fajah Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Folks, Recently I made the switch over to acrylics - Mig, AK, MRP, etc. - from good ol' Testors MM Enamels, and it has been a bit of a learning curve. I used to paint, weather with Flory, decal, and then seal coat with MM Lacquer. Bulletproof. Now, acrylics seem pretty "soft" - easily scratched or rubbed off (but they spray GREAT!!), so I am wanting to protect my paint job prior to weathering. I recently painted and then put a coat of Mig Lucky Varnish Gloss on ahead of anticipated weathering w/ Flory. To my dismay, the clear coat rubbed off pretty easily (it had dried for well over a week). I was just wondering what product people were using to protect the paint job prior to weathering, whether it's with Flory, enamel washes, oil washes, etc. What are your processes and preferred products? Appreciate any feedback!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
strikeeagle801 Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 I'm curious about this too, so thanks for posting. While I still do most of my major painting with Mr. Paint, which is considered an "acrylic laquer" (I grew up on Model Master and this is the best stuff I've found to replace it) I end up using a lot of Tamiya and MiG acrylics for smaller parts and detail work. I use Flory wash as well. I still use Testors gloss to prepare the model for decals and weathering, but have found that even when fully cured, the wash tends to leach into the gloss and stain it, often in places that I don't want it to, so I'm looking at a possible alternate to the Testors finishing products. Aaron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
airmechaja Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 Best product I've found is Alclad II. Aqua Gloss Clear. Spray right out of the bottle, light coats and it dries fast. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike J. Idacavage Posted February 22 Share Posted February 22 I agree with airmechaja . My "Go To" clear coat after painting with either acrylics, acrylic lacquers (like MRP) and enamels is Alclad's Aqua Coat. I then do my weathering and follow up with another clear coat such as Alclad's semi-matte depending on what I want the final sheen to be. Have fun modeling! Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fajah Posted February 22 Author Share Posted February 22 Thanks for the replies fellas! I'll definitely have to give Aqua Coat a go. I also came across Mig's Hard Rock Varnish. It's supposedly formulated "for protecting all types of paint before applying decals or enamel and acrylic weathering products." Might give that a try as well. Gabe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FalconFan24 Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 A little late to the post, but yes: Alclad Aqua Gloss. It is super strong and stands up to enamels/oils/decals/and decal solutions. Use it straight from the bottle, no thinning. Spray it at 12-15psi, 5-6 centimeters from the surface, should go on wet, don't blast it on, and give it an hour to dry. Then you are good to go! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sigtau Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 I use Mr Hobby GX clear coats. Thin with self leveling thinner. Flows out great, super glossy finish that is much tougher than Aqua Gloss. If any of the base colors are Alcad high shine, I clear those with either aqua gloss or model master acryl clear gloss. I bought a huge stock pile of acryl clear gloss, so I'm set for life at this point. Also worth noting, MRP acrylic lacquers can stain from weathering oils if not clear coated. I tried weathering without a clear coat with their paint and it nearly ended badly. Also, their clear finishes are nice, but artist oils will stain them as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FalconFan24 Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 On 2/25/2025 at 8:31 PM, sigtau said: I use Mr Hobby GX clear coats. Thin with self leveling thinner. Flows out great, super glossy finish that is much tougher than Aqua Gloss. If any of the base colors are Alcad high shine, I clear those with either aqua gloss or model master acryl clear gloss. I bought a huge stock pile of acryl clear gloss, so I'm set for life at this point. Also worth noting, MRP acrylic lacquers can stain from weathering oils if not clear coated. I tried weathering without a clear coat with their paint and it nearly ended badly. Also, their clear finishes are nice, but artist oils will stain them as well. I think he is the poster is looking for non-lacquer options as he has switched over. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FalconFan24 Posted February 27 Share Posted February 27 On 2/21/2025 at 2:49 PM, fajah said: Folks, Recently I made the switch over to acrylics - Mig, AK, MRP, etc. - from good ol' Testors MM Enamels, and it has been a bit of a learning curve. I used to paint, weather with Flory, decal, and then seal coat with MM Lacquer. Bulletproof. Now, acrylics seem pretty "soft" - easily scratched or rubbed off (but they spray GREAT!!), so I am wanting to protect my paint job prior to weathering. I recently painted and then put a coat of Mig Lucky Varnish Gloss on ahead of anticipated weathering w/ Flory. To my dismay, the clear coat rubbed off pretty easily (it had dried for well over a week). I was just wondering what product people were using to protect the paint job prior to weathering, whether it's with Flory, enamel washes, oil washes, etc. What are your processes and preferred products? Appreciate any feedback!! Might I recommend watching the following video, you can painting and weathering using only acrylics: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fajah Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 Gents, Aqua Coat was the ticket, worked like a charm!! Thanks for the replies and suggestions! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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