Best non yellowing clear coat?

[Ben]

I’m needing to clear coat a white body but I’m very worried about the clear coat yellowing! Has anyone shot some a few years ago with no yellowing? If so, what brand was it?

[espo]

I have several models I have built over several years and never had any problems with Tamiya TS-13 Clear spray. I think any of the Hobby specific paint should give you what you want. 

[T-bone]

Use a 2K clear. It won't yellow and it will protect white decals from yellowing

 

[Dave G.]

Other than 2K ( I personally won't spray the stuff, having left 1/1 painting because of two part paints, danged if I'm going to drag it home for hobby use) I don't know if there is such a thing as non yellowing clear over white ( in due time) but if there is it is not Testors clear enamel. I had that yellow over white big time and the model was away in a box for ten years, so no uv factor etc. The white is the key, clear coats may never look yellowed over colors but over white can be another story. Another factor is the thinner and few coats you can get away with the better. IMO. If you're using an airbrush you could drop a minute bit of blue in the clear, that might counter the yellowing for some time.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Dave G.

[oldcarfan]

The Testor's clear enamel yellows within a few years. Their clear lacquer doesn't seem to have that trouble.

[Rodent]

30 minutes ago, oldcarfan said:

The Testor's clear enamel yellows within a few years. Their clear lacquer doesn't seem to have that trouble.

I have an AMT Nova and an AMT GMC stepside that I built in the 1980s. They are both Testors clear enamel over Testors silver. They both appear light green now. 

Agree with the TS-13. I don't have enough experience with the Testors lacquer to have an opinion yet.

[StevenGuthmiller]

Depends a lot on what kind of paint your base color is.

I've been using Duplicolor "Protective Clear Coat" over automotive lacquers for quite a few years and have never seen any yellowing.

I agree with everyone else.

Stay away from Testors enamel clear, especially over light colors!!

It will yellow horribly in a relatively short period of time.

This '37 Chevy started out as a pale beige.

Now, thanks to Testors clear enamel, it's a beautiful shade of yellow!

 

Steve

 

 

[SCRWDRVR]

53 minutes ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Depends a lot on what kind of paint your base color is.

I've been using Duplicolor "Protective Clear Coat" over automotive lacquers for quite a few years and have never seen any yellowing.

 

 

 

I agree, I’ve even used it on the dash in my car and truck. My car 6 years ago and my truck about 10 and neither have yellowed at all.....

Edited June 3, 2019 by SCRWDRVR

[Bainford]

Stay away from all enamel clears if yellowing is a concern. In fact, avoid painting with white enamel in the first place if you are concerned about yellowing.

[StevenGuthmiller]

7 hours ago, Bainford said:

In fact, avoid painting with white enamel in the first place if you are concerned about yellowing.

This is true.

Testors white enamel will discolor all by itself without clear coat.

 

 

Steve

[Ben]

On 6/3/2019 at 12:26 PM, Bainford said:

Stay away from all enamel clears if yellowing is a concern. In fact, avoid painting with white enamel in the first place if you are concerned about yellowing.

Hey Steve, the white will be acrylic as well as the clear coat a friend recommended. He’s been using it for years with no problems.

[Ben]

Thanks for the help guys, a friend recommended the acrylic clear from Automotive Touchup.com. The paint will be Tamiya acrylic white over Tamiya white primer.

[Dave G.]

8 hours ago, Ben said:

Thanks for the help guys, a friend recommended the acrylic clear from Automotive Touchup.com. The paint will be Tamiya acrylic white over Tamiya white primer.

If you're going to spray anything automotive then put on a respirator ( not just a dust mask but an actual charcoal cartridge respirator).

I'm going to spray some Tamiya acrylic clear today and see how I like it. I love their clear colors, hoping the clear clear is as good as those. For most acrylics I wear a dust mask but not for solvent based paints.

[retired & glad]

I found a big box of enamel and acrylic paints I thought I had thrown away and started seeing if any was still good. Some I had used years ago and back then and still now I take a piece of plastic wrap and cut a piece to go over the opening to seal it and then put the cap on to close it up. I haven't had a paint dried on cap for long time. 

Back to the thread, I found a couple bottles of model master enamel clear top coat and it had turned so yellow I thought it was clear yellow paint when I picked it up. I'll pour it out and reuse the bottle with a good clean cap. The box of paint was stored under my bed for years so there was no direct sunlight to it.

I have decanted Duplicolor before and will pickup a can of clear to use. I can't seem to spray that good with spray can paint, so I'll use a dedicated airbrush for the clear. I have accumulated 15 airbrushes over the years, so dedicating one is not a problem.  I use to use Future floor clear but after a few years, the clear had started to turn yellow. It went to the dump. I looked at a truck I had built around 2012 and some of the white plastic wasn't painted but cleared with the Future and it doesn't show any yellowing on the white parts. It was not exposed to direct sunlight so far, so might try to find some new floor clear to try again.

[Dave G.]

2 hours ago, retired & glad said:

I looked at a truck I had built around 2012 and some of the white plastic wasn't painted but cleared with the Future and it doesn't show any yellowing on the white parts. It was not exposed to direct sunlight so far, so might try to find some new floor clear to try again.

In the Future type products, Pledge Floor Care is the latest iteration and pretty good. Same deal as Future, spray it straight from the bottle, self leveling, buff it in a few days if desired.

