Zero 2K Clear VS Decal, Which First?

[custanius]

Hi, I was just looking at the instruction came with the Zero 2K Clear, and it says to apply a light tacky coat of clear, apply decal, then a wet coat. Sounds great, then I thought, decal should take a day to fully cure, and mixed zero clear is only good for 30~45 mins right? That means I need to mix a very small amount of zero clear, apply mist coat, apply decal, wait for a day or so, then mix the clear again, apply wet coat....Seems awful lot of hassle >_<

Or are there any other proven method of using zero 2k clear to avoid this? Thanks very much.

[jaykay640]

You have given the answer yourself already....but it's a lot less complicated than you think.
Yes, it doesn't "hurt" if you put a layer of clear between Zero basecoat paint and the decals. I have repeatedly applied the decals directly on the basecoat but with clear it's saver, especially to avoid silvering of the decals.
The clear below the decals doesn't have to be "sticky" or anything special. Just a normal layer ( not too thick of course ) and as you wrote yourself , it should be dry/cured. You can even sand and polish it a bit to give the decals a nicer base and even out blemishes in your paintjob. Don't use wax though! The next layer of clear won't like that:-)
Then apply the decals and let them dry.
Finally you're ready for the last layer of clear which ( after drying ) you can sand and polish including wax or a polishing compound that contains wax.
Some people don't do that anymore.....depends on what you want and how good your paintjob came out...

About mixing the 2K-clear....that's really not a big hassle. For airbrushing you would normally mix paint and thinners anyway....you just have to add a 3rd component in your mix before shaking/stirring...

For all the paints i prepare for airbrushing i use plastic syringes. With those you can "suck" the paint, thinner and hardener directly from the bottle/pot and you have a readout for the amount. Then you can mix the contents by putting a finger on the tip and simply shake it and are ready to use the paint in your airbrush. It's realtively clean and you will less likely get dust and other stuff in your paint from mixing in an open pot with a stick or brush and you can prepare very small amounts of paint easily.

[custanius]

Thanks for your reply. It was very helpful. I guess it's not that much a hassle mixing the 2k clear. It's just that I use a sucktion type AB and there's always wastage, and getting the zero paint from UK cost alot more than I would normally spend on hobby, hehe.

I use 3ml disposable pipette purchased from a chemical supply shop, 500 for 17 dollars, best money ever spent

[stevenoble]

You can mix a very small amount and it will be good for that 1st layer of clear before the decals. With the 2K a little goes an awful long way. I usually mix tiny amounts anyway to save wastage.

2ml of clear + 1ml of hardener + 1ml of thinner

This mix works perfect for my airbrush (Tamiya Spraywork 0.5mm tip) If I'm doing some really small parts I may halve the quantities shown above. Apply the first coat and leave it to dry overnight, then decals the next day, more drying and then final clear coats.
Believe me when I say it may sound like a hassle but the quality of finish is well worth the effort