good hobby clear...?

I've got a few projects around that are ready for clear.
A couple are in MM enamel and there's one in lacquer FNP while yet another is wearing a coat of HOK's Kustom Kolor enamel.
I hope there is a single clear that will work well on all of them. I can get Tamiya, Gunze and MM/Testors in enamel, acrylic and lacquer. I really would prefer something in a bottle to shoot though one of my AB's, though I will decant a rattle can if I have to. Let me know your fav's.

Well, if you want one clear that will go over all of them I'd go with Tamiya acrylic clear. It's easy to airbrush (thin it wiht Tamiya acrylic thinner!), and won't react with enamel or laquer.

well all of the paints described are enamel clear safe. I have been quite satisfied with the Testors colors by boyd high gloss clear, though it's hard to find anymore. it lays down nicely (I use about a 50/50 mix of clear/model master airbrush thinner for mine, and spray a couple heavier coats, being careful not to run/drip), I have never had any luck with any other clear.

Well, if you want one clear that will go over all of them I'd go with Tamiya acrylic clear. It's easy to airbrush (thin it wiht Tamiya acrylic thinner!), and won't react with enamel or laquer.

I second that motion.

Tamiya waterborne acrylics are bottled, so no decanting is necessary. I thin the clear about one to one. I also agree about Tamiya thinner. It's a lot more expensive than water (Who knew?) or a water/alcohol/detergent mix, but it doesn't cloud the clear and I think it levels better and has less tendency to sag and run. (That's just my highly unscientific observation.)

If your color coat has been sanded and is free of orange peel, and you spray just to the "wet point," the Tamiya clear will give you a great shine with little or no polishing.

If you spray too heavily, you can quickly put the model under warm running water and "hose off" the fresh clearcoat. As you do that, brush gently with a soft toothbrush. If you spot any fresh dried clearcoat, scrub it off with the help of some alcohol. Let the model dry completely and try again. Can't do that with enamel!

Let us know how your projects come out, Ferrari TR. Your work is beautiful!

Didy

What's the acrylic clear like to polish? You couldn't wet sand it surely? And even a compound would rip it up wouldn't it? Also, is there any problems with little bubbles/pricks in the clear? (I get that from time to time when ab'ing acrylics)

TAmiya TS-13 from can. the best, I think.

I was leaning toward the Tamiya acrylic before I asked.
A bunch of my local club mates use Duplicolor clear decanted but I really hate to do that.
I've used the MM boyds clear before, Though I got good results it is a bit to 'amber' in color for my taste and the MM thinner is just too expensive.
I normally thin enamels with rather hot lacquer thinner.
As for the bubbles/bumps in acrylic I've always found that the most common cause is too much air pressure. I know from experience that I almost always under thin clear paint regardless of the type I'm using.
Has anyone used the MM acryl clear?

What's the acrylic clear like to polish? You couldn't wet sand it surely? And even a compound would rip it up wouldn't it? Also, is there any problems with little bubbles/pricks in the clear? (I get that from time to time when ab'ing acrylics)

Tamiya clear cures to a pretty hard finish. You can polish it after it's cured for a couple of days. I've never had problems with bubbles.

Try it and see what you think.

Didy

Yeah, Tamiya acrylic clear polishes out just fine. I'll dig out my pics of my 996 again if anyone wants to see.

Put it on with plenty of thinner, relatively low spray pressure, in lots of very thin light coats.

TS-13 over enamels on the other hand is an excellent recipie for disaster. :uhoh:

Also, is there any problems with little bubbles/pricks in the clear? (I get that from time to time when ab'ing acrylics)
Pricks? Sounds like a case of fisheyes - "holes" where the paint/clearcoat didn't adhere to the surface. Once that happens, I don't know of any solution except to remove the paint and start over, starting with a scrubbing with soapy water - and complete drying - before every coat. Skin oil from handling is the worst offender, but mystery droplets (insect excrement?) can fall out of the air and contaminate the surface.

