Jump to content

Acrylic Clear Coats


Recommended Posts

Hi guys,

 

Last year I decided to start using acrylics, mainly Gunze and Tamiya, and I'm having a hard time with clear coats. What do you guys use for:

1.- Gloss Coats

2.- Flat Coats

3.- Satin Coats

 

What thinner do you recommend? I was used to Testor Laquer gloss and clear coats (using Testor's own Enamel Thinner :rolleyes:), but I don't know if it will work with acrylics.

 

Thanks for the help! :worship:

 

Regards,

 

Tato 

Link to post
Share on other sites

1. Gloss coats....   Tamiya x-22 thinned with Mr color Leveling Thinner about 50-50.  Can't be beat!

2. Flat coats ....Model Master Acryl Flat Clear thinned with their thinner.

3.  Satin coats....Model Master Acryl Semi Gloss thinned with their thinner.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I use the same as the post above. The Acryl flat isn't as dead flat as the lacquer you are used to, but it's pretty fool proof. Lacquer clear coats will work with acrylics, but you better wait a few weeks between painting and clear coating just to be sure.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 4/13/2018 at 1:12 PM, Tato said:

Last year I decided to start using acrylics, mainly Gunze and Tamiya

 

If you want to stay strictly with acrylics, then Tamiya X-22 thinned with Tamiya X-20A will yield great results.  Gunze H20 Flat Clear thinned with Gunze Aqueous thinner is dead flat.  Tamiya now makes X-35 Semi-Gloss Clear and XF-86 Flat Clear, but I have not tried them.  These two should work great when thinned with X-20A also.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello!

 

Thanks a lot to all for the help.

 

On 13/4/2018 at 5:21 PM, Bob Beary said:

1. Gloss coats....   Tamiya x-22 thinned with Mr color Leveling Thinner about 50-50.  Can't be beat!

2. Flat coats ....Model Master Acryl Flat Clear thinned with their thinner.

3.  Satin coats....Model Master Acryl Semi Gloss thinned with their thinner.

Hi Bob, never really paid to much attention to Model Master Acrylic clear coats. May be I should give them a try!

 

On 14/4/2018 at 10:47 PM, spejic said:

I use the same as the post above. The Acryl flat isn't as dead flat as the lacquer you are used to, but it's pretty fool proof. Lacquer clear coats will work with acrylics, but you better wait a few weeks between painting and clear coating just to be sure.

 

Hi Spejic, what is a good thinner for lacquer clear coats?

 

22 hours ago, RichardL said:

 

If you want to stay strictly with acrylics, then Tamiya X-22 thinned with Tamiya X-20A will yield great results.  Gunze H20 Flat Clear thinned with Gunze Aqueous thinner is dead flat.  Tamiya now makes X-35 Semi-Gloss Clear and XF-86 Flat Clear, but I have not tried them.  These two should work great when thinned with X-20A also.

Hi Richard, I tried Gunze H20, but I didn't like to much the result. I'm sure there's something I'm not doing good. I didn't got a flat surface, may be it was the thinner...

 

Thanks again to all for the help.

 

Regards,

 

Tato

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Tato said:

Hi Richard, I tried Gunze H20, but I didn't like to much the result. I'm sure there's something I'm not doing good. I didn't got a flat surface, may be it was the thinner...

 

How are you applying the gloss clear coats and the flat clear coats?

 

Below is a picture I just took showing Tamiya X-22 thinned with Tamiya X-20A on the left spoon and Gunze H20 thinned with Gunze Aqueous thinner on the right spoon:

 

clearcoats.jpg.ebed68c9de340757615569b0b6f04a02.jpg

 

Both were applied with my Iwata gravity feed airbrush with a 0.5mm needle.  As you can see, Tamiya X-22 is glossy and Gunze H20 is flat.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello: I usethe ones from AMMO MiG Gimenez. But, in order to obtain a gloss finish, you must apply 2 or 3 thin layers. Another brand I use is K-4, a chilean one, and the best for me, Sicko, wich is a local brand here (Argentina).

Happy Modeling!:cheers:

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Richard,

 

Thank you very much for the photos, very clarifying. I'm using Gunze H30 Gloss Clear which it's working relatively ok. But for the H20 Flat Coat, I'm not having good results. I'm pretty sure is the thinner. I've notice that I'm using a different one from the one you have. I think is for the other type of gunze paints (not the aqueouse ones).

21 hours ago, RichardL said:

 

How are you applying the gloss clear coats and the flat clear coats?

 

Below is a picture I just took showing Tamiya X-22 thinned with Tamiya X-20A on the left spoon and Gunze H20 thinned with Gunze Aqueous thinner on the right spoon:

 

clearcoats.jpg.ebed68c9de340757615569b0b6f04a02.jpg

 

Both were applied with my Iwata gravity feed airbrush with a 0.5mm needle.  As you can see, Tamiya X-22 is glossy and Gunze H20 is flat.

