Hobby-size quantities of urethane clear available in the USA?

[Chief Joseph]

Okay, I've been wanting to experiment with a urethane clear but I can't find anything under about $55 for a quart of the stuff. That's too expensive for experimentation and too much to have onhand to go bad over time. I found Zero Paints over on the other side of the pond sells this nice little set:

Of course it would cost an arm and a leg to get this stuff imported. Is anyone in the USA packaging something like this for model builders?

TIA,

Joseph

[martinfan5]

Here a couple of choice's for you, on the forum from the hobby store you fond the zero clear coat at, from what I have read on there is a lot of people use this product

http://amazon.com/USC-Spray-Gloss-Clearcoat-Aerosol/dp/B0043B7UQY/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1322038788&sr=1-2

Or here is another clear coat

http://wamazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_2_3?url=search-alias%3Dautomotive&field-keywords=2k+urethane&sprefix=2k+

I have been thinking about trying the 2k clear coat thats in the can, but at the price, I dont know

[whale392]

I know this really won't help you much, but I get mine from a paint jobber (paint supply house) and I usually can get it for about $10 a pint. Also, depending on who is behind the counter, I trade information for paint (one of the counter guys has a P71 Panther and I will help him with it).

Talk to some of the paint guys, as I have even got some mixed for nothing just because it was a small amount.

[Chief Joseph]

Thanks for the responses; you have been very helpful. I know the owner of a body shop but have hesitated to ask for any of this kind of paint because I didn't want to put him in an uncomfortable position with liability. There is a PPG dealer about 20 miles from me and I'll check with them about getting a small quantity.

As I understand, for painting models it is preferable to use a urethane system that also has a reducer, in order to thin the clear more than you would normally thin it for 1:1 cars. This is the 4:1:1 systems, right? 4 parts clear to 1 part activator to 1 part reducer, except you add a little more reducer to get a thinner "scale" coating?

[whale392]

Depends on the paint manufacturers recommendations for paint/activator mix ratios. Our Epoxy primer is 1:1, our Deso-thane (urethane) topcoat is 2:1 mix rate. As to the reducer, when shooting on my aircraft, I thin to the consistency of Milk, test on spare paper, and adjust my guns air/paint mix to get a thin, even coating (a very fine mist).

[Chief Joseph]

Depends on the paint manufacturers recommendations for paint/activator mix ratios. Our Epoxy primer is 1:1, our Deso-thane (urethane) topcoat is 2:1 mix rate. As to the reducer, when shooting on my aircraft, I thin to the consistency of Milk, test on spare paper, and adjust my guns air/paint mix to get a thin, even coating (a very fine mist).

Bradley, when you say you are thinning the 2:1 urethane to the consistency of milk, are you adding additional catalyst/activator?

[Lownslow]

i paid 35 bucks for the stuff i use you can use it without reducing it i use the 3:1 and if i feel like reducing 3 : 1 : 0.5

[sportandmiah]

i paid 35 bucks for the stuff i use you can use it without reducing it i use the 3:1 and if i feel like reducing 3 : 1 : 0.5

What brand?

[Lownslow]

What brand?

5 star

[whale392]

Joseph, we mix ours 2 parts paint to 1 part activator, then use the reducer to thin it to the consistency of milk. It shoots very smooth right from my gun, and once I cut it and polish it (it is single-stage paint) it looks better than what came on the aircraft.

[Chief Joseph]

Joseph, we mix ours 2 parts paint to 1 part activator, then use the reducer to thin it to the consistency of milk. It shoots very smooth right from my gun, and once I cut it and polish it (it is single-stage paint) it looks better than what came on the aircraft.

Okay thanks for that; I was not reading your original post correctly and missed that you specifically wrote "reducer"

Having a bunch of teenagers in the same room playing Modern Warfare 3 on Xbox made me a little loopy earlier today

I have painted test car bodies five different ways over the last month or so, and so far my favorite method is plain old Duplicolor auto enamel from a rattle can, decanted and sprayed with airbrush. I am testing with black paints because I figure if I can get a high-quality finish in black, then other colors should not pose too much trouble. I still have two methods to test: urethane clearcoat and Future clearcoat. I haven't painted a model car in almost 20 years and my brain has gotten so used to painting military models that it's like I'm starting all over again, and my standards have risen quite a bit in 20 years. If I decide that enamels are the way I go, I am definitely investing in a dehydrator! But I need to give urethane a try because of all the great models I've seen here.

[whale392]

Black will show body prep flaws more than other colors will, so getting a good Black job means you have to have PERFECT body work under it. Dark colors will show any flaws, and trash in the paint. Light colors hide both. Your approach is sound, as achieving a smooth paint job with Black will make your other color-shots better.

Then again, I am not one to give advice, as I can't/haven't finished a model in YEARS!