after micro-mesh...

I have been finishing my 1/43 builds by using the micro-mesh sanding cloths, and they have been great at eliminatiing orange peel and such. I do the entire polishing sequence on the color coats (usually Tamiya lacquer) and then once again on the ModelMaster gloss clear coat.

My problem is the next step after I finishing sanding the gloss coat. I have tried using Novus 1 and 2 with no great results in terms of gloss and protection. I have also tried using the Meguiars 3 step process that I have used on my street cars (paint cleaner/polish/wax) and it is no great shakes either. Paste wax also has been a disappointment.

In all cases, the final protection effort seems to make the surface appear slightly duller instead of deeper, and more prone to fingerprints or other handling defects. It is almost as if these attempts end up making the surface get "soft" as opposed to the "hard" look of the sanded surface. The model still looks good, just not as shiny as I think it could be.

Any suggestions on what I am doing wrong or what I should change? Thanks.

When this has happened to me it was because I had not let the paints fully cure, though it appeared to be so. It is one of the reasons I started using a dehydrator to dry my paints.

After I first used my Micromesh, I had the same problem: I had a very even surface but lost most of the shine. Then I was told by a friend to use the Tamiya polish compound (coarse, fine and then finish) and I can get the shine back, and use wax at the very end. I tried it and voila, it works for me. So try using tamiya polishing compound after micromesh to make it shiny!

When this has happened to it was because I had not let the paints fully cure, though it appeared to be so.
Same here.

Also, are you using the cloths wet? I have found that to be very important - I find it both gives a smoother finish and reduces the risk of burn-through by reducing the pressure you need to apply. I have recently "got the hang" of using micromesh and TBH, I am getting better results than I did with polishing compounds. I finish of with Maguire's Stage 3 Carnabura wax.

Thanks for the suggestions, and I will try the Tamiya compounds. I also will go back to doing the sanding wet.

Sorry for asking a newbie question, but what is TBH?

I have always given my color coat a week to cure and gas out, then polished with micro mesh, followed by decals, then 2 mist coats of gloss to protect the decals and then wet coats, a week of drying time and more micro-mesh on the gloss. I gave up on Tamiya TS-13 after it ate up my decals, even after mist coats for protection. Model Master gloss has been the best alternative, but is still difficult to deal with.

I also looked closely on one of my models and I actually found small areas where something had eaten into the ModelMaster clear coat. I could see that a layer or layers of clear had been removed, and this spot then has a edge which makes the finish uneven and duller than the surrounding area. It is mostly on the edges of the fender line, and not on the flat surface of the body.

So I wonder now if there is something in the Novus and Meguiars liquids that reacts with the ModelMaster gloss, since they are the first liquids to touch the paint after I completed the final micro-mesh sanding?

TBH = To be honest
IMO/IMHO = In my (honest) opinion
LHS = Local hobby shop
RTFM = Read the fu*king manual

etc etc :)

HTH (Hope that helps) :D

After I first used my Micromesh, I had the same problem: I had a very even surface but lost most of the shine. Then I was told by a friend to use the Tamiya polish compound (coarse, fine and then finish) and I can get the shine back, and use wax at the very end. I tried it and voila, it works for me. So try using tamiya polishing compound after micromesh to make it shiny!
After a curing period of at least three days, I go straight to Tamiya Coarse, and don't mess with Micromesh at all. If your final synthetic lacquer (Tam TS series) coat is applied fairly wet, it shouldn't need any sanding. Tamiya Coarse does an amazingly good job of eliminating moderate orange peel, and, unlike even 12000 grit Micromesh, the abrasive is so mild that it never seems to leave a nasty scratch pattern that has to be rubbed out. It's also less likely to burn through the clearcoat or the color coat.

If I want a really high gloss, I continue with Tam Fine and Tam Finish, but for the older race cars I usually build, a high gloss isn't realistic. An extremely glossy Porsche 917, for example, would look wrong, wrong, wrong.

By the way, if you must use Micromesh, try it in reverse. That is, start with the finest grit you think will do the job, rather than with a coarser grit. Go to a coarser grit only if the finer grit is taking too long. Coarse grits should be avoided because they can leave deep scratches that don't show up until you reach the compounding stage. If that happens, you have to re-do several steps to get rid of those. No fun.

Ddms

Teegeefla, I have had the same problem with the novus and car polishes when using model master clears (the enamel or the recent lacquer from the spray can). These products seem to slightly dissolve the clear and get into it, rendering the surface soft and dull. I now use Tamiya compounds (coarse, fine and finish), and have not had any issue since then. Car polishes like Meguiar's are too "hot" for the fragile enamels and some modified lacquers, so I never use them anymore.