Didy

I used lots of types of clear, but since I started to use Urethane Clear, this is the only thing I use. This stuff is so shiny, there is no need to polish it.

But it smells pretty bad, you need a mask and a well ventilated area.

Has anyone used the MM acryl clear?
I can't really add anything else so I'll comment on this: I have used it and the X22 and prefer the Tamiya. Can't really explain why, but it just seems to go on easier and has a better shine. The MM took about 4 coats and didn't look like I was ever going to get a shine out of it.

I thin the X22 with 91% and get no clouding. Never tried the Tamiya thinner. If you look at MPWR's 996 you'll see how nice it can look. (The flat base, however, clouds up with any thinner I use.)

Here is a thread I started with examples from MPWR and Cifnet showing acrylic clears: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=702576

I used lots of types of clear, but since I started to use Urethane Clear, this is the only thing I use. This stuff is so shiny, there is no need to polish it.

But it smells pretty bad, you need a mask and a well ventilated area.

Tamiya is very good stuff, but you're right: two-part urethane automotive paint is the best of the best.

How much do you thin it? I tend to shoot it too thick, but I'm afraid it'll lose adhesion if I reduce it too much. The guys at the paint shop say not to thin it at all, but they're talking about pro sprayers and 1:1 cars, not shooting a 1/43 car with an airbrush.

You're right; there's no need to polish it. It goes on very evenly, with no tendency to run or sag. Aside from the toxicity hassle, using it is a true pleasure.

The same is true of Dupont ChromaColor urethane color base. I get the stuff that body shops use for small jobs; it doesn't require a separate hardener. The automotive paint shop will mix 2 oz. of any color in the DuPont books for about $14. You have to reduce it 1:1 with some noxious stuff called UR40.

After having gotten pretty sick from foolishly using urethane-based paint with no protection, I only shoot these paints outdoors, and always wear a professional respirator specifically for paint. I literally don't open a jar of paint or reducer without wearing my respirator!

It's a bit inconvenient; my area gets breezy in the afternoon so I can only shoot in the morning. But it's worth it.

Ddy

I use PPG Urethane clear. The ratio I use is 3:1:1 (clear:hardener:thinner)

It's a bit expensive at first, but you can clear so many cars with a 16 oz kit.

I use PPG Urethane clear.
Can you get those 16 oz. kits online?

Didy

I don't know, I get this kit at a PPG dealer where I live. I live in a small town in Canada, so I guess this should be available almost everywhere.

I don't know, I get this kit at a PPG dealer where I live. I live in a small town in Canada, so I guess this should be available almost everywhere.
Yep, I found some PPG stores in my area. I'll try one of their 16 oz kits when I need some more urethane clear. I don't like bribing the guy at F----hmaster.

How long before the clear is cured enough to put masking tape on it for an extended period? I'm using 3M Blue Line #2080 for Delicate Surfaces.

Ddy

Try this stuff:

Nason Selectclear 496-00 urethane Clearcoat. This is made by DuPont. Sells by the quart with the hardener for about $30.00 US. I purchase it from Finishmasters.

To give you an example a 1:24 scale car will take 4 teaspoons of Urethane and 1 teasspoon of harder. These five teaspoons will clear the entire car.
Think about how any cars you can do for a quart. Cheaper and better than Tamiya TS-13.

Cheaper and better than Tamiya TS-13.
Yep! It's great stuff. And much more toxic, so it must be handled much more carefully. As I've said, I always spray it outdoors and don't even open a container of two-part urethane paint unless I'm wearing a respirator.

Didy

in my opinion, urethane clear is not the best clear for model cars; it works, but is quite toxic and needs polishing to cut the "rounded off" look it gives to the paint. What I mean is that this clear does not cure by solvent evaporation like a conventional, single part clear, it sets like a resin by mixing two parts. So it keeps its film thickness upon curing (well almost), which means the paint film is way thicker than a single-part clear, giving this out-of-scale look to the car body. It is possible to reduce this effect by color-sanding the clear, but in this case this clear is not the best alternative (urethane is harder to polish than other paints).

