Dave G.

Did you post it yet, if so where ?

I use Formula 1 Scratch out. Sometimes Colgate tooth paste first, but usually just the scratch out. Then bees wax, most folks use canuba wax, but my bees wax formulation can't decide if it's polish or wax, so it covers two chores lol ! If the finish is real smooth I may just go straight to that. 4050 doesn't dry full gloss either but it shines right up real easy, much easier than automotive acrylic lacquer. More like the old nitro lacquer..

It looks like, from your photos anyway, that it goes on way too heavy.

Waterborne color coats I remember coming in back in the 1980s in 1/1. I was using urethane clear with activator then, from DuPont. However so early on I did not trust waterborne color, so my color coats were lacquer with urethane clear for factory matched automotive. Otherwise I shot acrylic enamel with activator ( solvent based, not waterborne acrylic). And I used DuPont as my main line but not exclusively. Most or many production paint jobs today are waterborne color with 2K clear coat. My 2024 Subaru Crosstrek in Christel Pearl White is just that. And it looks awesome under any kind of light, be it sun or shopping center at night. Really you could use any waterborne acrylic base color coat and 2K, if you don't mind 2K in your house. I do mind that, so I use Createx 4050 waterborne clear coat, which is also UVLS protective. Anything from properly laid down craft paints to actual auto paints should give good color, as long as you get it on even. The magic is in the clear coating. I use more waterborne on models these days than the old stinky paint. Though I must say, you can shoot and be done using alkyd enamel, if you know it's ways. The old classics still look good done in that. I bet a lot of folks here don't know that Ferrari was one of the very first waterborne adopters, not far behind was BMW. GM in the US used it pretty early on as well. In fact it was a GM I first ran into this on.

I use 4050 UVLS clear. And just buff it. It lays down smooth, enough, unless you get dirt in it, to go straight to buffing it up. Looks like hand rubbed lacquer to my 75yo eyes.. I looked up your clear you mention one time. The description didn't mention what I do in clear coating. So I've never tried it. Sorry.

A lot of people dont know it but waterborne finishes in automotive use has been around since the 1980's, I remember them coming in for the after market. In fact one of the first mainline base coat clear coat systems was all waterborne. Ford uses it in their repair shops. Ferrari was an early adapter to it in products, BMW not far behind. Several manufacturers use it today. The winner in manufacture of autos is low heat setting, vs something like baked enamels higher heat.. In this regard in our hobby industry, Createx emerges closely aligned with heat setting . It will air dry but it will be tougher heat set. And they have the UVL clears to go with it, also waterborne. So truly base coat clear coat, and all the more so in the Candy2o line. Also DuPont was an early adopter of waterborne two step systems, with the base color coat water, 2 part urethane clear top ( clear coat with catalyst activator, around 1980ish). I have not used the 1/1 auto waterborne. I do use Createx.

Just fwiw, I don't clear over foil or Molotow. I clear under where decals will be, apply, dry, then clear everything that will be clear coated, including decals. Generally speaking of course.

I'll be watching fI agree with the mock up, but I'll still be watching the thread.or answers, I have this kit and the Fleetline, which I assume those pans mount the same in both kits. I haven't broken into these kits yet, but have worked up colors for each, to be built stock. I agree with the mock ups. Still be watching.

Let us know how you make out with the 4021, Mike. Works great for me for most waterborne acrylics, not just Createx ( though sometimes I use another blend I make up instead).. Craft paints with 4030 and 4021 come out real nice too. Since I was left with well over 130 bottles of craft paints, it seems they should be utilized. By the way, I've thinned Stynylrez with the 4021 too, for smaller tips. It flows wonderfully, levels out with a slight sheen.. Clean up of the airbrush is a matter of getting right to it immediately, flush with hot water, back flush, spray several times. Then I switch to Iwata Medea airbrush cleaner and do the same with that. Then a shot of 91 ipa just to flush everything out. But I prime and shoot acrylics with the Paasche H and #5 tip. I'm not pulling out needles and tips all the time that way.

Well on my reapplication I mixed up my color in Testors enamel and it came out great. It's a 34 classic era vehicle anyway, I've often used enamels for that with no clear coat. It's not even buffed out. The fenders are black LP lacquer, same there, came out awesome. It was real fluky for me what I did the first time anyway.

Just so you know, in the last couple of years or so, I once put Tamiya LP lacquer over their acrylic X series paint. It looked good and I put it aside to build later. A couple of months later I decided to go back to that project and the whole finish had cracks all over . Into my mason jar of 91% alcohol it went, 30 minutes later I had it back to bare plastic. This may just have been an odd phenomenon, but personally I won't repeat it. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't know better than take the chance of mixing up formulation coats. Now on the other hand, I've used the X22 clear over X series colors many time, works great. But LP over acrylic series in time cracked wide open right through the color coat.

4021 improves flow and leveling, reduced tip dry. Those droplets are caused by surface tension, where the paint didn't flow out evenly. 4021 addresses that. And also addresses compatibility with 4030 additive. Flash time will be increased slightly.

Well, Mike. I mostly use my Paasche H for Createx. Sometimes the VL. But in either case it's larger tips, like .7 or more. You can thin to 50% if need be. I use 15% 4030, unless it's Candy 2o of course. Also if it doesn't spray right, it's usually a matter of a bit more thinner or more air. Sometimes both. I've had good results even using my own thinner formulas ( I have two or three of those). Additionally again, the first should be a mist coat and fully flashed off before trying to get more on.. I've put the first coat so misted you can barely see color, but it's enough of a tack layer that the rest of the coats can build on it. I've seen it go on seeming like droplets but when it flashes it all levels off. I don't recall what thinner that was with, but it worked out. 4021 doesn't act like that at all, it's a nice reducer with any waterborne acrylic I've tried it with actually. And it was developed to work in 4030, 4050 as well. When you get your hands on some I think you will like it.

Createx can take heat from a hair dryer, especially the opaque formula ( the original Createx line). It was made originally to be heat set in a heat press on garments. I've done it, the press temp is still used and is pretty high. Well known in the T Shirt industry for the art work. 4030 is a urethane balancing clear, made to convert Createx from a flex type acrylic to a converted poly acrylic. This gives greater bond to hard surfaces like plastic models. It helps flow in the airbrush and produces a harder shell finish. But it doesn't play well with 4012 reducer fwiw. So 4011 was introduced, then 4021. You only need 10-15% 4030 in your mix for it to do it's thing. I never paint a model without it. 4050 will do the same but it's thicker product, I use that for clear coat, thinned a little with 4021.

Mike, if you're liking Createx and craft paints, you might do best just to keep honing your skills on them. I've even tinted Createx with craft paints to make pastels. Also added 4030 to craft paints, then clear coated with 4050 or 4053. It's quite a diverse pair of products. And who wouldn't like a well done Candy 2o paint job ? Ya know, at one time I'd have pointed right to Tamiya's acrylic line ( X and XF paints) but it's not my direct go to these days. It sounds like you have 4012 thinner if it's thickening. Or else the thinner that has acetone in it , I forget the product number of that one. But I recoat in about 2-3 minutes anyway, as I heat flash each coat with a hair dryer, or if using double action, just blow air. You want 4011 and add some retarder to it ( you have the Liquitex retarder I've suggested before). Or better yet, get the new 4021 reducer. This one addresses everything, tip dry, thickening, compatable with 4030, and leveling. Also I believe that my thinner blend works without thickening and no tip dry. It's been a while since I've used that in Createx though, so not 100% sure. I've been using 4021 in both Createx and in craft paints probably for a year now. Hope this helps, if not let me know and we can work it out.