How do YOU apply Tamiya Clear Gloss (TS13)?

[peekay]

Found plenty of tips about Tamiya gloss colour sprays but very little about their clear.

I've experimented quite a bit but it always drys to a fine orange peel surface. I then sand and polish and end up with an acceptable result but I'm wondering if someone has a few tips about getting this stuff to go on smoother?

BTW, I'm using it over Zero acrylic colour coats, which are semi matt but very smooth.

[espo]

With most paints, but with Tamiya especialy, warming the paint can before you start spraying will help. Now the tricky part. There is many ways to warm the can of paint. I use the sink with hot water method, others will use an old electric coffe cup warmer. The tricky part is not to over warm the paint can. This will be trial and error. I once left the can in the hot water a little to long or had the water a little to hot. When I dried the can off and gave it that last shaking before I started to spray, the bottom of the can went from concave to convex with a very loud pop. This will get your attention in a heart beat. So if you try this error on the side of causation. Heck in all these years I've only had it happen once and no paint was spilled so its all good.

[peekay]

Thanks David. I do warm the can first and I've also had the bottom pop out once, as you describe.

[ffreak]

I had to use trial and error to get my Tamiya clears to be smooth. My method, as stated earlier is to warm the can in warm tap water about 3-5 min. I then just mist or fog on first coat, not trying to get full coverage. Turning the car to all different angles as I go, starting with the ends, then upwards from the lower areas working my way up and over the body with the mist coats to the top areas. Allowing that to tack maybe 5 minutes, same procedure getting a little more coverage. Another 5 min. or so, same procedure much slower motions to get a good even coverage. This would make 3 coats, then if I'm not completely satisfied with the smoothness, i'll lay one good heavy coat evenly. This allows the previous coats to dry a littl before getting it heave causing a run. Therefore you really only have one good heavy coat. This takes practice and watching it lay down smoothly by using the light to glare in it helps to see the smoothness. I seldom have to polish out a color or clear anymore from doing it like this. Also I should mention that I continue to re-warm the can in between tack coats as well.

[peekay]

Thanks Danny. That's similar to what I do but with a few differences that I'll try next time.

[Ken Kitchen]

I use my dehydrator to warm my paint. I put it on the lowest setting and it never goes above a 100 degrees. I've tried the other ideas mentioned and this one works the best for me. An added plus is you don't have the mess of a wet can and the dehydrator is warmed up for the parts to dry.

[ZTony8]

TS-13 is tricky stuff.It has to be applied either immediately after the final color coat(no more than about 10 minutes later) or you have to wait four weeks to apply it.This due to a difference in the solvent evaporation rates of the color and the clear coats.The only exception to this is if you've put their TS-65 pearl clear over your color.For some reason the TS-13 doesn't attack the TS-65 and the TS-65 doesn't attack the color coats.

[peekay]

Thanks for the input Tony but this doesn't apply as I'm using Zero acrylic colour coats.