I’ve been thinking and am curious of what you guys use when using clear coats? Do you use spray cans or do you airbrush it on? I’ve been thinking of using the airbrush from now on for it lays down a nice thin coat between coats. Will enamel clear coat hurt acrylics?
Thoughts?
You can use enamel over the acrylics if you allow the acrylics to cure completely,won’t be a problem.
I airbrush Modelmaster Lacquer Flat or Gloss.or
I also like Vallejo Acrylic Resin Flat or Gloss
I use MM Acryl flat airbrushed for any flat coats. Gloss I usually use MM Lacquer Clear Gloss from a can but I am in the process of switching to Alclad’s gloss after seeing some others work with it here. It can also be airbrushed which is a plus. I always worry about getting it too think out of a rattle can.
Silly question in regards to using Vallejo Flat, does this need to be thinned in any way?
I know the stuff that I use,I just shoot it straight,but I also know they make a few different kinds
I am going to give the Vallejo PolyUrethane clears a try someday. I have read a lot of positive comments on the forum the last year or two.
I used Pledge and Pledge with Tamiya Flat Base a few times, but, that is not my favorite.
My favorite is Aeromaster Acrylic clears, or Polly Scale clears,I have a shipment of all three Aeromaster sheens coming to replenish my stock on Monday.
It is dead simple to use, just mix 75% clear with 25% thinner, and spray away.
A good question regarding airbrushing clearcoats: do I still have to thin Model Master clearcoats with thinner or can it be used straight out of the bottle? Something tells me I do need to thin it.
I forgot to mention if I’m using Model Master acrylic clearcoats or Model Master enamel clearcoats.
I use the MM Acryl flat straight from the bottle but I usually have to turn up the psi to do so. I would guess it could be thinned with ISO.
pardon me for asking a stupid question but what is ISO?
Isopropyl alcohol.
Sorry BlackSheep. LIke Jim said, its alcohol. I try to use the higher percentage that I can get. I think its 90%?
I use acrylics for my paint and I use the testor rattle cans of flat and gloss coats. I had the vallejo ones but I could never get them get a smooth coat
I’ve still got a few Polly Scale clears kicking around in case I run out of my preferred standard, which are the Alclad II clear coats. Their series of different flats are the best I’ve ever used by far.
As this thread talks about clear coating with an airbrush my question is:
When I airbrush clear coat I tend to get a flat frosty look. Why is that? Dilution, pressure etc?
Please help!
//Patrik
Gloss clearcoats need to go on very wet. To do a wet coat reduce pressure and get closer to the surface. Too high a pressure or too great a distance of airbrush to surface will give a rough surface.
Thanks Don!
How about dilution of the gloss varnish? Is it better to dilute it well like 70:30 (thinner:varnish) or keep it as is?
When you give the kit a wash does the wash behave the same if I have this “frosty” surface?
/Patrik.
Not sure whose varnish, nor type you are referring too. I have used regular polyurethane varnish as a clearcoat, and I do thin it anywhere from 1:1 to about what you mentioned. The one thing I like about polyurethane varnish is that it is available in satin (semi-gloss). Most of the time I use Testors dullcoat or glosscoat. In either case, a glosscoat needs to go down very wet.