I am presently unable to find Testor's Dullcote in San Antonio. Maybe I haven't looked too hard, but...is this stuff going the way of all hazardous materials? I have just found out that internet stores are not shipping it unless they have a license. OTOH, what do some of you use as a protective coat for a finished model if you do not use dullcote? Are the water based flat finishes okay? Is there another technique for this? I am in N scale, but I think that does not matter for this question.
I have found over time that Testors lacquers like Dull Coat, Gloss Coat and Semi-gloss will yellow. I notice it the most on silver passenger cars that I painted 10 years ago. Some folks swear by Future floor wax. I may give it a try one of these days. I guess you just load it up in your air brush and go.
I use the Polly S water based flat and gloss finishes with good results. It dries resonably fast, don't stink, and has not yellowed on me yet. I have air brushed the studd after thinning with distilled water, and it practically goes on dry. Set the air high, and paint flow low, and it goes on real nice and thin.
Flash, With the Badger I've found that the Satin clear gives a finish very much like Testors dullcote,just make sure air temp is not too cold!Tamiya does a very nice clear finish too!!!
I have some satin and I have very much liked the satin finish when hand brushing. I think I will try it instead of the flat.
I have had pretty good luck with dull coat for weathering things. Its generally available in LHS in the Houston area. I like the idea of the water based flat finish and will try some next time I am doing a weathering project.
Here is the test: This was a piece of white styrene sheet. I used my airbrush to paint it with Accuflex D&H blue and then air brushed it with Badger Model Flex satin and flat overcoats. The far left side of the blue strip is the original paint and is not covered with clearcoat. The center portion (between the black lines) is sprayed with satin clear. The right hand portion is covered with flat clear. (The far right is sprayed with very heavy flat clear.) I can't tell much difference, but I do prefer the satin to the flat. What do you think? Now...How about this? (This is a GP9 low nose project.) This is the nose. See how the satin clear pooled around the cracks and edges where I sprayed a little too much paint? Bad technique there. This next picture is an abberation, I think. I sprayed the cab with a normal amount of satin clear. It looked good with no white pooling. Then I used the air from the brush to speed drying. The result was the crazed white lines you see around the horn. So, don't do that! Sure would like to hear comments and corrections about this. I think I am going to use the satin and spray more judiciously. I need the over coat only to protect the decals, so a light coat should suffice. I will try other water based clear coats, but if others have some experience with this, Like Russell Straw (Thanks Russell!), please do add your comments.
That cab roof looks like a nice bit of paint fade weathering already,hehe.To me looks ok but for maybe abit too thick,cold temp can turn white on you also,but like you said just give it multiple lite coats.Just to be sure,when I paint,regardless of outside temp ,I paint under a dirty great big halogen light to give some heat & help with drying. Also abit of weathering can hide all sorts of errmmm mistakes.....! Low-nose looks interesting,can you tell us how or what type of nose your using?Cab too,are they GP20?
Jason: Agreed on the temp and the white. I think blowing the air on it may have lowered the effective temp, thus causing the whiteness. As for the engine, it is a GP20 frame, cab, and mechanism. GP18 long hood with Gold Medal Models brass parts. A GP7 fuel tank. I am about to post it on WEFF.
"I am presently unable to find Testor's Dullcote in San Antonio. ...... what do some of you use as a protective coat for a finished model if you do not use dullcote? " I've recently tried Krylon Matte Finish. I can't speak to how it will hold up in the long term, but the finish looks (to me anyway) the same as Dullcote. I have read on other forums about people using this, so I'm not the only one. Should be available in arts and crafts stores like Hobby Lobby or Michaels. Just a suggestion. Regards Ed
Just to add to this Badger Model flex flat will alter the color you spray it on. I spent hours painting a brass GN steam locomotive in glacier green, and when I sprayed on Badger flat it looked like I painted it split pea soup green. I find the Model Flex satin works better and the color is stable. I like the Polly S flat the best if you want a dead flat finish. As far as the Testors Dullcoat, be careful not to get any alcohol on it after it dries, it will turn snow white. I also know this first hand.
Mmm interesting,thanks for that CT.Have always wondered about the quality of Polly S,after hearing Dullcoate will turn yellow with age etc I dont use it anymore. Anybody got any thoughts/opinions on Tamiya paints & clears?I like to use Tamiya PC (for poly carbonate race car bodies) paint for doing diesel hand rails,flexible & wont peel off.
I've been using artist's permanent fixative for years. I suspect Krylon matte is the same stuff. Do not use workable fixative.
Just an idea. Go to a local automotive paint store. you can pick up a quart, half gallon or gallon of whatever you need. Including dull coat, clear coat etc.. It might look pricy but when you pay 10.00+ for a quart of clear plus reducer. But when you figure that if you take the same amount of model paint ( testors, floquil and so forth) it would cost you more than 100.00. The savings are great. I have been using automotive paint, reducers (thinner) for years. Works great, cheaper in the long run. Mike
MKT Fan, I did the same for years. I'm pretty sure Floquil was just a repackaged auto lacquer. The $8 gallon of thinner sure worked just fine. I bought it perhaps 20 years ago, and still have much of it left. BTW, I brought in a bottle of Floquil and the counter person sniffed it and identified it. I've since switched to acrylics, and haven't done much painting since I'm busy building, but I suspect the same will be true with acrylics. Some auto lacquers (and Floquil too) have a nasty habit of causing heart irregularities. I was particularly susceptible to them until I had a simple heart operation (an intravenous ablation). The arrhythmias were one reason I switched to acrylics. I was into restoring Italian cars for years, so I had a good relationship with my auto paint shop.
I am assuming that Krylon Matte Finish comes in a rattle can, which is good for me as I don't have an airbrush. Is the Krylon paint safe for factory-painted and modeler-painted plastics? Thanks for your help. Glenn
Krylon Dulling Spray #1310 It will remove with water, but I have used it on a few items and so far, no problem.
