Unusual reaction when airbrushing Model Master Flat Clear Coat

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

I just put the finishing touches on a Jap Irving (Gekko) and my final top coat of Model Master Enamel Flat dried in various spots with a hazy finish that looked like dust. I noticed the air pressure on my airbrush was a bit high so I wiped down the model ond re-sprayed in at about 20PSI - same result.

I always finish coat with Future after I decal and before I do my weathering and then spray with a top flat coat when I am done. I never noticed this problem before. Is it just more visible because I am going over a dark Jap Navy green?

The paint in enamel and then future and then enamel clear coat.

Any ideas?

Swede

2

As far as I know, Testors doesn’t make an enamel flat coat. They make acrylic and lacquer based flat coats. Anyway, it could be a few things. 1.) Is that you’re putting the coat on too heavy. You really only want to mist light coats on until you achieve the desired flatness. 2.) The flat isn’t mixed completely. 3.) The flat has actually gone bad. It happens.

Jesse

3

Still shooting with too much pressure, you’re holding the airbrush too far away and there is a lot of humidity in the room.

Dial back to 15psi or less, keep your airbrush within 10 inches and spray on a drier day.

4

Okay - thanks for the advice. A few things I never thought of.

The clear coat was well mixed and I suppose it good have gone bad but I used it not long ago with no problems.

I never would have thought about the humidity but it’s good point. I will also back off the PSI.

Anyway to fix this without completely jeopardizing everything I already did?

5

Well, I reapplied a coat of clear gloss and let it dry for a few days and now I just re applied a flat coat.

I think the looks are much improved but will have to let it dry thoroughly before I know for sure.

I hope the multiple layers of clearcoat don’t hide all the detail. Oh well, the good news is I can probably bounce rocks off it now with out hurting the paint job LOL!

6

If you can post any pics, I would like to see the finished product.

7

If you polish it out with a real light touch using a polishing stick, and a dab of water. You might be able to removed the rough oxidized layers. Thus leaving you with a smooth albeit shiny finish.

8

Well here is my attempt at attaching a photo. The pic quality is not that great.

I cleared up the hazing problem by re-spraying with gloss then another flat coat. A bit of the weathering got somewhat lost but overall looks okay.

Don’t freak out with the non-standard decal tag by the rising sun or the pilots name. I am part of an online gaming clan (Call of Duty) which is based on WWII, so I customize a different plane for every one of our members with their name and maybe some nose art. MMU is our squadron. Modelling is supposed to satisy ones self even if the purists may cringe a bit.

9

Gerald, I wouldn’t advise that until you know if his airbrush is gravity-feed or siphon-feed.

I rarely go less than 15 psi even with my Badger 100LG and a siphon-feed airbrush needs at least 15 psi to spray reliably…20 psi is even better.

10

How long are you waiting between the Future gloss coat and the flat coat?

11

I am using a Badger dual action siphon feed and I normally spray at about 20 PSI. I am by far no expert on airbrushing so I am trying various pressures below 25 PSI as I learn and go. The lower pressure seems to work better with acyrilics.

In this case I do believe that the humidity was the culprit as we had been going thru 2 weeks of solid rain. I appreciate all the advise. Anyway I seemed to have rescued the situation.

I will normally wait at least a day before I spray anything over a Future coat. In this case I think it was several days. Live and learn - trial & error.