I very much prefer clear lacquer, it requires polishing but it is easier than urethane, and it gives a very realistic look with sharp edges.

Just my thought...

I very much prefer clear lacquer, it requires polishing but it is easier than urethane, and it gives a very realistic look with sharp edges.
You make very good points; urethane is beautiful, but it does soften the edges. I've just been admiring Green Dragon's great models at http://homepage3.nifty.com/greendragon/index2.html and noticing how realistic his finishes are. His finishes are less glossy but also beautiful in a more subtle way. He is an amazing craftsman; his site makes me want to learn Japanese! (The Google machine translation is terrible.)

I've gotten into urethane because I've been frustrated in the past when trying to polish out acrylic clear. It's pretty aggravating when I think I'm nearly finished and color appears on the polishing cloth, or worse, when I've rubbed through to the primer! Any suggestions?

What kind of clear lacquer do you prefer? And what do you use for a color coat?

Didy

Excellent and right on points about the realistic gloss. I think I may have solved that problem.

I only put one coat on a car. With the right amount of sanding and polishing you can control those - rounded edges. Many times the sanding brings the luster of the clear "down" a bit. Much more realistic.

Everything has a trade off, however, an added plus is that these types of clear "seal" a finish. Your paint job becomes extremely resiliant to scratches and minor errors when assembling the body onto the chassis.

I only spray this stuff through my paint booth. If you don't - just put on Beatles song, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and enjoy! :rofl: :cwm27:

Yep! It's great stuff. And much more toxic, so it must be handled much more carefully. As I've said, I always spray it outdoors and don't even open a container of two-part urethane paint unless I'm wearing a respirator.

Didy
How safe is Finisher's GP1? Is it just as toxic as any other urethane clear? In one of those japanese model building video on YouTube the builder airbrushes GP1 right at his desk without a respirator. How crazy is that?

I only put one coat on a car. With the right amount of sanding and polishing you can control those - rounded edges. Many times the sanding brings the luster of the clear "down" a bit. Much more realistic.

But, compared to lacquer, it's tougher to polish, isn't it? How easy is it to get an even polish, even in the nooks and crannies?

Here's what I'm thinking:

1. The one-part ChromaColor (that's what it says on the bottle) I get from Finishmasters has great coverage, lays down beautifully, doesn't want to sag or run, and dries fast. (MUCH better overall than Duplicolor, IMO.) I can get 2 oz. of any color in the Dupont book for about $14. It's one-part; no activator needs to be added, so I'm not quite sure what it is, chemically speaking, but it sure is great. The only disadvantage is that you're supposed to reduce it 1-1 with that toxic UR40, rather than lacquer thinner, or so they told me at the store. But I've got a pretty safe setup now and I want to continue using it.

2. Clear lacquer has the advantage of being easier to polish than two-part ChromaClear urethane, plus it evaporates and leaves those nice clean edges. The final result should look more like the real thing compared to two-part ChromaClear which, unpolished, is unrealistically glossy and does tend to soften the edges. Plus, lacquer is a lot safer to use! So I want to spray clear lacquer over the ChromaColor.

Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?

Didy

There's another good reason to prefer lacquer to urethane. Touch up. You can't get a perfect repair with urethane, but lacquer remelts itself for potentially perfect touch ups. Of course this is not an issue for competent modelers!!

So I want to spray clear lacquer over the ChromaColor.

Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
Some worlds, maybe, but not this one!

I spoke too soon, not knowing that it's illegal to sell clear lacquer in jars in California. You can only buy acrylic, enamel, or easy-to-apply but highly toxic urethane.

I've heard that Tamiya clear in spray cans is a lacquer. So I'm gonna try decanting some and airbrushing it over automotive urethane. Stay tuned to learn if poisonous vapors take all the paint off my workroom walls.

Didy