol lacquer is for a smooth body coat on a car shell. It's a spray, and it's a solvent paint. Spray outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, follow the can's label, and keep it away from kids.

For car kits to paint, see model car kits.

Testors plastic cement: one for each kind of joint

Cement is the second-biggest Testors group in our data, and the most useful one to understand. Plastic cement softens the plastic so the two parts fuse.

Testors cement in our data	What it's for
Plastic Cement, 5/8 oz tube (also a 6-tube multipack and a value pack)	Joints you press together and hold
Liquid Cement with Precision Applicator, 1 oz	Seams on parts already fitted together
Liquid Plastic Cement, 1 oz, precision applicator	Same job, a second listing
Non-Toxic Plastic Cement, 5/8 oz	Same job as the tube; label says non-toxic
Model Railroad Non-Toxic Plastic Cement	Same, packaged for railroad modelers
Clear Plastic Parts Model Glue	Windows, canopies and lenses

The tube is the classic. You put a thin line on one part, press, and hold. The liquid with a precision applicator works the other way: you fit the parts first, then touch the seam and let the cement run in.

Why the clear parts glue is its own bottle

Clear parts are the ones a regular plastic cement can spoil. Cement works by softening plastic, and on a clear canopy or windshield that softening, or the fumes around it, can leave a cloudy mark you can't polish out. A cloudy window is the first thing anyone notices on a finished model.

That's why clear-parts glue is its own job. Testors sells it as its own listing: the Clear Plastic Parts Model Glue. If your kit has a canopy, a windshield or headlight lenses, it's worth the second bottle. Glue the clear parts last, after the paint is dry, and use the smallest amount that holds. Keep the bottle on a separate, labeled spot so nobody grabs the wrong one at 10 p.m.

If you're comparing cements across brands, the Tamiya page has a Tamiya cement vs Testors block.

Testors brushes and the Amazing Air airbrush kit

The Premium Craft & Hobby Brush Kit is a 3-pack in our data. Small brushes are the cheapest upgrade on any bench. A fine tip makes the difference on cockpit details and car trim.

The 4030 Amazing Air Airbrush Kit is the one Testors airbrush listing we track. Our data doesn't list its nozzle size or feed type, so read the listing before you decide whether it fits your plans. For a full comparison of airbrushes and compressors from every maker, see airbrush kits.

Testors model kits

The kit listings are few, and most are built for beginners:

• Prepainted Metal Car Model Kit (green): 10 pieces, 1:32, ages 8+, skill level 1, no paint or glue needed
• 1/24 Tandem Car Trailer with Metal Body: 12 pieces, skill level 1
• Prepainted Plastic Aircraft Model Kit (silver and green versions): ages 8+
• Prepainted Plastic Ship Model Kit (green): ages 8+
• 1/72 RF-18D Photo Hornet: the title carries the Italeri name

The prepainted kits are the easy door in. Parts come colored, and the metal car kit says no paint or glue is needed at all. For a kid at the stated age who wants a finished model the same afternoon, that's the fit.

The tandem trailer is a different kind of buy. At 1/24 it's an accessory for a 1/24 car kit. Load a finished car on it and you've got a little scene for the shelf.

Who suits the Testors kits: kids at the stated age, 8+, and adults who want a quick first build. Who should skip them: a builder who wants a detailed glue-and-paint kit. Look at Revell or Tamiya for that, and come back here for the paint.

Reading a kit's paint chart with Testors in mind

Most glue-and-paint kits print a paint chart in the manual. It lists colors by name, sometimes with a maker's code. The kit maker usually names its own paints. That doesn't mean you have to use them.

Here's how I translate a chart to the Testors shelf:

1. Sort the chart by finish. Gloss, flat and metallic go in separate piles. A car body is usually gloss; a cockpit and tires are usually flat.
2. Count the colors you need for big areas. Those are the bottles that run out first.
3. Check the sets first. A camo set or an auto detail set may already cover most of the chart.
4. Fill gaps with single bottles. Single 1/4 oz bottles cover the one or two colors the sets miss.
5. Stick to one paint type. If the sets you picked are enamel, fill gaps in enamel too.

Write the plan on a card and clip it to the manual. When you come back to a build after two weeks, the card remembers what you decided. I write mine in the same block capitals I use on survey field notes. Nobody has ever misread a field note written in block capitals. Nobody has ever enjoyed reading one, either.

A starter bench, in order

If someone hands you a first glue-and-paint kit and a Testors aisle, this is the order I'd shop in:

1. One plastic cement in a tube
2. One liquid cement with a precision applicator
3. The clear parts glue, if the kit has windows or a canopy
4. A small set in one paint type that matches the subject
5. The 3-pack of brushes

That's the whole list for most first kits. A hobby knife, sprue cutters and a cutting mat come from the tool aisle, not the paint shelf. Everything else waits until a kit asks for it.

How to pick within Testors

Shop by job:

• Painting a car body: the Model Car Paint Kit, or the aerosol lacquer for a smooth coat
• Painting a WWII airplane: the Aircraft Acrylic Earth Tone set
• Painting armor: the Camo Flat Enamel set or the Military Assorted set
• Gluing a whole kit: one tube cement and one precision liquid
• Any clear part: the Clear Plastic Parts Model Glue
• A first build for ages 8+: a prepainted kit
• Fine detail: the 3-pack of brushes

Entry-level benches need less than the grid suggests. One cement, one clear-parts glue, a handful of colors in one paint type, and two brushes. Add the rest when a kit asks for it.

Who should skip most of the Testors grid: a builder who only does snap kits with pre-colored parts. A snap kit with stickers may need no paint or cement at all. One fine brush and a single bottle for touch-ups is plenty. The Testors shelf starts to pay off on your first kit with a paint chart in the manual.

If you mix brands, read both labels. A Testors enamel and another brand's acrylic won't share a thinner. For acrylic paint ranges from another maker, see Vallejo.

Safety at the bench

Work with good ventilation and follow the paint or cement maker's label for masks and gloves. The EPA's indoor air guidance says to add fresh air and follow label directions with products that give off fumes. Spray aerosols outdoors or in a well-ventilated space. Cut away from your body on a cutting mat, and keep blades and glue away from young kids.

One glue for the model. One glue for the windows. Label them both.