FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

With the exception of high premium cards like American Express we accept most forms of payment. From credit cards, debit card, along with Pay Pal, Zip Money, Zip Pay, Afterpay and any other trusted gateway. Note we do not accept Bank Cheques, Personal Cheques, Money Orders or C.O.D.’s.

We use Australia Post for both international and Australia. Note we do not leave at door. All purchases must be signed for to protect both you and I.

No.

Delivery charges will vary based on your location. There will be times when Free post for Australia will be offered. Free post for international purchases is not possible due to the expense.

Currently, we have a secure gateway for credit and debit cards or we are accepting PayPal, Zip pay and Zip money.

Handling time can be up to 5 days depending on when order is placed. Delivery within Australia will take anywhere from 1 to 5 working days in normal circumstances depending on where you are. International deliveries can take as much as 10 working days depending on post type. If you need your item in a hurry, please let us know before you commit to buying as we may not be able to help you.

Once your item has been paid for it will be well packed and posted. Delays may occur at times. If you need your item urgently please let us know so we can let you know if we can help.

Although we are strictly online only if you live local to Mornington Victoria Australia and spend a minimum of $200, we are happy to meet at the local McDonalds.

Not by us, you will not. Simply place your order and you will see a reduction in the price listed for the item. For Australian buyers, the Tax (GST) is already added. To work out the Tax (GST) component simply divide the price of the product by 11 then minus that figure from the price listed and it will be your price.

Yes, we do though unfortunately the Australia post app like other apps often get the cost wrong. This is due to each item having its own dimensions that confuses the app. When this occurs, we refund the extra cost charged. 

Acrylic Lacquer are a solvent based paint that uses an Acrylic Resin binder as an ingredient. Our range of paints have been specifically formulated for air brush use on a variety scale modelling plastics, metals and resins.

Yes, in common terms, water based paint is often referred to as an Acrylic. Whilst this is true, confusion does set in when Acrylic is used to describe other types of paints that aren’t water based. We suggest that the best way to describe paint types to avoid confusion is Water, Oil, and Solvent rather than Acrylic, Enamel and Lacquers.

Some colours like White and Yellow are notoriously hard to get an even coverage due to bleed through of the base colour underneath. The Premium range of paints fixes this common issue by increasing the pigment density of each and every colour, meaning that any colour can be applied without fear of bleed through with only a small amount of coats – even with White!!

Ever had a paint job ruined because of chipping or scratching? The nature of Acrylic Lacquer paint means that once cured, they are tough. They are much more resilient and less likely to damage when compared to water based paints and are very fast drying.

Yes and No.

Solvent based Acrylic Lacquers cure ‘hot’ as in they produce a small amount of heat as they dry. If the layer of solvent based Acrylic Lacquer is very thick over the top of the water based paints then it will produce enough heat to cause damage to the paint below it.

If you follow the general rule of air brushing – apply in light coats after the layer below has been given enough time to fully cure – risks of reactions are lowered dramatically, making it possible to apply a solvent paint over a water based paint. As always, if in doubt test on a throw away piece first before committing on your hard worked on model.

SMS paints are designed for air brush use.

SMS paints are adjusted to a paint viscosity to ensure that paints can pass easily through a 0.3 mm sized air brush at 15 PSI. Some environmental factors and personal preference may influence further thinning but it is not necessary in the majority of cases.

SMS paints are all air brush ready meaning that all of the guess work with thinning ratios is eliminated – all you need to do is give the bottle a good shake and then Pour & Spray!

Whilst SMS have thinners, it is not necessary to use the same brand. Any solvent based Acrylic Lacquer thinner is fine to use. Any of the major brands of Lacquer Thinner are good to use as are thinners such as solvent based General / All Purpose Thinners.

Easy! Flush the air brush through with Acrylic Lacquer Thinners, making sure to use an old brush to wipe down the sides. Repeat the process until the air brush is clean and then do one final flush with water to remove the thinners from inside to prevent drying out of the internal seals.

Air Brushing involves the atomisation of paint into an air borne particle. If you are spraying ANY type of paint, whether it be water, oil or solvent based, you should ALWAYS spray in a well ventilated area with adequate safety equipment.

