Hi

Is it safe to take Testors Dull/Gloss Cote, Mr Surface 500, Tamiya Thinset aboard a commercial aicraft? I have asked my son to bring supplies over to France for me and he is concerned these items have flammable and highly flammable on the label.

Thank you
Steve

I’ve transported Mr Surfacer and styrene cement on airliners in the past. While they are inflammable I took the view that the contribution they would make to the fireball produced by several tons of aviation fuel will be not hugely significant. I do make sure that they are properly sealed though as I don’t want them venting in my luggage. It was bad enough with that can of beer...

It's been some time, but I too have transported these items in my baggage (don't carry them in carry on-- they will be confiscated if traveling in the US). Also-- avoid aerosol cans if possible. I recommend making sure the caps are tight, wrapping them in absorbent material like paper towels or old T-shirts (which can double as work wear) and double bagging them in resealable, zip-lock bags (the kind with the slide, not the finger seal). Press the air out of the bag as much as possible before sealing. I transported up to 20 Testor's Model Master paint jars at a time to Korea this way in while traveling in 2001-02, along with several bottles of Tamiya thin cement. Never had a problem. I also used this technique while flying across the US and to Europe several times before I retired in 2006, and way back in the 80s and 90s when I was doing extensive traveling (I was painting miniatures back then, and on long trips I'd often take a figure with me in carry-on, while the paints and other supplies went into baggage in a small fishing tackle box in my large hard sided "roll-on" suitcase). The key is to make sure everything is sealed up tight, and bagged properly to absorb any leaks if anything does get broken. If you can also pack the bag into a small box and then place it into your luggage, even better. I estimate between 1978 and 2006, I made 20-30 trips all over the world with paints or supplies of various kinds packed this way in baggage, and never had a leak or a problem. Just make sure everything is tight, wrapped, bagged, and if possible boxed. Small liquid containers usually travel fine in the baggage compartment on commercial flights. I don't recommend aerosols though-- they can be problematic if the top comes off or crushed inadvertently, both for your carry on and for the airline if pressurized fumes escape. Dullcoat and Gloscoat come in bottled form as well as aerosol.
VR, Russ

Robert

Thank you for your response, now to convince my son!!

Steve

Russ

Thank you for your response. I have done this on many local and international flights without issue, at this time my son remains unmoved. More to come I hope

Steve