Advice wanted on protective clear coats

Hi all.

I’m trying to find out what people use as tried and proven enamel or acrylic clear coats over enamel base colours, as well as what paints and thinners for filters and/or washes over these clear coats.

I understand you’re supposed to use the opposite type of clear to the base colours and then the opposite type of filter/wash to the clear coat, but I’ve been having bad luck with that theory and now need more details.

Cheers!

Like many modelers, I use Future for a gloss top coat & Polly Scale Flat for a flat top coat. Both are acrylics, but can be used safely over cured enamels or lacquers.

Regards, Rick

I have been using J.W etc Right Step for a while now. It’s a water based acrylic varnish, comes in matte, satin, or gloss, and can be brush painted or airbrushed. When airbrushing, I cut it about 50-50 with distiled water.

Dries rock hard and crystal clear.

http://www.jwetc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=33

Chris

I had never heard of the “opposite” theory. I doubt if enamel or lacquer will work over acrylics.

Anyway, over enamels I usually use Testors Glosscoat or Dullcoat. I have also used thinned polyurethane varnish for a glosscoat.

I must have at least 50 models where I used MM flat lacquer over cured Tamiya acrylic paint. The last one being my 1/72 HMCS Snowberry, a long and intricate build where I wouldn’t have chanced it if I thought there was any chance of disaster.

I use both Tamiya acrylic and MM enamel, and as long as both are fully cured I have never had a problem.