I noticed a while ago that there seems to be a new formulation of Testors clear coats. Different smells, different drying times, etc.
Now I have had a problem with the clear gloss. I coated over some gloss enamel awhile ago and there was a bad reaction. Not only was the surface a bit wrinkled, it soaked down into the underlying enamel, and I am having to completely remove the paint down to the original primer. Now, I suppose it could be that the enamel was not fully cured enough, but I have never had this problem before and I am sure I waited as long as I normally do. I suppose a slower dry time for the overcoat could allow it to soak into the underlying coats more.
I assume you were spraying the paint and that you probably thinned it. What did you thin it with and at what ratio. I usually use Lacquer Thinner and a 50-50 mix…
It is the spray can stuff. I have used it for years- at least the stuff they used to call “Glosscoat.” The new stuff is not called that, it is just called clear gloss. Their new dull coat is just labeled clear- dull, rather than “Dullcoat.”
Could it be a difference between lacquer & enamel clear coats? I am not sure if Testor’s/Model Masters makes both a lacquer and enamel based clear coat, but that might explain the problem.
Bob
PS - it would be great (just getting back into modeling after a long time), if we had a chart w/all the different brands of paints and the types of thinners to use with them and the proper methods for using one base of paint with another - like for washes, clear coats, detailing, etc…
I have been using their “One Coat” clear without any problems. I switched to it from Tamiya because it ate decals up, Testors does not. I have not experienced any of the problems you spoke of. Maybe a bad lot?
This sounds like a Lacquer vs Enamel reaction to me. Testor’s has probably changed the formulation of their clear gloss coat. My recommendation would be to head to one of the big box hardware stores and by a rattle can of clear enamel gloss coat. If it does not specifically state enamel skip it. I recently got back into modeling and this is the approach I used. At various times I have been a painter as an occupation and I avoid mixing Lacquers and Enamels at all cost. I know I have seen people say on this web site and various others that you can get away with one over the other, but my real world experience tells me that sometimes you can and sometimes you can’t and that may even come down to the colors of paint from the same manufacturer as far as to reacting with a different based paint being applied over them.
Besides a big rattle can of enamel gloss coat cost about the same as those little dinky Testor’s cans.
It’s sounds very much like a lacquer over enamel paint problem.
I have painted my share of real cars along with models over the years. It has always been recommended to stick to the same “brand” and “type” of paint.
Short explaination:
Enamel dries from the inside out.
Lacquer dries from the outside in.
Acrylic dries from outside in.
Lacquer paint has a tendacy to react (desolve) the underlying paint layer in an effort to adhear to it.
Enamel and Acrylic does not have such a strong reaction as it kind of sits on top, kind of trying to adhear to the small sanding scratches. (very simplified explaination LOL).
I haven’t had any trouble with the clear coats yet, but there is definitely something different about Testors products. Some of their paints aren’t drying as quick for me.
Yep. I have been putting clear coats in my new drying booth because they take so long to dry now. Seems to me the old clear coats in spray cans were all lacquer (and smelled like hair spray). They now seem to be more like enamels, but do not say on can.
