What are my chances getting these through TSA at the Airport?

[TheFantod]

My other hobby is modeling WWII era aircraft. I'm up in Canada right now and picked up a couple of tins of paint that's not easily found in the U.S. The picture is pretty much "life-sized." These things are tiny.

I'm flying out of Detroit on Saturday, but I'm not checking any baggage. (U.S. Air wants $25 a bag, and Homie don't play that!)

I was going to just put them in my 3-1-1 bag, but I'm afraid security isn't going to like it. Of course, these tins are 14ml, or about 1/2 an ounce, but flammable paint is verboten on carry-on luggage.

I could make the argument that there's less paint in these things than a bottle of nail polish, but I've heard tell it's unwise to argue with airport security.

To mail it home from here would cost $5.50, which is less than the cost of the paint. And DTW doesn't have a post office any more

Opinions?

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by TheFantod

My other hobby is modeling WWII era aircraft. I'm up in Canada right now and picked up a couple of tins of paint that's not easily found in the U.S. The picture is pretty much "life-sized." These things are tiny.

I'm flying out of Detroit on Saturday, but I'm not checking any baggage. (U.S. Air wants $25 a bag, and Homie don't play that!)

I was going to just put them in my 3-1-1 bag, but I'm afraid security isn't going to like it. Of course, these tins are 14ml, or about 1/2 an ounce, but flammable paint is verboten on carry-on luggage.

I could make the argument that there's less paint in these things than a bottle of nail polish, but I've heard tell it's unwise to argue with airport security.

To mail it home from here would cost $5.50, which is less than the cost of the paint. And DTW doesn't have a post office any more

Opinions?

Mail them or check a piece of luggage. You won't get on the plane with them. Believe me, NOTHING gets past security, been there, done that, given away several very expensive items to cops and TSA workers at the gate.

[Relic]

Yeah, mail 'em.

BTW - are they really so rare? Two hobby shops in my area carry them... I'm not sure they are as rare as ya' think.

[FL Knifemaker]

Originally Posted by Relic

Yeah, mail 'em.

BTW - are they really so rare? Two hobby shops in my area carry them... I'm not sure they are as rare as ya' think.

I see that brand mentioned on the RC forums often and pictures of the little cans. I never saw the stuff around here. Maybe my son the airbrush NUT knows more than me

[Relic]

Originally Posted by FL Knifemaker

I see that brand mentioned on the RC forums often and pictures of the little cans. I never saw the stuff around here. Maybe my son the airbrush NUT knows more than me

I just assumed that they are fairly common, I might just actually be lucky! We have those and the Tamiya paints around here. I think the Humbrol's are made in England if I'm not mistaken.

[TheFantod]

Yeah, Humbrol's made in England. And seeing how I'm 3 hours from the nearest hobby shop (in N.C.) I figured snatching some up here locally would be a good idea.

FWIW, I like Humbrol's "Flat Aluminum" and "Polished Aluminum" above all other enamels. For airbrushing, I use Alclad, but for brush painting, Humbrol's aluminum metal-cotes can't be beat!

[SteveC]

Why don't people put stuff in their checked luggage? I would be fine if NO carry on bags were allowed at all. No waiting for people to cram them in the overheads, boarding and de-boarding would be faster, life would be easy.

[TheFantod]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Why don't people put stuff in their checked luggage? I would be fine if NO carry on bags were allowed at all. No waiting for people to cram them in the overheads, boarding and de-boarding would be faster, life would be easy.

1. U.S. Air charges $25 per pag. That would add $50 to my roundtrip ticket.
2. If you don't check your luggage, you can print out your boarding pass at home 24 hours before your flight. Get to the airport, head directly through security. Bada boom, bada bing.

I hear you, though, on the waiting on people trying to muscle their overstuffed bags in the overhead. What REALLY drives me crazy, though, is when you're trying to get off. There's ALWAYS some idiot/s that wait until the front of the line moves off, and the proceeds to get out of their seat and try to yank their bags out of overhead. I want to yell at those people.

[Folmeister]

Post some pics of your work! I stopped my armor modeling several years ago (x-acto blades and bass playing don't mix well), and am gearing up for a return. I have some ancient tins of Humbrol tucked away somewhere.

[Hoover]

Totally off-topic, but I thought this would liven up any discussion of TSA:

My friend recently spent a long weekend cycling around the West Point military academy...which happens to be filled with a variety of artillary test firing ranges. (Not that you can actually cycle in those firing ranges, but there are so many scattered around the campus that you're pretty much always bound to be cycling near one).

Two days after returning from West Point she checked her bike as luggage for a flight from NYC to Reno. TSA actually detected "restricted chemicals and/or residue" (their term) on her bike, and detained her for questioning! But as soon as she mentioned that she'd been riding around a military academy, that explanation apparently satisfied them & they let her & the bike go.

[MJ5150]

Mail it. DTW is normally good about catching those kinds of things and will make you throw it away.

-Mike

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by SteveC

Why don't people put stuff in their checked luggage? I would be fine if NO carry on bags were allowed at all. No waiting for people to cram them in the overheads, boarding and de-boarding would be faster, life would be easy.

I wouldn't say disallow all bags. A lot of medical problems in my family, medication needs to be on hand and I don't particularly care if it someone needs to wait a few minutes when it is potentially life saving.

[P. Aaron]

You can try checkin' 'em. The TSA may steal them. I doubt you'll get past the security gates.

I would just mail them home...that haas the best odds of making it to your door.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by TheFantod

My other hobby is modeling WWII era aircraft. I'm up in Canada right now and picked up a couple of tins of paint that's not easily found in the U.S. The picture is pretty much "life-sized." These things are tiny.

I'm flying out of Detroit on Saturday, but I'm not checking any baggage. (U.S. Air wants $25 a bag, and Homie don't play that!)

I was going to just put them in my 3-1-1 bag, but I'm afraid security isn't going to like it. Of course, these tins are 14ml, or about 1/2 an ounce, but flammable paint is verboten on carry-on luggage.

I could make the argument that there's less paint in these things than a bottle of nail polish, but I've heard tell it's unwise to argue with airport security.

To mail it home from here would cost $5.50, which is less than the cost of the paint. And DTW doesn't have a post office any more

Opinions?

mail this batch,and contact the hobby shop or one in your area and buy a quantity that makes sense to ship/mail for next time.....

[fdeck]

Originally Posted by TheFantod

1. U.S. Air charges $25 per pag. That would add $50 to my roundtrip ticket.
2. If you don't check your luggage, you can print out your boarding pass at home 24 hours before your flight. Get to the airport, head directly through security. Bada boom, bada bing.

It's nice to have control over your bag, just in case...

3. You want to change flights along the way, and just hop on the next plane that's available.

4. The last leg of your flight is canceled or massively delayed, and you want to hop on a bus or rent a car to get to your destination.

On roughly 50% of my trips, I end up flying a different itinerary than I originally booked. Being able to talk to a real person at my travel agent when I'm at an airport has saved my butt more than once.

Here in Madison, people often abandon the Chicago-to-Madison leg and take the bus, which is capable of operating in almost any weather.

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by Folmeister

Post some pics of your work!

What he said.