What do you use as top coat?

[Dave T.]

I have nearly ruined a model using Testors' enamel flat coat. It is a horror story, the stuff in the bottles looks a little "murky", but I thought, what the heck, I'm sure it's good stuff. Wrong answer!

This is like poo, not clear looking at all, and I just generally hated the result.

What does everyone here use to do the top coat gloss, semi gloss, or flat, on your models? I paint with both acrylics and enamels, and also want to get into using metallizers.

Any suggestions, anyone, anyone, Bueller?

Thanks!!!!

Edited May 15, 2008 by Dave T.

[speedlimit]

For gloss coat I use future. For flat I use tamiya flat.

Eric

[Dave T.]

For gloss coat I use future. For flat I use tamiya flat.

Eric

Do they have separate top coats for acrylics and enamels?

Thanks!!

[Huey Gunner]

Do they have separate top coats for acrylics and enamels?

Thanks!!

Describe looking like "poo". Was it milky? Testors makes both acrlyc and enamel top coats of all finishes(gloss, semi-gloss and flat). Was the finish you used out of a rattle can or bottle?

[speedlimit]

Do they have separate top coats for acrylics and enamels?

Thanks!!

Dave,

I have a baby in the house so Im acrylic exclusive. Cant help with the enamels, sorry.

Eric

[David Walker]

Polly Scale Flat (acrylic) is the best stuff I've found so far. Their Gloss is very good too.

[Eretik]

Microscale Microflat. Nice finish.

[lgl007]

I'm a Gunze acrylics man... all the way. I have NEVER had any issues with Gunze paints... never have they peeled, split, orange peeled or anything like that... and frankly my preparation for paints sucks... only thing I do is wipe the jet with a cloth before paint application ;-) All colors and matt and gloss coats. I typically thin regular colors and matt paint with about 50-60% tamiya Acrylic Thinner, and about 30-40%% thinner for the gloss. With final matt coat application I put on about 4 very thin coats.

Best,

-Greg

[ScottD]

Tamiya Spray Flat coat....best Flat coat I've ever used, but its Lacquer based

[Dave T.]

Tamiya Spray Flat coat....best Flat coat I've ever used, but its Lacquer based

I'm sorry if I sound stoopid, but lacquer is the "strongest" of the paint types right, does this mean I can't spray that on anything other than laqcuer paints, like Model Master Metallizers?

[Dave T.]

Describe looking like "poo". Was it milky? Testors makes both acrlyc and enamel top coats of all finishes(gloss, semi-gloss and flat). Was the finish you used out of a rattle can or bottle?

It was milky, opaque looking. The Testors coat was in a bottle, one of those standard tall rectangular bottles Testors uses. I have since heard some people say to stay away from Testors' top coats because they always "cloud up" and can also ruin decals.

[Dave T.]

Dave,

I have a baby in the house so Im acrylic exclusive. Cant help with the enamels, sorry.

Eric

Thanks for the info.

[Dave T.]

I'm a Gunze acrylics man... all the way. I have NEVER had any issues with Gunze paints... never have they peeled, split, orange peeled or anything like that... and frankly my preparation for paints sucks... only thing I do is wipe the jet with a cloth before paint application ;-) All colors and matt and gloss coats. I typically thin regular colors and matt paint with about 50-60% tamiya Acrylic Thinner, and about 30-40%% thinner for the gloss. With final matt coat application I put on about 4 very thin coats.

Best,

-Greg

Thanks, I was wondering on the finishing techniques as well.

[archybean]

something waterproof, lest i get my clothes wet from the rain...hopefully that matches my top hat.

not what you were asking?

ive been using testors dullcote, works fine for my needs.

[Dave T.]

something waterproof, lest i get my clothes wet from the rain...hopefully that matches my top hat.

not what you were asking?

ive been using testors dullcote, works fine for my needs.

LOL

Thanks!