I shot the Tamiya acrylic test yesterday as the above post stated I was going to do and that stuff lays down beautiful and super glossy, it's a very clear gloss and a notch above Pledge imo ( pretty much needs no buffing at least to my taste).. I had hoped it would spray and result in a finish as nice as their clear colors and that seems to be the case. I thin those paints with lacquer thinner.

[retired & glad]

2 hours ago, Dave G. said:

In the Future type products, Pledge Floor Care is the latest iteration and pretty good. Same deal as Future, spray it straight from the bottle, self leveling, buff it in a few days if desired.

I shot the Tamiya acrylic test yesterday as the above post stated I was going to do and that stuff lays down beautiful and super glossy, it's a very clear gloss and a notch above Pledge imo ( pretty much needs no buffing at least to my taste).. I had hoped it would spray and result in a finish as nice as their clear colors and that seems to be the case. I thin those paints with lacquer thinner.

Hey Dave. I have to be careful about what I airbrush because my spray booth is not vented outside. I thought I would get some Duplicolor but don't think I will. I'll look for some Future or Pledge. I am not real picky about what I use except I can't spray lacquer of any type. I do have some liquitex gloss and satin clear that can be used. Also I have some Atelier gloss and satin varnish that doesn't have an odor.

I'm at the age and point of modeling that I feel good if I even get one primed and ready to paint . My builds are just for me to look at and enjoy the building of them. Got to keep my hands and mind busy. LOL

[Dave G.]

2 hours ago, retired & glad said:

Hey Dave. I have to be careful about what I airbrush because my spray booth is not vented outside. I thought I would get some Duplicolor but don't think I will. I'll look for some Future or Pledge. I am not real picky about what I use except I can't spray lacquer of any type. I do have some liquitex gloss and satin clear that can be used. Also I have some Atelier gloss and satin varnish that doesn't have an odor.

I'm at the age and point of modeling that I feel good if I even get one primed and ready to paint . My builds are just for me to look at and enjoy the building of them. Got to keep my hands and mind busy. LOL

Liquitex gloss gives a pretty decent look too, just buff it up after a few days with some Formula 1 or some such product ( usually two to three applications gives a really nice natural looking shine).

The Tamiya I'm speaking of is their clear acrylic, it can be thinned with Tamiya acrylic thinner, doesn't have to be lacquer thinner.

There is no more Future fwiw, if you want that then look for Pledge Floor Care. 18-20 psi shoots it straight from the bottle, no thinning ( I use a .5 needle in one brush and .7 in the other, same for all the clears).

 

[magicmustang]

52 minutes ago, Dave G. said:

There is no more Future fwiw, if you want that then look for Pledge Floor Care. 18-20 psi shoots it straight from the bottle, no thinning ( I use a .5 needle in one brush and .7 in the other, same for all the clears).

 

Been using Future (Pledge Floor care) acrylic polish for fifty years. Still no yellowing even over White enamel, decals still look new. No cracking or chipping.

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, retired & glad said:

Hey Dave. I have to be careful about what I airbrush because my spray booth is not vented outside. I thought I would get some Duplicolor but don't think I will. I'll look for some Future or Pledge. I am not real picky about what I use except I can't spray lacquer of any type. I do have some liquitex gloss and satin clear that can be used. Also I have some Atelier gloss and satin varnish that doesn't have an odor.

I'm at the age and point of modeling that I feel good if I even get one primed and ready to paint . My builds are just for me to look at and enjoy the building of them. Got to keep my hands and mind busy. LOL

I don't even have a spray booth and I still spray lacquer inside.

I have my hobby room in the basement.

I throw on my mask and gloves and go in and spray a coat, then  leave the room and close the door for an hour or so at least, until things settle down.

Sometimes I might be able to faintly smell the paint in other parts of the basement for a short time, but I've been doing this for most of my life.

I've never had any issues.

 

Steve

 

[Dave G.]

4 hours ago, magicmustang said:

Been using Future (Pledge Floor care) acrylic polish for fifty years. Still no yellowing even over White enamel, decals still look new. No cracking or chipping.

If I'd have known they made the stuff 50 years ago I might have used it too.

 

[modelman81]

I like Nason acrylic trim clear, part # 403-00. I buy it at my local Oreilly’s. 

[crowe-t]

On 9/12/2019 at 7:29 PM, modelman81 said:

I like Nason acrylic trim clear, part # 403-00. I buy it at my local Oreilly’s. 

Have you used it on car bodies?  Does it require polishing?

It says it's acrylic but is it an acrylic lacquer or urethane?

[peteski]

2 hours ago, crowe-t said:

Have you used it on car bodies?  Does it require polishing?

It says it's acrylic but is it an acrylic lacquer or urethane?

The name states "acrylic". That should be clear.

.  Acrylic and (poly)urethane are different types of polymers, both used as binders in paints. They are mutually exclusive.  Acrylic is not polyurethane, and vice-versa. Binder is the "body" of the paint.  Normally it binds the pigment (color) of the paint together and also adheres to the painted surface, but in case of clear paints, there is no pigment.  Basically binder is the stuff that is left on the models surface after the solvent evaporates. 

[modelman81]

On 10/7/2021 at 11:31 PM, crowe-t said:

Have you used it on car bodies?  Does it require polishing?

It says it's acrylic but is it an acrylic lacquer or urethane?

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, I have used it on bodies. It doesn't require polishing but I tend to always get some orange peel on my bodies, hoods, etc so I always wet sand it with micromesh up to 8000 or 12000 grit and then polish out. It is an acrylic lacquer.