Clear Coating

It's most likely a bad chemical interaction between different kinds of basecoat and clearcoat. Let us know what you used, and it may be easier to offer a suggestion.

Compatibililty of clear coats has been a frequent topic in the "painting and airbrushing" forum.

I painted my model with Testor's enamel paints (I used my spray gun). I then tried to clear-coat it with VHT ceramic coating.

I'm curious--why a high-temperature clearcoat over modeling paint, unless it's just what you had lying around?

Anyway, the VHT line is a silicon-ceramic base product with rigorous requirements for heating and cooling cycles to get it to set up properly. (I've never used the clear version, so I'll confess I can't be sure it's the same.) I'm guessing it's a BIG chemical incompatibility issue with Testors enamels.

As to how to remove it (without damaging the paint underneath), I haven't even got a good guess. I hope I'm wrong, but I've got a bad feeling you'd just have to strip it and start over.

I'd suggest trying any clear enamel finish, something a little less "hot" for modeling purposes.

BTW, if you've used the same product before with no problems, I'd love to hear about it.

Cheers

Ya, it is the only clear that I had around.

Do you think it is just the clear the cracked, or the whole paint job?

Can you recommend any enamel or acrylic based clear coats?

Sounds like the clear attacked the finish-color.. Which means it's a goner.. Happens a lot when an enamel meets a laquer, and ESPECIALY when the enamel isn't fully cured...  Usually means it was a cheap color-coat and a cheap clear-coat, too..

I've experienced that when using Tree House Clear Acrylic Laquer of Wal-Mart's "Tru-Color" spray enamel.. Cracked all the way to the styrene.. Ruined a T-6 Texan I'd been working for a Group Build..

Testor's Dullcoat, Glosscoat, and Semi-Gloss haven't attacked any enamel I've used.. Not even the Wal-Mart rattle-'namel... It really is good stuff, IMNSHO..