When i sprayed testors glosscoat lacquer ontom my model kit, I found that It achieved a very wrinkled and wavy texture instead of the smooth invisibel texture it’s supposed to have. I have a suspicion that this is because I sprayed on the second gloss coat before the first glosscoat was completely dry. Could that be the reason?
Thanks, Tankmaster
I’ve had the same problem with Testor’s Glosscaot. I’ve always gotten an “orange peel” finish rather than a smooth one no matter how much I thinned it. The solution for me was to stop using it and go on to something like Future, Micro Gloss, Krylon Crystal Clear or Humbrol.
OK thanks. I’ll switch to Future floor polish for my glosscoat. For the flat coat, would testors acryl clear flat be any better?
Testor’s Acryl Flat is pretty good but I’ve heard from others on the forum that Poly Scale is superb.
I switched from Glosscoat and Dullcoat to Testor’s Model Master Gloss and Lusterless(spray can) which seems to work better for me. I have also used Future(airbrush) and then coated with Lusterless. Please allow paints(etc.) to dry and cure before coating again.
John
Helicopters don’t fly, they beat the air into submission
I have also heard a lot of people that I respect say that PolyScale Acrylic Flat is excellent, and I plan to give some a try. I’ve been using MM Acryl Clear Flat and it works very well, however the finish is not dead flat but more on the flat side of semi-gloss. There is still a slight reflection from it.
If you want absolutely dead flat, try mixing Tamiya XF-21 Flat Base with Future. If you get too much flat base you’ll start to get a slightly white finish so try it on something unimportant to make sure you like the results first. Four parts Future to 1 part Flat Base works well for me. Less flat base leans more toward semi-gloss and more takes it more toward flat.
I’ve never had a problem with MM gloss coat out of the can or airbrushed. I apply 3 mist coats at 15 minute intervals. I then apply 3 wet coats at 30 minute intervals. When I say wet I mean wet, almost to the point of running. What results is a smooth glossy finish that does not require any polishing for the most part. The only time I polish a kit now is if I get junk in the paint.
Darren
Is polly scale acryl flat also excellent? I ask because all the stores near me seem to refuse to carry future floor polish. I hope polly scale accryl clear is a good substitute.
I used to use MM Gloss Lacquer, but then I encountered the exact problem that hit you described, with my poor Spitfire ending up with a very pebbly finish. I don’t really know what caused the problem, but suspected that maybe I had either overthinned it or sprayed from too great a distance, causing it to slightly dry before it hit the surface. I wet-sanded the plane down with 600 grit sandpaper, to knock down the bumps a bit. A second gloss coat with the same Gloss lacquer, but thinned less, went down okay.
Since that time however, I have used Future exclusively, which has worked great. For my last couple of projects I have mixed it with Tamiya XF-21 Flat-base at about a 3:1 ratio, for my flat overcoats and have been really pleased with the results. It’s a shame that you can’t seem to find any locally. Keep your eyes peeled, beacuse if you can ever trip across a bottle, you’ll find a 24oz bottle lasts a really, really long time.
Tankmaster, got a Walmart or a Kroger near ya? They have them… I’ll check Walgreesn next time I am there… They should too
Guess what? I found a bottle. At a supermarket chain called King Kullen. I’m not sure if it’s nationalt though. But I am happy about finding it. Congrats on your fourth star tho9900.
haha thanks Tank! I didn’t realize it till this morning when I posted and when it refreshed to the topic I saw 1000 next to my name…
yeah read swannys thing on future… it is GREAT!!! Especially for canopies and windsheilds… I swear by the stuff… and that bottle should last you through many a kit!
—Tom—
I tried switching to MM acrylic flat after years of using Testor and Micro clear finishes. The MM acrylic came out milky on my finish, and dried that way, so I’m gun shy with. On the other hand, I stopped using Micro finishes years ago because the formula was changing on an annual basis, as was the thinner, and you never knew if you were working with compatible materials.
Having spent my formative modeling years along the Texas Gulf Coast, where it is always humid, I can spot the cause of a pebbly or even a spider web result from Testors and other clear flat laquers. In short, don’t use them on a day, or in a house, where the humidity is high. I haven’t had that problem since I’ve lived up here, where it is usually dry for most of the year, at least indoors.
And of course, the orange peel you get from Testors is, quite simply, from the fact that you have to be very careful not to spray a laquer (the Testors clear finish) over enamels (regular MM enamel paint) unless it’s almost dry when it hits the surface. Same with metalizers, of course, only more critical that they be dry when they are applied. And metalizers do tend to dry between the time they leave the airbrush and when they fall on the model, unless you’ve really screwed up.
Hmmm… Well, I sure hope future works out a lot better. I am also expecting a bottle of polly scale clear flat. Then to work on my f-4e phantom.
BINGO! you answered my question… I tried some laquer the other day (it wasn’t clear but suspect it might be related to what you listed) came out first as spiderwebs then like the cotton candy they make at the fair (when they wrap the fluff around the cone)
Texas Gulf Coast myself… thats what caught my eye along with the symptom…
I only had to ruin one beautiful (to me) Monogram F-105G “Georgia Peach” markings to learn this lesson. After the pebbling and spider web problem seemed to be awful at times, and nonexistant at others, I finally got the humidity answer by reading it in several different sources, including FSM. Also, if you have humidity problems, a water trap on the line will help with this problem, but generally it’s from the water in the atmosphere itself. I’m telling youse guys who haven’t lived down there, it is monstrously muggy at certain times of the year, like most of the time. Still, I miss home…
Tom
yeah got the watertrap… but you’re right, on days it’s less than 60% humidity your skin starts cracking… It’s even worse where I grew up… Port Arthur area… right smack dab in between the Gulf of Mexico and the bayous…
might actually get brave again and try the laquer since I have the cause… even if I have to get a room dehumidifier or something…