clear coats

[bulldog]

8) i'm kind of new to modeling , maybe some of you can help me out.

when applying a clear coat, do you spray mist coats like you do the paint or are they all wet coats ?? also how many coats of clear do you apply ?? how long in between coats. thanx for the help

[Steve D.]

Hi Bob,

First question , what type of paint are you using ? Hopefully you are using a lacquer of some type . The only reason I say that is , thats what I'm most familiar with . And although they require a little more care in the safe handling department , the speed you can work at more than makes up for it .

Tamiya Lacquer in the spray can is an excellent paint if it is available to you . ( not all hobby shops carry it ) Another alternative is automotive paint , which can be had at any of the chain stores . (NAPA , PEP-BOYS , ALLIED what have you ) Make sure you use a primer made specifically for plastic , otherwise some of these color coats will melt plastic .

And finally there is one of my recent favorites , fingernail polish . And although this must be air brushed , there is no shortage of wild colors in the bargain bin of your favorite discount store . (just remember to buy two as the bottles are usually pretty small)

Now back to the original question . When using Tamiya clear I usually dust on three coats .Allowing about ten to fifteen minutes between coats to give the lacquer a little time to "set-up" When dusting on the fourth coat resist the temptation and STOP which is hard to do because its starting to look so nice . Now after waiting about fifteen to twenty minutes lay on the final coat , just a little heavier than the previous coats . The final coat melts the previous coats together and gives that wet look .

A couple of words of caution with the final coat , don't over do it and you won't get the dredded runs . It's always easier to recoat than have to sand off sags and runs in the paint .

The method I described above , dusting on four followed by one wet coat , to me is actually applying just one coat of lacquer . That's just how a coat of lacquer is applied , as opposed to two medium coats of enamel . The only problem I have with enamel paint is the waiting for the curing process .

Hope this helps , Take care and see you around the clubhouse,

Steve D.

[ramonesblues]

This depends whether you are going to wet sand and polish your paint job.I would follow the three mist coats with at least two, preferably three medium wet coats.Mist coats don't give you very much coverage and I would'nt want

to have insufficient material to sand and polish. With two to three wet coats you are more assured you won't cut through the clear when you polish it.This in only my personal preference,but there is nothing more disheartening than burning through a candy or pearl paint job.Better safe than sorry.

[bulldog]

8) hi steve and dennis,

thanx alot for the info, i shall try it

[Steve D.]

The only time I polish after a finish coat , is when I find a cat hair or piece of dust . I have found that doing all the prep work before painting , makes the finish coat go on soooo smooth , polishing after is not necessary .

This is done using Tamiya paint right out of the spray can . This paint is so good it does not require polishing . (the polishing is done before)

see you around the clubhouse,

Steve D.

[Olle F]

On the same topic: When I'm clearcoating a metallic paint, I seal it by spraying the first coat as thin as possible and let it dry thoroughly before the next coat. The reason is that the clearcoat can dissolve the paint a bit, and make the metallic pigments move around. This will result in a blotchy, uneven finish and in most cases you'll have to repaint the whole thing.