Is this the BEST CLEAR COAT over decals?

[D_LaMz]

Well is Mr. Hobby Topcoat by Gunze Sangyo or also known as Mr. Top Coat the best clear coat to apply over decals? I have searched and not many results have came up. As Sennake says in his thread here

Originally Posted by Sennake

No way. Tamiya Clear TS-13 ruins your decals. I have been searching for a good clear in spraycans for over 10 years, and I finally found it :

Mr. Hobby Topcoat by Gunze Sangyo is a brand new and perfect product. It comes in spraycans, it is absolutely clear without becoming yellow and it is harmless on any kind of undercoat or decals.

I tested it for the first time on my Celica, then on my Subaru and now on the Porsche. It's a sweet product that I'm gonna buy a lot of in the future...

I'm going to apply a lot of decals on my skyline which had TS-13 (clear) sprayed over the paint. Is it ok to have Tamiya clear, then decals over it, then another coat of Mr. Hobby Topcoat without any probelms?

[Fkouch]

Originally Posted by D_LaMz

Well is Mr. Hobby Topcoat by Gunze Sangyo or also known as Mr. Top Coat the best clear coat to apply over decals? I have searched and not many results have came up. As Sennake says in his thread here


I'm going to apply a lot of decals on my skyline which had TS-13 (clear) sprayed over the paint. Is it ok to have Tamiya clear, then decals over it, then another coat of Mr. Hobby Topcoat without any probelms?

Yeah I've used it and its great stuff. Goes over Tamiya stuff perfectly.
Future or Johnsons Klear is great over decals aswell.

Cheers

Farrokh

[Lurchio]

I was about to clear coat my subaru with TS-13 over decals - does this really ruin them?

[fieldmarshal]

my tamiya porsche taisan decals came out clean.
just dont use it on fujimi decals since they are quite sensitive.

just to be safe, spray it in small amounts.
of course the best thing you can do is experiment with scrap part first.

[p9o1r1sche]

My experience is that you can use any clearcoat over any decals - IF you apply several very light coats first. Most spray can nozzles dont allow you to apply the light coats I'm referring to, as they dont atomize the paint well enough, and dont control the volume of paint.

[p9o1r1sche]

BTW you do have to observe the general rules of not putting a hotter paint on top of a cooler one, so, my first statement isnt completely true.

[Lurchio]

Originally Posted by p9o1r1sche

BTW you do have to observe the general rules of not putting a hotter paint on top of a cooler one, so, my first statement isnt completely true.

At the risk of sounding stupid how do you define "hotter and cooler" paints?

I'm not sure what you mean.

[SteveK2003]

Not sure of the specifis, but 'cool' paints will not affect the plastic of the model. Tamiya lacquers are cool, and an be sprayed right on to bare plastic.

'Hot' paints need some kind of primer barrier over the plastic or their solvents can melt or otherwise damage it. Most automotive paints are like this.

Not sure if this applies to the decal issue, but if you don't put Tamiya clear over Tamiya lacquer within an hour of the last wet coat, you have to wait about a month, otherwise the difference in curing times between the paint and the clear can cause the clear to crack.

[p9o1r1sche]

'hot' paints have solvents that can effect the finish on 'cooler' paints that may be underneath. The 'effect' is usually wrinkling and a rough surface.

Generally, the 'hot to cool' scale is: hottest - lacquer, Tamiya sprays, enamel, aqueous or alcohol based paints - coolest

Of course, there can be exceptions to this general rule, so testing on a scrap body is recommended unless you know the paint combo works.

[mickbench]

Originally Posted by Lurchio

I was about to clear coat my subaru with TS-13 over decals - does this really ruin them?

I would be VERY careful with TS-13, I hate the stuff.. I have just applied TS-13 to a silver basecoat, had no choice, as the silver was dull, so clear coat was the only way to get a shine, and allow me to polish.. I applied my decals afterwards... TS-13 is HOT for sure, I ruined my first mica blue paint job with this stuff..

I applied the clear after about 15 minutes of the final silver coat, aa I have read that you must apply clear almost after the final base coat or wait 7 days, or if you miss that, then 30 days.. It's all so confusing.

I hope my silver paint doesn't start to crack.. Been two weeks now, and looks OK..!!

Just be careful, and use some scrap decals on scrap plastic first to try it out.

[RallyRaider]

So does anybody know what sort of paint this Mr. Top Coat is? Acrylic, Laquer or something else? After seeing Sennake's awesome results I've been itching to get hold of some.

[freakmech]

its a Lacquer like all Gunze sprays. but there are a couple of different types such as UV Cut, Super, and Topcoat. my LHS just got these in. ive used the primer including 500, 1000, and Mr.White 1000 and i like them but havent tried the clears though Seneke made me want to.

[RallyRaider]

I'm still confused. Found these two sprays on HLJ. As you can see they call the first one water-soluble?

http://www.hlj.com/product/GNZB-501

http://www.hlj.com/product/GNZB-513

[hirofkd]

501 (gloss), 502 (semi-gloss) and 503 (flat) are water soluble acrylic, and are safe to use on decals. 513 is synthetic lacquer just like Tamiya spray.
Both types can be used on decals, but common modeling practice applies to both kinds, because you're essentially moistening the decals with the solution of the paint. Mist coats are a must, regardless of the type of clear you use.

[freakmech]

woah... im confused as well because neither of those cans have the same print as the ones at my LHS. im going there tommorrow and i will pick up a can of each to inspect... mind you im in the US and we are going through label issues with Japanese paints right now.