Scale Coat Paint

[woodone]

Does anyone know if Scale Coat paints was ever bought? If so who is the new owner?
If not sold who would one contact to purchase said Co.

[peteski]

You mean sold again?
The most recent owner lives or lived in New Hampshire.  I think the address was in Nashua, NH (not sure if that was a business address or if he ran the business from his home). I spoke with him and his wife at the Springfield show few years back, but that's all I know.

Their business website was minutemanscalemodels.com  Maybe you can find it on the Wayback Machine to see if there is some useful contact info.

I  also found a post on https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,5645269 stating:
Two months ago in the Model Railroader online forum, a member named 'Whitenight' posted: "It seems that another paint company has bit the dust. Scalecoat Paint has joined the list of paint labels that have been discontinued. The phone number for MinuteMan Scale Models has been disconnected, and their web site ... has been taken down.... Any orders that had been placed have gone unfilled. I placed two orders in July of 2022 with no product delivered and my payment taken with no refund."

Looks like they just shut down the business.

[bman]

There was a FB rumor a while back that there was a buyer. I am pretty certain it was just that. A rumor. I have not seen anything anywhere of the paint making a return.

[woodone]

Well seeing that the last people who owned Scale Coat shafted a bunch of people it would seem imposable to get any information from them now.
So when and who did Minuteman get it from?
 Maybe they still have the original specks and some information that could help recover the name brand?
Shame to see it just wiped off into noman's land.

[peteski]

Well seeing that the last people who owned Scale Coat shafted a bunch of people it would seem imposable to get any information from them now.
So when and who did Minuteman get it from?
 Maybe they still have the original specks and some information that could help recover the name brand?
Shame to see it just wiped off into noman's land.

Scalecoat Model  Paint was a division of Quality Craft Models/Weaver, Northcumberland, PS 17857.
https://www.trainz.com/collections/weaver

Walthers actually has some more info you might find interesting:
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=post;quote=781155;topic=56722.0
Scalecoat Model Railroad Paints is located in Pepperell, Massachusetts, and owned by Shawn Cavaretta of MinuteMan Scale Models. Scalecoat offers a full line of paint and paint related products designed specifically for the modeling industry. Scalecoat 1 products are designed for use on brass, metal and wood. Scalecoat 2 products are designed for use on plastic. These paints dry to a high-gloss finish that accepts decals directly without use of a barrier. Products are available in 1 and 2 ounce bottles or 6 ounce spray cans.

I was close:  Pepperell, MA is very close to Nashua, NH.  Maybe the manufacturing was done in Nashua.  At least you have name and Town (if that info is still valid, considering that Shawn seems to be owinig some money for unfulfilled orders).

[nkalanaga]

A little morbid, but has anyone looked at obituaries lately?  If the owner isn't responding at all, I wonder if he's ABLE to respond?  Even if he's alive, he may have medical issues preventing him from replying.

[EspeeGoldenState]

Unless he passed away in the last two months?

Last Facebook post was August 27, 2023
https://www.facebook.com/shawn.cavaretta

Assuming that is the same person that lives in the town posted.

He applied for use of a building to do business in October 2016.
https://www.nashuanh.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/1558?fileID=20049

Not finding an obit in the last two months.

[thomasjmdavis]

There are several Better Business Bureau complaints going back to October of last year, all similar to complaints on this thread. It appears the business closed, and left the customers in the lurch.
https://www.bbb.org/us/nh/nashua/profile/model-maker/minuteman-scale-models-0051-92052048/complaints

[peteski]

Well, I did remember correctly: the business was located in Nashua, NH., while Shawn lives (or lived) in Pepperell, MA.

[woodone]

After a bunch of reading I thought I would share what I now know. Gave this some thought before posting.
Minuteman seems to have vanished. Or at least its owner has (Shawn Cavaretta).
It’s to bad that he just up and walked away with orders unfilled.
I could be wrong but I do not believe that (Weaver) original, owner for scale coat made paint.
More than likely it was a repack from a well know paint manufacture.
That is ashamed has he walked off with all the paint color codes and formulas.
I did run into a supplier of paints for models.
Solvent based by the way.
This guy has paints for model cars, with a few model railroad colors too.
Should have posted via my PC, has I do not know how to link the info.
SCALEFINISHES will give you some info.



.

[peteski]

I know of Scale Finishes, Splash Paints, Gravity Paints, MCW finishes, and couple others I don't recall the names.  Those paints are either high-gloss enamels or 2-parts (paint/top coat) lacquers.  They are geared for automotive models (they can match 1:1 car colors for pretty much any make or year of a car or truck).  Those paints are basically automotive paints. Some are sold thinned to be airbrush-ready. They are hot and most will craze polystyrene or ABS if used without a barrier coat (primer).  There is also a range of Tamiya TS spray lacquers designed to be plastic safe. But none of those companies produce a railroad color range.

None are like Scalecoat II paint which was a plastic-safe enamel, and specifically produced in range of colors appropriate for railroads.

Tru-Color paint is probably currently the best alternative to Scalecoat II. It comes in a wide range of railroad and weathering colors, and it is mild enough to be plastic-safe in most instances.

[Trained Chimp]

My information about Scalecoat paint is that it is very likely a variation of E.I. DuPont's automotive  Lucite Acrylic Lacquer mixed into the railroad colors and  re-packaged into smaller bottles for sale to the R.R. nuts, like myself.   I love Scalecoat paint and am disillusioned with the state of the direction that business and the country has gone.   Just my 2 cents worth.

[peteski]

My information about Scalecoat paint is that it is very likely a variation of E.I. DuPont's automotive  Lucite Acrylic Lacquer mixed into the railroad colors and  re-packaged into smaller bottles for sale to the R.R. nuts, like myself.   I love Scalecoat paint and am disillusioned with the state of the direction that business and the country has gone.   Just my 2 cents worth.

Hmm, as far as I know, Scalecoat paints (I and II) are enamels (not lacquers). They also don't  smell like any automotive paints I have sniffed. Where are you getting your info?

I do recall that Accu-Paints were supposed to be repackaged inks (used for printing).  But those were long discontinued (the owner passed away).  Tru-Color paints seem to be very similar.

[nkalanaga]

Scalecoat paint is an enamel, and probably is not an acrylic, as they've been around at least since the mid-60s.

[DirtyD79]

Interesting, it looks like a company named "Iron Horse Model Works" is the current owner and plans to bring it back. They're currently setting up production over in Florida according to their facebook page. No word yet on a specific date when they plan to have it on shelves though. https://www.facebook.com/people/Iron-Horse-Model-Works/61556958540805/