SMS recommend that you use a face mask that is fitted correctly with the correct rated filters (P2 minimum) installed. A spray booth is also highly recommended.

SMS paints are Class 3 Flammables (as all solvent based paints are) so be cautious around ignition sources and open flames.

Yes! SMS is a small family run business based in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia and their aim is to produce the best products with as much local materials as possible. 99% of SMS paint range is made from local materials from a range of suppliers across Australia.

Whilst they try there hardest to make sure that their products are made from local materials, some things are just not manufactured here, so unfortunately they do have to import those few items that they do not make themselves. This equates to around 5% of their total product range.

The Vallejo Company was established in 1965, in New Jersey, U.S.A. In the first years the company specialized in the manufacture of Film Color, waterbased acrylic colors for animated films (cartoons). In 1969 the company moved to Spain; in those years many important cartoon studios were based in Europe. The special qualities and unique formula of Film Color soon became known, and the product was used by most of the important studios on the continent.

In 1972 Amadeo Vallejo developed Acrylic Artist Color, the first acrylic for fine arts manufactured in Spain, and one of the first acrylic colors for artists produced in Europe. In this period, Vallejo also introduced Liquid Watercolor-colors for graphic design.

In the year 1981, following suggestions by professors of the Fine Arts University of Barcelona, Vallejo presented Acrylic Studio- a range of high quality acrylic colors for fine arts in large size packaging (200 ml./6.76 fl.oz. and 500 ml./16.9 fl.oz. sizes, the first such presentation in artist colors worldwide) at a reduced and unified price. With this range, a result of the most careful selection of permanent artist pigments, avoiding the most expensive colors, such as cadmiums and cobalts, Vallejo created the line of colors which was to become a benchmark for the industry and the beginning of a new period of expansion for Acrylicos Vallejo.

R.E.A.CH is a new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use. It deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances. The new law entered into force on 1 June 2007.

Standard Practice for Labeling Art Materials for Chronic Health Hazards). In addition to compliance with European Common Market regulations, Acrylicos Vallejo decided in 2004 to begin the process of obtaining the ASTM D-4236, certification for the U.S.A. distribution of their products. For a period of two years formulas for our colors were submitted to a U.S. laboratory, and were found within the safety limits set by the ASTM organization. This is a continuing process, as new formulations arise. For more information please see www.astm.org.

The ASTM certification, “Conforms to ASTM D-4236” is commonly accepted as a guarantee that the product is not toxic. However this should not be understood as a warrant to use paint without caution, since any color will contain some level of potentially harmful chemicals. Besides pigment and binder, paint contains many more ingredients and although no immediate or long term health hazards are anticipated with the use of any of these chemicals in the prescribed quantities, long term testing for chronic toxicity has been scant and incomplete. Colors should not be ingested or inhaled, no matter what their pigment content may be.

The aim of REACH is to improve the protection of human health and the environment through the better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. One of the main reasons for developing and adopting the REACH Regulation was that a large number of substances have been manufactured and placed on the market in Europe for many years, sometimes in very high amounts, and yet there is insufficient information on the hazards that they pose to human health and the environment. There is a need to fill these information gaps to ensure that industry is able to assess hazards and risks of the substances, and to identify and implement the risk management measures to protect humans and the environment.

Pigments can only cause damage to health in case of inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin. Pigments in solvent-based mediums are more likely to be inhaled due to the volatile nature of the medium. If in addition these solvent based colors are used in vaporized systems such as airbrushing, they become truly dangerous to health, and the use of a mask and a protective screen for airbrushing is already part of the legislation in many countries. Acrylic mediums have a low rate of solubility, and are by far safer in airbrushing techniques.

Most artists’ colors manufactured in these last 40 years are formulated with pigments which are considered safe to the artist or the environment. Synthetic pigments have found their place alongside the traditional pigments and shine in their own right; they are not only beautiful but have superb lightfastness and permanence. These organic pigments are also used in limited color ranges to replace some of the original inorganic pigments to manufacture colors identified with the word ” Hue ” on the labels. But the quality of artist’s pigments such as Cadmium and Cobalt is still unequalled and they continue to be included in all the important ranges of artists’ colors for professional artists.

