Clear Coat - Laquer vs 2pk (Zero)

Hi guys

Could anyone please explain to me the difference between these two clear coat products from Zero (Hiroboy.com a.k.a Steve):

http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=1440 - Clear Coat Lacquer (Pre-Thinned) 100ml

http://www.hiroboy.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=797 - 2 Pack Clear Coat 100ml (Urethane)


From what I can gather and what I have read in the application guides, the 2PK is more for the presentation, final coat (glossy in this case) and more protection (harder protection). Where as the other clear coat (lacquer) is just 'clear coat' and that's it, no shine, no added protection just a layer with no pigment.

I'm quite confused as to how it all fits in with the painting process:

1. Airbrush body with a zero base coat color.
2. Apply 2pk clear coat to achieve glossy surface effect... polish if required.
3. Paint panel lines.
3. 2pk Glossy surface is ideal for decal application, so apply the deals at this stage (I build race cars).

4. Now at this point, how do I lock-in the decals and panel-line paint.... do I just apply another coat of 2pk... (this will be the final clear coat).

Where does the clear coat lacquer fit into all this.... what is it best used for? :uhoh:

ps. Panel lines will be painted with Tamiya Flat Black acrylic.

Thanks a lot

Dal

short:
both are clear coat, you can use non 2K in all stages
2K is ultra hard coat.
in case of problems (orange peel) its not so easy to polish it (again - its hard).
its very harmfull to your health - maximum protection is needed!!! (at least mask with filters)
deep clean of airbrush is needed (dont let it harden inside)

i think its best to practise with 1K lacquer clear coat and after mastering it (you can have veery nice finish with it) maybe you can go on...

short:
both are clear coat, you can use non 2K in all stages
2K is ultra hard coat.
in case of problems (orange peel) its not so easy to polish it (again - its hard).
its very harmfull to your health - maximum protection is needed!!! (at least mask with filters)
deep clean of airbrush is needed (dont let it harden inside)

i think its best to practise with 1K lacquer clear coat and after mastering it (you can have veery nice finish with it) maybe you can go on...

Thanks for the reply matador,

Yes I will definitely stick to the lacquer variant for now instead of 2pk.... just until I get enough practice, makes a lot of sense.

One final question.... once the zero color basecoat has been applied (perfect - no orange peel/dust) .... the color will be matte and according to the instructions and I will need to apply a clear coat to get the 'glossy' effect I want.

Provided the clear coat (lacquer 1k in my case) is applied perfectly will that give me the glossy shine layer I want...or will I need to polish the clear coat to bring out the shine?

I am contemplating buying a very cheap model and practicing on it, but would rather hear everyone views than just waste clear-coat and paint.

In short the clear coat lacquer pre thinned (also called 1K) is a clear coat that dries by evaporation of solvents that it contains (also known as air dry) placing the cleared parts in a warm environment can speed up the process, but it will always air dry. The 2K type (urethane) is different in the fact that when you mix the components together you start a chemical reaction that you cannot stop. This type of lacquer doesn't air dry, instead it chemically hardens. It's like those two part glues, where you mix the glue with the hardener and it hardens after a certain period of time.
Both of them are clear coats and will provide protection and high gloss. Both can be sanded, compounded and polished... Both are hazardous to your health if you breathe the vapours, so a mask and/or an extractor fan is an essential bit of kit when using them.

One final question.... once the zero color basecoat has been applied (perfect - no orange peel/dust) .... the color will be matte and according to the instructions and I will need to apply a clear coat to get the 'glossy' effect I want.

Provided the clear coat (lacquer 1k in my case) is applied perfectly will that give me the glossy shine layer I want...or will I need to polish the clear coat to bring out the shine?



If you apply the lacquer correctly and properly thinned you should need very little polishing. However it's not always possible to get a 'perfect' finish straight from the airbrush and some polishing will be necessary... Even the best painters sometimes have to do a little polishing for the best 'orange peel' free finish.

Couple of pictures of 2K lacquer on my Tamiya Suzuki Hayabusa kit. Zero paints used for the entire painting process and no polishing needed on any of the parts.

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-firstdecals008.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit031.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b61/stevenoble/Suzuki%20Hayabusa/Hayabusa-TankandSeatUnit003.jpg

Urethane, at least the variants I use, have a self leveling effect. As long as they aren't sprayed too heavy they tend to level themselves out and eliminate orange peel.

Urethane, at least the variants I use, have a self leveling effect. As long as they aren't sprayed too heavy they tend to level themselves out and eliminate orange peel.

Probably explains why a lot of people highly recommend the 2k.

Thanks for the picture steve, 2k is certainly impressive :bigthumb:.

By the way, I have an airbrush extractor (duct goes outside) so as far as fumes go I should be ok, I will also get a respirator (face mask).

I know we talked about polish (which is a fine abrasive), but has anyone here ever had to remove some orange peel using micro-mesh grade 3600 upwards.... (or the standard wet/dry equivalent)....on clear coats.

As well as having a bottle of 'micro-gloss abrasive', I also have some 'ScratchX' solution which bought after reading the reviews on here. If I did use micro mesh to flatten some orange peel then I am assuming the either or both of the solutions above would help iron out any surface scratches caused by the sanding.

I've used the above process when spray painting a body with Humbrol cans which were glossy variants "Gloss Black", "Gloss White".... I sanded the orange peel using 3200+ micro-mesh and then used the micro-gloss liquid abrasive to iron out most of the minor scratches and I was left with an awesome shine. I just wanted to check that I can work on the clear-coat (orange peeled) in the same way....because if I mess up I don't think the clear coat will come off...................easily :runaround:

1K clearcoat is very quick to dry but leave an appreciable orange peel, you'll work on it with mesh and polish.

I didn't yet used Urethane, I tried 2K Poliurethane and standard 2K: there's a different appeal also when cured: 2K like say Russel tend to level itself and usually don't leave OP but when cured:

- 2K looks more "glass" (so is even too much gloss often) and easily looks thick on edges
- 1K when polished looks ever "gloss plastic" but thin

I ever like very much the TS13 appeal when polished: not glass, not plastic, It looks just automotive paint in 1/24....

If you have a dehydrator you won't need 2k clear. If you want guaranteed shine and protection go with 2k. But the advantages of lacquer, from what I have read on this board is that it conforms better to the contours of the body you are painting. If you are using a lacquer base coat, lets say tamiya for ex., then the lacquer clear coat will also help level off the base coat as the clear will slightly dissolve the basecoat.

However I find polishing much easier with 2k. There is alot more breathing room for cutting back and it dries incredibly hard so it is less prone to scratching and what not. However if you get dust in 2k good luck with getting it out. The thing about lacquer clear is that is easily sand able and you'll be able to apply more later to correct mistakes. And again lacquer clear is better at leveling itself off.

So if you have a spray booth go with 2k. But it is ultimately up to you.

Thanks for the posts guys.

I think I'm gonna take the plunge with 1k first... the fact that I can easily sand it down if I screw up appeals to me, and from what most of you guys have said I should still be able to achieve the shine I want.

Once I'm pretty proficient with 1k and consistently getting good results I will try out 2k.