need some help

[todd.clark]

I was told that you can use this type of epoxy as a clear coat? Is this true and if so how would I apply it? I didnt wanna just go for it and ruin a perfectly good model.

[mike 51]

Over paint as a clear coat?  

I'm not sure but I think someone was pulling your leg.

[Spex84]

Whaaaaat? Never heard of that. I can't see how it would work. If you try it (maybe on a junk body?) let us know how it works...

[Custom Mike]

No only no, bet H E L L no! You can't spray it, brushing it would also be impossible, it's a glue. Go back to whoever told you that, and put it on their hands, then tie them together....

[Ace-Garageguy]

Whoever told you that is a freakin' moron, and doesn't understand materials AT ALL

It is an ADHESIVE or a LAMINATING RESIN for composite material work.

You could use it as a finish clear with REAL CARBON FIBER, REAL WOOD, REAL FIBERGLASS or other composite materials on REAL CARS, REAL AIRCRAFT AND BOATS or VERY LARGE SCALE models. But the way you'd use it for those has nothing in common with smaller-scale plastic model work.

It can be sprayed with the same kind of equipment we use to spray materials in the composites industry, which NO modelers have, which require REAL compressors, and you just don't want to go there.

You COULD possibly brush it for use it over wooden model parts....like if you built a custom woody body or a scale surfboard or sailboat....but it's thick, it's not designed to flow out and gloss, it would fill details and obliterate them...so why try?

BUT...you don't want to even THINK about using it as a clear over paint or anything else on a plastic model car, especially a 1/25 -1/24 scale model car.

 

 

[Harry P.]

Why would anyone think to use epoxy as a clear coat?

[High octane]

Only over gauges on the dash I would use Epoxy.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Only over gauges on the dash I would use Epoxy.

Yup...I forgot about that. The stuff works well for representing clear "glass" instrument lenses.

[kitbash1]

Yup...I forgot about that. The stuff works well for representing clear "glass" instrument lenses.

Maybe this is what Todd is referring to as " Clear Coat ". That's what came to mind when I first saw his post.

[935k3]

It's good if you make your own fishing lures but it should not be used as a  clear coat for models. It would be great way to ruin an airbrush if sprayed.

[peteski]

Maybe they referred to https://www.eti-usa.com/envirotex-lite/ as that is a 2-part epoxy compound used to encapsulate items, and it has a high-golss finish.  But not only the coat of that stuff is so thick that it would make your model look like it was coveredy by ice, it also takes 12 hours to set (so it wold simply just flow off your model before it set.

There are also epoxy-based paints (which could be used on a model), but I never seen an epoxy-based clear paint.

I would also discourage anybody from using epoxy as lenses for model car gauges.  Some of the stuff (like the one shown in the initial post) has amber tint to it, and in my experience epoxy adhesives will yellow (or even turn brown) after few years.