What clear coat brand should I use?

[Tavish]

Hello! I’m new to making models and have a question. Right now I’m using testors enamels and tamiya primer, what would be a good brand of clear coat take would work with my paint?

[hack-n-whack]

I,m no paint expert by any means, but if you use Tamiya primer under Testor's enamel color coats, then use Tester,s clear coat. Be sure to use an enamel clear.  You can put enamel over laquer, but not laquer over enamel.Personally, if I was using Testor's color coats, I would use Testor's primer and Testor's clear coats

[StevenGuthmiller]

5 hours ago, hack-n-whack said:

I,m no paint expert by any means, but if you use Tamiya primer under Testor's enamel color coats, then use Tester,s clear coat. Be sure to use an enamel clear.  You can put enamel over laquer, but not laquer over enamel.Personally, if I was using Testor's color coats, I would use Testor's primer and Testor's clear coats

Not necessarily.

Testors clear enamel will yellow horribly almost the second that you apply it.

It is especially noticeable over light colors.

Stay away from it unless you are using a very dark color.

 

Testors lacquer clear coats are pretty much only lacquer in name and are very benign.

You can use them over enamel with no ill affects.

Just be certain that your enamel is completely cured before clear coating.

Unfortunately, that can take weeks.

 

In either case, you might need to do some polishing to get a good shiny finish.

If your color coats are sufficiently thick, and a solid, non-metallic color, you can polish the color without a clear coat for just as good of result as with clear coats.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[Tavish]

23 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

Not necessarily.

Testors clear enamel will yellow horribly almost the second that you apply it.

It is especially noticeable over light colors.

Stay away from it unless you are using a very dark color.

 

Testors lacquer clear coats are pretty much only lacquer in name and are very benign.

You can use them over enamel with no ill affects.

Just be certain that your enamel is completely cured before clear coating.

Unfortunately, that can take weeks.

 

In either case, you might need to do some polishing to get a good shiny finish.

If your color coats are sufficiently thick, and a solid, non-metallic color, you can polish the color without a clear coat for just as good of result as with clear coats.

 

 

 

 

Steve

Thanks for the response, would it be easier to just use lacquer for the body with a lacquer clear coat?

[tbill]

Lacquer is much easier to work with in my experience. It dries quicker, doesn’t orange peel as much as enamel ( for me anyway), and just flows better. 

[StevenGuthmiller]

32 minutes ago, Tavish said:

Thanks for the response, would it be easier to just use lacquer for the body with a lacquer clear coat?

That's what I use, but you need to be aware that many acrylic lacquers, like automotive paints, do not play well with polystyrene plastic.

If your surface is not prepared correctly, strong lacquers will craze the plastic.

 

If I had to guess, I would say that a good 75% of automotive modelers today use lacquer in one form or another, whether it's a hobby lacquer such as Testors or Tamiya, an automotive touch-up paint such as Duplicolor, or one of the many aftermarket airbrush lacquers such as MCW or Scale Finishes.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 minutes ago, tbill said:

Lacquer is much easier to work with in my experience. It dries quicker, doesn’t orange peel as much as enamel ( for me anyway), and just flows better. 

Agreed.

Not to mention that the color availability is virtually endless.

 

 

 

 

Steve

[BlackSheep214]

I'm looking to get this stuff....

Zero Paint Diamond Finish 2-pack Gloss Clearcoat System

http://www.hobbyworld-usa.com/Store/index.php?id_product=4617&controller=product

 

YouTube Video on how to use the product:

 

[ACR-E Doug]

Zero clear is great stuff, also try Splash Paints 2k