Clear coat question

[Bluemiles22]

Has anyone ever gotten a frosting effect while clear coating with an airbrush? It looks like a fine powder that builds up on the edges of windows and such. It's happened both with laquer and enamels for me. Anything I can do to correct this?

[cobraman]

I have gotten a milky surface before but not anything I would call frosting. The milky problem was due to building up the clear too heavy and too fast. Someone will be along to help you with your problem.

[Bluemiles22]

Yea I've done that too. This seems to me like it's drying but it only builds up on the edges of the model and the tip of the airbrush.

[crazyjim]

Yeah. I thought it was humidity affecting the Plastikote acrylic clear.

[warra48]

I think humidity may have a lot to do with it.

Make sure you have a good moisture trap in your airline, and don't lay on the clear too thick. Do it in easy light coats.

If you are using a spray can, why not decant it and spray it through your airbrush to get thinner coats down?

I use automotive clear sprayed through my airbrush (my brother-in-law owns an automotive paint wholesaler), but I need to polish it out to get it really clear and shiny.

Edited July 17, 2012 by warra48

[Bluemiles22]

I'm not sure it seems to happen all times throughout the year. Thanks for the tips though guys very much appreciated.

[Chief Joseph]

From your description, it sounds like overspray that is drying and building up. You can try reducing your air pressure and/or moving closer to the surface as you paint. I'd suggest using an old scrap body to test your technique. How are your color coats going on? Do you see the same frosting or pebbly buildup?

[Bluemiles22]

No my color coats are going on perfectly. It seems it only happens with clear coat. But I will definitely try what you said and spray a little closer to the body. Thanks for the input.

[sbk]

Try thinning it a bit more & lower the pressure. It happens with lacquer, but I don't know if I've ever seen enamel do that. Once, I used a cheaper hardware store thinner to thin clear lacquer, & got lots of white powdery overspray. Switched back to Dupont thinner, & the white junk went away.