SMS Premium Paints for HO Builds

WA Slot Cars are now stocking SMS (Scale Modellers Supply) Premium Acrylic Lacquer Paints — a tough, high-quality paint made for airbrushing plastic kits, resin bodies and die-cast customs — and also great for all types of HO slot car bodies.

If you’re into painting shells, working with resin bodies, or just want strong, even colour without messing around too much, this stuff’s worth checking out.

Built for Modelling

SMS paints are solvent-based acrylic lacquers, made to stick to plastic, resin, and metal — perfect for HO work. They’re already thinned for airbrush use, so you can just shake, pour, and spray.

When working with Lexan/ Polycarbonate bodies you will need to add the SMS Flexible Additive which will convert any SMS Acrylic Lacquer to a Flexible paint. By adding the Flex Additive you’ll avoid cracking and peeling.

These paints dry quick, grip well, and hold up better against chipping than water-based paints. Plus, they’re packed with pigment — even colours like white and yellow go on solid in just a couple of coats.

Getting Started with Airbrushing

You’ll need an airbrush setup to use SMS paints. They aren’t for hand brushing — they’re made for spraying. A 0.3mm nozzle at around 12–15 PSI is ideal for most jobs.

If you haven’t used an airbrush before, don’t stress — it’s easier than it looks. Most hobby airbrush kits come with everything you need to get started: the airbrush, a small compressor, hose, and sometimes even cleaning tools. You’ll want a space with good ventilation, and it’s a good idea to practice on spare parts or scrap plastic before jumping into your main build. Once you get the hang of spraying in light passes and keeping your gear clean, it’s pretty straightforward — and the finish you get is way smoother and tougher than what you’d get brushing paint straight onto hard shells.

Why go with an airbrush?

  • Smooth results, no brush lines
  • Dries fast
  • Better for detail work on small-scale builds

Can I hand paint with it? Not really. It’ll streak and won’t stick well with a brush.

What does a setup cost?

  • Airbrushes from Scale Modellers Supply range up to $160 AUD
  • You’ll also need a compressor, hose, and cleaning gear if you don’t already have them

You can find airbrushes and accessories directly through Scale Modellers Supply – Dragonair Airbrushes. These airbrushes are made by the same Aussie company behind SMS paints.

What Makes SMS Paints Stand Out?

SMS offers a massive range of around 226 colours, including:

  • Standard colours (blacks, whites, reds, yellows, greys, etc.)
  • Pearls, metallics, and crystal finishes
  • Colour-shift and holo-shift effects
  • Candy colours and panel line washes
  • Fluoro (neon) colours

So whether you’re going for factory-accurate builds or wild custom finishes, there’s something in the range that’ll work for your HO slot cars.

Click on the pics below to view larger:

Other standout features:

  • Airbrush-ready – no need to thin, just shake, pour, and spray
  • Tough finish – holds up to handling and racing
  • Fast drying – touch dry in minutes, cured in 12–24 hours
  • Strong colour payoff – fewer coats needed
  • Special finishes – pearls, metallics, colour shifts, candies
  • Easy cleanup – just rinse the paint cup and spray the Airbrush Cleaner through the airbrush to clean out the nozzle and internal lines.

They’re also Aussie-made in Ballarat, VIC, using mostly local materials — always good to support local where we can.

In Stock Now

You can grab the full SMS Premium Acrylic Lacquer range from our shop. We’re pumped to have a proper Aussie-made paint option available.

📦 WA Slot Cars Store
📍 Based in Western Australia
📬 Fast Aussie shipping

This hobby’s always been about building, tweaking, and making things your own. Whether you’re racing or just painting up cars to display, SMS paints make it easier to get the look you want.

– Harley @ WA Slot Cars

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