What clear can I use over Craft Paint?

[bh1701]

I airbrushed my first 2 cars using Craft Paint (DecoArt Americana).

What can I use for clear over these paints? I would prefer to use a rattle can clear.

My usual clear is Tamiya's Clear aerosol spray. Can that be used, or will it negatively affect the acrylic paint? Can I spray several very thin coats of Tamiya before I put down a heavier coat?

Appreciate your ideas and suggestions.

 

Thanks,

Bart

 

 

 

[Dave G.]

I haven't used Tamiya rattle cans over DecoArt but I have used other clear lacquer over it no problem. As well as over CraftSmart, FolkArt, AppleBarrel, Anitas, Ceramcoat etc. Also I've airbrushed Tamiya X-22 acrylic over it as well. And a few other clears. Just do a test shoot on something other than the top side of the cars, I bet it goes well.

Most important with craft paints is priming before your color coat goes on, as craft paint sticks to primer fine and the right primer to models fine. But craft paint to models directly not so much.

[bh1701]

2 hours ago, Dave G. said:

I haven't used Tamiya rattle cans over DecoArt but I have used other clear lacquer over it no problem. As well as over CraftSmart, FolkArt, AppleBarrel, Anitas, Ceramcoat etc. Also I've airbrushed Tamiya X-22 acrylic over it as well. And a few other clears. Just do a test shoot on something other than the top side of the cars, I bet it goes well.

Most important with craft paints is priming before your color coat goes on, as craft paint sticks to primer fine and the right primer to models fine. But craft paint to models directly not so much.

Thanks, Dave!

Both models had a primer applied before the craft paints were sprayed on.

For the Tamiya X-22 paint, what do you use to thin it, and what's the ratio of clear to the thinner?

Does the X=22 produce a good, glossy finish?

Bart

[Dave G.]

13 hours ago, bh1701 said:

Thanks, Dave!

Both models had a primer applied before the craft paints were sprayed on.

For the Tamiya X-22 paint, what do you use to thin it, and what's the ratio of clear to the thinner?

Does the X=22 produce a good, glossy finish?

Bart

They're looking great in the photos ! I especially like the T Bird, probably because I just went through a T Bird session with my wife last winter.

 

Anyway, I thin X-22 with hardware store lacquer thinner 1/1, so equal parts thinner to clear. Yes it's glossy but when fully cured it might knock it back just slightly. This is not an issue, just polish with a final polishing liquid, I use formula 1 Scratch out.

I put down two medium coats, flashing off each one. Then 2-3 full wet coats each one progressively wetter. And that's it. Sometimes I've gotten dirt in the finish, so when dry I scuff that out and reshoot two more wet coats. Honestly I think that comes out even nicer. Especially with the Tamiya clear colors but that's now going off topic of X-22..

Denatured alcohol works, it will flow out like crazy. With lacquer thinner you need to get in closer and slow down your passes but with DNA you back away as the flow gets crazy if in too close. The first couple of coats will flash off dull with DNA but those wet ones bring on the shine. LT is shiny from the first coat. Of course you can use Tamiya X-20 thinner if you want. Just Tamiya at the web page says if you want a harder finish to thin with lacquer thinner. DNA was my own experiment.

My go to clear right now is Createx 4050 though. {Also add a bit of 4030 to craft paint and it improves it in a few ways}. This 4050 dries semigloss then just buff it up to the gloss you want, the gloss is there it just needs to be brought out.. They also sell a more wet looking clear 4053 ( harder to find) but I like buffing to the desired shine so I can replicate the old antique car lacquer look, which 4050 does well, it's why I'm using 4050. Old antiques never had the wet look. And finally, all these I'm speaking of have gone over craft paints . Or else over artist acrylic or Createx opaques.

A forum member who does well with X-22 also is Zippi. Just fwiw.

Edited August 21, 2023 by Dave G.

[TransAmMike]

Future works great on craft paint. I'm guessing the new iteration of it does the same.

[Dave G.]

My wife and I built AMT 1960 T Birds back in Feb or so. The color coats were Createx, hers yellow as is in the bottle, mine custom mixed blue ( a dash of blue in white) and the clear is Pledge on these, just for the ease of it. But for Mike: Future and Pledge are no longer produced, so if you like the stuff either just nurse what have left or find a source of old stock someplace. Personally I bought a larger sized bottle of Createx 4050 and that's my most recent fetish in clears.

 

Rustoleum spray lacquer, the green and white can with a black chair on the label, works quite well on many things models. Stinks to the high heavens so I'd plan on shooting outside. I have put that over craft paint color coat. Just be sure you buy the gloss.

I've also sprayed my wife's acrylic paintings with that lacquer if not using Liquitex varnish. So it goes over acrylic paints fine. I've used that stuff for years, really decade.

Edited August 22, 2023 by Dave G.