 

That gloss coat is beautiful! Definitively gonna give it a try!

 

3 hours ago, dagger00 said:

Hello: I usethe ones from AMMO MiG Gimenez. But, in order to obtain a gloss finish, you must apply 2 or 3 thin layers. Another brand I use is K-4, a chilean one, and the best for me, Sicko, wich is a local brand here (Argentina).

Happy Modeling!:cheers:

 

Hi Dagger, thank you for your help. I tried the one from AMMO, the Lucky Ultra Matt. Didn't like it that much, found it very difficult to handle. Never heard that K-4 made clear coats, may be I should give them a try!

 

Regards!

 

Tato

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I recently switched to Tamiya X-22 thinned 1/2 and 1/2 with Gunze Mr Color Leveling Thinner. Beautiful smooth high gloss finishes. Much easier to use than Future/Pledge/whatever they are calling it today.

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 4/18/2018 at 10:25 AM, Mstor said:

I recently switched to Tamiya X-22 thinned 1/2 and 1/2 with Gunze Mr Color Leveling Thinner. Beautiful smooth high gloss finishes.

 

I found a hobby acrylic gloss clear that's even smoother and more glossy:  Gunze H-30.

 

Here I airbrushed two clear spoons with two coats of Gunze H-12  Flat Black:

 

flat_clears01.png

 

I waited 24 hours before airbrushing the gloss clears over the same two spoons.  On the left is Gunze H-30 thinned with Gunze Aqueous Thinner.  On the right is Tamiya X-22 thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner:

 

gloss_clears01.png

 

gloss_clears02.png

 

Both went down beautifully.  Only two coats of clear were applied to each spoon.

Link to post
Share on other sites
12 hours ago, RichardL said:

I found a hobby acrylic gloss clear that's even smoother and more glossy:  Gunze H-30.

 

Look pretty close to me. I like using X-22 as it thins with Mr Color Leveling Thinner which speeds up drying time.

Edited by Mstor
Link to post
Share on other sites

Those black spoons look good!

 

I'm going to test both of them and see which one I feel comfortable.

 

Thanks a lot guys for all the help! Really appreciated.

 

Best regards,

 

Tato

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 4/22/2018 at 11:08 PM, RichardL said:

 

I found a hobby acrylic gloss clear that's even smoother and more glossy:  Gunze H-30.

 

Here I airbrushed two clear spoons with two coats of Gunze H-12  Flat Black:

 

flat_clears01.png

 

I waited 24 hours before airbrushing the gloss clears over the same two spoons.  On the left is Gunze H-30 thinned with Gunze Aqueous Thinner.  On the right is Tamiya X-22 thinned with Mr. Color Leveling Thinner:

 

gloss_clears01.png

 

gloss_clears02.png

 

Both went down beautifully.  Only two coats of clear were applied to each spoon.

If you don’t mind my asking. What is the ratio you use for both clear to thinner and What pressure you set your airbrush to?

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
9 hours ago, speedlimit said:

If you don’t mind my asking. What is the ratio you use for both clear to thinner and What pressure you set your airbrush to?

 

Ratio is 1:1 for both (one part clear to one part thinner).  Air pressure is 16 psi, and airbrush is Iwata Revolution CR gravity feed.

Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, speedlimit said:

Thanks RichardL!

 

Not a problem.  If you don't want to mess with thinning and mixing, then order Zero Paints ZP-3002 pre-thinned clear coat lacquer from HobbyWorld USA.  That gloss clear is excellent:  very smooth, very glossy, and very easy to spray.

Link to post
Share on other sites
23 hours ago, RichardL said:

 

Not a problem.  If you don't want to mess with thinning and mixing, then order Zero Paints ZP-3002 pre-thinned clear coat lacquer from HobbyWorld USA.  That gloss clear is excellent:  very smooth, very glossy, and very easy to spray.

 

MRP (Mr Paint) also makes a gloss clear coat that I assume needs no thinning. I have some but haven't tried it yet. Not to be confused with their two part super gloss clear coat which I am think must be some sort of epoxy resin stuff.

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Mstor said:

 

MRP (Mr Paint) also makes a gloss clear coat that I assume needs no thinning.

 

I tried MRP gloss clear coat and was not very impressed.  It's not very glossy after three coats.  Will try snap some pictures later.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ahh, too bad, I was hoping it would be a "quick fix" solution, just pour and spray. Oh well, too good to be true I guess. I look forward to your pics. Maybe it will work as a final Semi-glossish coat.

Link to post
Share on other sites
8 hours ago, Mstor said:

Maybe it will work as a final Semi-glossish coat.

 

It will indeed work as a final semi-gloss coat.  Here is a picture I just took:

 

zero_gloss.png

 

MRP is on the right.  It is more of a satin finish.  Hopefully you will be able to tell the difference based on the reflection on the spoons.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...