I'm looking for a dead-flat water based clear coat. Everything I have tried seems to be more of a satin or semi-gloss finish rather than truly flat. The best I have tried so far seems to be the Polly-Scale clear flat, but it still has some "sheen." I have some N-scale structures which are too shiny for my taste even after painting with "flat" paint. Thanks in advance.
Dullcote is the only thing that I've ever used that is a true flat. Unfortunately, it's not water based.
Yeah, after a lot of looking around and asking, the overwhelming concesus among modelers (not just trains but airplanes, military etc..), is that dullcoat, specifically dullcoat airbrushed from the bottle, is the best flat you can get. So in answer to your question, you may have found the best in the Polyscale. Jason
Which brands have you tried so far? I'll look through my shelves and see if I have any brands that you don't.
I also do military modeling, and have found Polly Scale to be the absolute best acrylic flat out there. I thin about 70% flat to 30% Tamiya thinner, and it airbrushes beautifully at about 15-20 psi. My aircraft and armor come out dead flat when done that way, and that's usually over a full gloss coat for decals.
Liquitex Matte finish colors. They are pretty dead. Do not confuse with the regular flat finish. Pick up a small tube of black, Sienna or Umbra and see if it works for you.
Polly-Scale Microscale Model Master Pactra Also, as a longshot, diluted General Finishes flat water-based polyurethane.
I usually use Dull Coat too, but have used polly scale. It isn't as flat but its OK. If you want to make it duller, get a bottle of Tamiya flat base, and put 4 or 5 drops in the Polly-Scale. Its something like Talc dissolved in an acrylic base, and don't spray it straight unless you want to simulate frost on your target! You can even mix the flat base with Future floor polish, or as its now known, Pledge with Future Shine, to get a flat finish. Just play around till you get the finish you are looking for(and document the ratio so you can reproduce it!)
