Okay to use spraycan MM lacquer based Gloss over an airbursh coat of MM Acrylic Clear Gloss?

You'll get better luck if you post this in the paint section of the forums.

Oops sorry. You are probably right.  I did try to edit it but didn't see a place to move it. Maybe the moderators can help.

I think if it's visibly spotty now, a clear overcoat won't make it any less so.

Hmm. Okay, so what could cause the spotty areas?  Would a flat coat later even this out more?  Prior to adding the clear coat the finish seemed more uniform. Maybe it brought out areas that received more paint than others or of one particular shade over other areas (I did some post shading using highlights of the original base coat).

I've used both without any issues, especially when you described that the MM acrylic gloss comes off as a powder.  Hmmm!  I've never seen that.  I also am going to try to use for the first time, Vallejo gloss acrylic.  I'll see how that goes.  

Toshi

Toshi

I've used both without any issues, especially when you described that the MM acrylic gloss comes off as a powder.  Hmmm!  I've never seen that.  I also am going to try to use for the first time, Vallejo gloss acrylic.  I'll see how that goes.  

Toshi

 

Thanks for the reply. Interesting that you have used both.  Did you feel that the rattle can enamal clear was a lot tougher/thicker/stronger.  Even with my one coat it seems so much more glossy and smooth.  I do hate that I have no control over the spray like I do with an airbrush.  Just will have to be more careful.

Panzer:

Nothing more frustrating than to get to this stage of a build and have these kinds of problems! Sorry to hear of your challenges here.

I've finished four different aircraft in the past few months, and I used MM Clear Acryl on all four for decaling as well as masking with tape, and with clay.  I have never had any issues with peeling or flaking.  Perhaps a humidity issue delaying drying? Or was the undercoat fully dry as well?  I usually try to wait 36 hours or more after a gloss coat before I decal or use mineral spirit based washes.

Or maybe you just got a bad bottle of acryl?  Suggest you try it again on a scrap model and see if it does the same thing.  

Very interested to hear the results and good luck.  

Yes you can even on this side of the forum.Very light coats .Let dry for 72 hours .

Thanks for the good advice.  Last night I did a little sanding/polishing using the 12000 Micro Mesh pads on only the worse areas where I could see a bit of dust/dirt.  It did mare the surface just a bit, so afterwards I sprayed the entire model again with a few light coats of Testers Lacquer Gloss out of spray can (just purchased earlier that day). That stuff worked much better than the Testor Gloss Coat Enamel I sprayed the night before and dries much faster. But prior to spraying I did do a bit of cleaning around my paint booth; including turning on the fan about 10 mins early and putting down wet newspaper around the surface where the plane was to sit. Wow, what a difference that made. I barely got any debris in the finish this time and the new coat of lacquer covered those areas I polished with no signs of scouring.  Now I am wondering if I shouldn't just polish the whole thing down to remove the rather pebbly orange peel finish that probably started from my first coats of primer thru that bad acrylic gloss coat.  However, that could be a mute point since the gloss coat likely makes the finish below it really jump out at you when the light hits it a certain way. I am hoping this goes away when adding a flat/dull finish at the end.

Some other things I believe I have learned from this experience. 

1) I probably should have sanded the primer some before applying my base colors. It was rather rough/pebbly in some places to begin with. 

2) Yes, looking back on how I applied the MM Acrylic Gloss thru the airbrush, I think I sprayed it at too high a pressure and from too far away.  I think that caused it to dry prior to hitting the surface and made the coating a little rough.  That would explain why some of it would rub off just by handling the model, which has now created a rougher finish to the model.  Next time I may try the Tamiya Clear Coat (X-22) and just spray it at a low pressure close to the model like I did the base Tamiya colors. I was pretty happy with those base paints and feel I can duplicate that technique with their clear coat product.

So now what to do.... Well my next step is to get these decals on.  If the surface is glossy enough (even with the pebbly/orange peel underneath) to take the decals without silvering then I will call that a win.

So if this model will be eventually sealed in a flat/dullcote finish, will this really be an issue?  Before I spend a bunch of time weathering the model (oil washes etc.) I am going to add the decals to just one horizontal stabilizer and spray it with the dullcote.  That will be a great comparison to see how the model will look when finished while comparing it to how it is now. I am also concerned with my final lacquer based clear coat and putting an enamel based wash on it.  I always thought that a fully cured laquer clear coat (not the base paints) should take some degree of abuse from the compatible thinners; but viewing info on other forums it seems most recommend an acrylic based clear coat prior to weathering with enamels. Any thoughts on that?    I will report back the results!

Thanks for sharing!  Always good to learn from what others are doing and really appreciate the thoroughness of your note.  I usually just use the gloss coat for decaling and most of my models end up under a flat coat so my surface prep is probably not up to what it should be.  Having said that - on my 1/32 Mustang I did do a bit more sanding at prep.  At that scale I think things are easier to see.

Having ready your note, I think I'll work a little harder on my Mustang III I'm current working on.  Have a 2 week business trip but will keep this in mind.

Thanks!  Chris

Silver

Yes you can even on this side of the forum.Very light coats .Let dry for 72 hours .

 

72 hours drying time between coats is a bit extreme in my opinion. I usually use Rustoleum brand clear coat but spray in 2 or 3 light coats. I let it cure for 24 hours between coats.

Hi guys, just a quick report on what I have been doing.  I am still in the process of putting all the decals on. Should be done tonight (lots of decals in 1/32 scale).  The good news is that I did mask off and spray one area two days ago that was not to received decals.  The Testors Dullcoat from the rattle can did a great job of evenning out the rough paint surface or atleast hiding those flaws.  Also, with the minor light sanding test I did using the MicroMesh pads and recoating it with gloss gives me hope that the finish will not be as bad as I originally thought once I get another coat of gloss (to seal the decals and a final layer after some more light buffing) and the final coat of dullcoat on the model after weathering.  Thanks for the info.

I'm coming in late in the conversation but I'd like to throw my .02 in. I have used MM acrylic flat many times with no issues so the gloss one should work the same. I spray at about 12psi and thinned 50/50 with the Universal Acrylic Thinner.

For gloss coats I use Future which works like a charm every time. I like to lightly polish the flat painted surfaces with a soft cotton rag which greatly helps in cutting down on applying gloss coats. I get better results if I hand brush the Future on which produces a glass smooth finish. I apply about 4-5 coats about 10 minutes apart cause the Future dries fast. Then I let it cure for a couple of days then the decals and washes go on. A final flat coat seals up everything.

I will caution you about using a solvent based wash over lacquer as both are solvent based and you may get some reaction. Even though Lacquer is tougher than enamel you may run some type of reaction in some spots.