Dave G.

My experience with hot lacquers over Stynylrez is as mentioned to apply light coats at least initially. If you go too wet too quickly I personally have experienced some light sand scratch swelling. But even then just let dry, lightly scuff and reshoot a lighter coat and all has been well. I doubt the hobby lacquers would do that. I've had no issue with Tamiya acrylic thinned with lacquer thinner either. Nor with enamels. The sand scratch swell I got was sporadic and not heavy fwiw. Enamels go on fine thinned with enamel reducer, Mineral Spirits or lacquer thinner, no issue at all. No issue with lacquer over craft paints either with Stynylrez primer.

The orange tube Testors isn't as aggressive as it once was, I bet you can get that windshield out fine. Then sand and polish as mentioned. As a final step you could dip it into some Pledge Floor care if you have that on hand. I glue my clear parts in with Testors black bottle glue made for clear parts ( be careful because they have a black bottle for regular parts that is stronger than orange tube, don't mistake that for clear parts glue).. In my experience it grips better than plain white glue to plastic parts but has a similar look if a bit thicker.

I used Krylon primer years ago but people have said they changed the formula since then. The light grey went on thinnest. I don't recall any problems but if the formula has changed then all bets are off.

Ps is for poly-carbonate plastic, usually clear and flexible like on RC cars. And honestly that's all I know about it.

Mostly I just prime, except to fix the obvious things first of course. I used to scuff with pads 400-600ish grit but not since the multi day stripping I experienced when I decided to change colors mid build. Sheesh, Stynylrez primer sticks well without scuffing, never had anything lift.

I'm with Snake on that, my exact thought actually. If you do want to brush it you thin the paint and do it in a couple of coats and that very much helps lose the brush marks. What you thin with depends on the paint used.

Washer fluid is about 40% methyl alcohol ( or methanol ), water and a touch of detergent. Some craft acrylics like that alcohol, others ipa, others no alcohol. What washer fluid doesn't have is retarder in it and that greatly aids in fighting tip dry. Just sayin

Mike, I tried to PM you don't know if you got it. Hope so, it's about 5 paragraphs long lol !

DecoArt will curdle or even gel up depending on the alcohol type and quantity. Straight alcohol isn't the answer with craft paints anyway though.

I may pm you tomorrow rather than carry on here.

I only ever dry scuff acrylics fwiw, usually with steel wool.

I see, sorry about that.

Actually Contact MCW, he will mix anything not just what you see in the listing. And once he mixes it he will add that to his listings.

I would think out in Ohio there would be several places to order paints from without shipping half way across the country.

I like the screen.

Steel wool very lightly and if the color shifts on you just shoot another coat. Not all colors shift though but some do. I did a 39 Ford that had a big goober on that long roof and had to literally scuff it out, shot two more color coats, cleared is with 4 coats of Tamiya acrylic clear gloss. And that doesn't look too heavy at all. Just polished it with tooth paste then Formula 1 Scratch out. Looks good. That was craft paint over black Stynylrez. Funny color, the color didn't pop till the clear coat, just had to hang in there till the end.

You will know. If you force dry a bit with a dehydrator or warm air gun/hair dryer maybe 30 minutes. I like to give it a couple hours or shoot the stuff in the evening, scuff the next day. But I've pushed that time frame many times with no ill effect. Overall I don't rush much of anything though lol. It doesn't hurt a thing to prime today put on color tomorrow. You will get a feel for it quickly.

No scratches with 000 or 0000, not from scuffing no.. It may show body work scratches if they weren't dealt with ( may not too) since this stuff designed to let details show through, so it really snuggles into things tight. But between Stynylrez and craft paint I'm very pleased with the results.

Thanks Mike. Ya she just passed Dec 20th, heart attack and gone in less than 3 minutes or so at 1:15am. And so we go on, ya never dreampt nor did anyone else that she would go before myself, after all I'm the one who took all the ambulance rides ! But danged if she didn't beat me home. Praise God she knew the Lord and we know where she is ( absent from the body is to be present with the Lord for those who know Him, 2 Corinthians 5:8). So space heaters. Well from your latest photos it looks like it all works for you Mike !

You can't spray this stuff wrong. And as I said if by chance you see a little fuzziness a little buffing with steel wool brings it to a luster. And just be sure it's mixed up good in the bottle if it's been sitting around. The reason I hit on thinning it a little was because of shooting it through a .25 tip. And while Badger says it needs no thinning but if in certain circumstances you want to, then use water, I find LT does significantly better than water. Just me maybe. A .25 tip is certainly a certain circumstance. Plenty of guy in the FSM forums shoot the stuff with .35 or .4 though. I'm the odd ball there lol. I mostly shoot it through my Paasche H with #3 ( it's .6 if I remember right) tip but I do use that Badger and .25.

Right now today I shoot more acrylics than solvent paints anyway. In either case I'd prefer to see 55-60f as a low side. Not that you can't paint at 45 but it's completely more relaxed up nearer 60 from several angles, imo. But a space heater can heat your immediate work area to at least that from 45 deg fairly easy I would think. The paint nor the plastic surface know the rest of the garage is only 45. Every time I see one of these posts where the wife is intolerant of the hubbys paint project I'm curious if she gives the same regard to acetone soaks of her own fingers and lacquer paint jobs of their nails ! Often there are legit concerns though, like she has asthma. Fortunately my wife and I may have had some mountains not worth climbing but my hobby and painting weren't among them. She supported it in fact. I was a very blessed man for 47 years and I know it, she just beat me home to be with the Lord.

Most people who try it end up really liking it. Personally I just keep black and white and mix any shade of grey I want from those. Just make sure you mix it good is all, if it sits around it settles and can't really see it through the bottle. Shake it up it looks mixed but put a Badger mixer in there and you find glop on the bottom, just mix it back in. It's not a problem in the end. Even if it comes out a little fuzzy some fine steel wool buffs it to a luster. The lacquer thinner to me puts it down great with a hard surface finish. Just sayin, all you can do is try it. Most people who do stick with it. Clean your airbrush good while the Styn is still wet.

I can only say what I use under most paints these days. Badger Stynylrez primer and I cut that maybe 10-20% with lacquer thinner. Even 25%. Stynylrez is a primer sealer, actually water based but I hit on the lacquer thinner tip in another forum. With that in it it flows out glass smooth. It can be sprayed straight from the bottle though, it's a poly acrylic primer sealer. That's what I use under craft paints as well. Under any acrylic and under enamel. Base coating with lacquer is still up in the air using that primer, seems to go fine but have had questionable spots here and there. But that's not a big deal because I rarely use hot lacquer on models anyway. I've been on a path somewhat aligned with MCW for hard to match colors but he now offers enamel, so that is probably the end of my lacquer days all together except for a nail polish adventure here and there. LA Colors is dirt cheap and they have a dead ringer for some old Ford engine green. That said I can easily nail it with craft paints too. so I'll stop rambling now.

Well can't speak for those products in DecoArt, never tried it. I will say you want it thin enough though.