Cadmium pigments are traditional pigments of great beauty, permanence and stability. They contain heavy metals and are not biodegradable. Care should be taken in the handling of Cadmium or any other pigment in powder form. Cadmium and Cobalt contained in Artist’ Colors should not be taken internally, and if applied in spray techniques, the use of a protective mask is essential. Used cadmium containers should not be incinerated, because in this process the cadmium compounds revert to a soluble state and produce toxic fumes. They can also get into the sewage system, and for environmental safety it is recommended to discard used cadmium tubes in special containers (as one would treat used batteries, for example). See also Cadmium Regulations Update.

The tubes and jars of Acrylic Artist CoIor and Acrylic Studio do not carry an expiration date, because the colors last an indefinite length of time if they are handled properly and stored in moderate temperatures 15 to 25º celsius (60-80 degrees Fahrenheit) . In our factory we have samples going back 10 years or more which have not changed or undergone any kind of alteration due to aging or temperature fluctuation. However, although these samples are checked periodically, they have not been used, and therefore they have not been exposed to any kind of contamination. Acrylic colors contain a certain percentage of water, and the colors will dry when their water content evaporates. It is most important is to keep the tubes and jars closed properly, and we consider a shelf life of about five years to be the norm, although colors may last much longer than that. For diluting colors, we recommend that only Acrylic Medium be used, and if thinning with water is preferred, this should be done with distilled water.

In 1986, the State of California passed Proposition 65- Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, (www.oehha.ca.gov/prop65.html) and in a long list of substances known to the state of California to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity, included amongst others, Cadmium compounds, Cobalt, Nickel compounds, Carbon black, Chromium, Lead and Crystalline Silica. This ruling has caused most major Artist Paint manufacturers in the U.S.A. to include the following statement on their labels: This product contains cadmium, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer. Do not spray.

Further investigation in the possible ill effect of Cadmium resulted in toxicity findings if Cadmium was ingested or inhaled in the workplace, in the manufacture of batteries, soldering or welding, or ingested with shellfish and similar. Skin contact has not appeared to be a cause of concern. For more specific information of Cadmium please see the ATSDR Tox FAQ files at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts5.html and for Cobalt see www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts33.html

For more info rmation about Cadmium and Cobalt see below. Carbon Black is listed in Proposition 65, but in an airborne state “unbound particles of respirable size”, which leaves this pigment safe when bound in an acrylic medium. The other pigments listed in Proposition 65 are not employed by Vallejo in any of our color formulations.

The European Union has adopted a Directive (91/338/EEC “the Cadmium Directive”) on the use of cadmium pigments, which seeks to harmonise restrictions on their use within EU member states. This directive does not ban the use of cadmium pigments, but restricts their use where they are not seen to be essential.

Actualización de las normas sobre cadmio

The Cadmium pigments in these lines are insoluble compounds of Cadmium Calcinated Zinc Sulphide and Cadmium Sulphoselenide, supplied by Rockwood Pigments, which are considered non-hazardous in compliance with the C.H.I.P. (Chemicals Hazard Information and Presentation for Supply Regulations). Pigment content is listed on each label, in the colorcharts and on the attached Pigment Content-Index per product.

Our refund policy is as per the ACCC. The ACCC is clear on its stance of no change of mind. Depending on the situation and whether your item is electrical to which it will have a warranty for an average of 30 days; the first option will be an exchange. If I cannot replace your item you will receive a refund. Refund for the post will depend on the individual situation. Items can be damaged in the post, this is why we charge insurance to which we will replace your item if available or refund you your money if the item is sold out. We will then sort it out from our end with Australia Post to ensure you get no delays in your exchange or refund. Note with respect to a fault or any issue with your item you must report such issue within 24 hours of receiving the item. This can be done via email or phone. Email is always best to ensure there is a record of your notification. Any further questions please ask as our aim is to avoid any disagreements after your purchase.