[DutyCat]

It was milky, opaque looking. The Testors coat was in a bottle, one of those standard tall rectangular bottles Testors uses. I have since heard some people say to stay away from Testors' top coats because they always "cloud up" and can also ruin decals.

Interesting and from my experience, ridiculous. I have been using Testors gloss and flatcoats in the tall square bottles for like a billion years and never had a problem. No yellowing and a perfect finish. I thin it about 50/50 with lacquer thinner from the local hardware store.

I have tried Future but it takes many coats to gloss up and has a tendency to run if you aren't patient with it. My usual technique is to gloss with Testors(maybe three coats...it sets up and dries fast, so will NOT run unless you are really ham handed with an airbrush), apply decals, apply a thin Future sealer coat, weather with enamel/oil/watercolor washes as desired, apply Testors flatcoat, then finish weathering with pastel chalks. Works well for me.

[DutyCat]

I'm sorry if I sound stoopid, but lacquer is the "strongest" of the paint types right, does this mean I can't spray that on anything other than laqcuer paints, like Model Master Metallizers?

You can spray the Testors dullcoat over anything. It dries immediately. The glosscoat, on the other hand, can be sprayed over any flat paint, but, if you spray it over a gloss OTHER THAN Testors, you might be asking for trouble. I did a Blue Angels F-18 once and used a gloss Humbrol for the blue. I decaled it and then attempted to spray Testors glosscoat laquer over the blue. It ruined the paint. I could have just used Testors Blue Angel Blue, but it seemed a little too dark for me. I should have just lightened it up a bit. Now while we are on the subject of glosses, Testors gloss enamel paints go on great when thinned with laquer thinner.

[toadwbg]

Although there is good advice to be had here all around- let's step back and look at the big pictue:

-Bad batches of paint/clear happen with every manufacturer. Some have a better reputation for quality than others

-Not everyone above is specifying if they are spraying Enamel over acrylic, or lacquer over enamel, etc. However, in my experience- just about anything can be done over anything else if the base coat is fully cured and you apply very light top coats over the base coat

- Safest best is NOT to put lacquer based over acrylics, but again it can be done

Personallly I really like Future for gloss. I Brush it on wtih a wide soft brush just before decalling and than I seal the decals with antoher coat. Never had a problem with this. Spraying Future I have found more tricky but this can be done successfully too with lighty misty coats and cut with Windex to reduce surface tension.

I've had very good results wtih Testor's Lacquer-based clear coats. Light misty coats. Needs to be throughoutly stirred/mixed

I've had very mixed results with Testor's Acrylic-based clear coats. I'm staying away from these now.

[FlyingSnowmew]

I use Pollyscale clears. They spray and brush well, and dry clear and smooth.

[smutz]

hi klear(future) first then xtracrylics flat, great stuff dies even very flat & very fast around 10-15 Min's thin it down with tap water if needed.

Andy.

[ScottD]

I'm sorry if I sound stoopid, but lacquer is the "strongest" of the paint types right, does this mean I can't spray that on anything other than lacquer paints, like Model Master Metallizers?

Depends on application....Tamiya doesn't suggest applying its Flat and Semi-gloss clear lines on its Enamel paints, but it all depends...I decant my Tamiya Spray paint and airbrush it (most of the time) and if you apply light coats to Enamel paint, you should be good to go.

I've had zero issues applying it to Tamiya and Gunze Aclyric paint and Gunze Lacquer paints.

[cgrant26]

I use Poly Scale clear flat with just a tiny bit of the model's base color mixed in for a nice blended coat. It really helps make decals blend in on low-vis paint schemes.

Edited May 18, 2008 by cgrant26

[Dave T.]

Thank you all for the advice. I will be trying your various techniques and brands. Very helpful!

[I love airbrushing]

Has anyone mentioned Model Master lacquers? I use both the gloss one, for decal work, and flat one for final coat, and it works very well. It's easy to airbrush, too.