Flat clear coat

Hi Edwin i thin my flat clear more then the set norm so I spray light coats and build up for the desired effect ( acrylic ,enamel and Laqueur )

Edwin

Does anyone know of a flat clear coat that dries with a dead flat finish yet is totally clear? Or at least, just minimally cloudy?

Thanks in advance!

 

My is to use a solvent-based flat clear (Alclad Klear Kote, Testors Dullcote) to avoid clouding. Alclad ALC-314 Klear Kote Flat has the flattest dead-flat finish I've seen, and so for has been impossible to mess up, even for airbrush-challenged me.

I find all water-based clear flats to be too finicky, and I gave up on them a few years ago. (I say this even though I know that application error causes cloudiness).

BTW, Nick's reply above makes a great deal of sense to me. If I recall, I think someone here once told me too thick and heavy application caused my cloudy finish a years back, so laying on thin coats makes sense. I guess if you did that you could use any 'ol flat you want.

Thanks Crown and Greg. I do thin my flat clear coat (Tamiya acrylic) at about 2 parts thinner to 1 part clear. The flattening agent is causing the slight cloudiness. 

Think I’ll try to get hold of Alclad. Heard of many good experiences with their product.  I’m just a concerned about the lacquer damaging the acrylic layers below as that’s what I mostly use for airbrushing the main surfaces. 

I switched to Alclad a few ago after years of useing Microscale. had similar issues to Greg and trying to spray in cold weather was a real pain. As long as your paint is cured, you will have no issues of it damaging your paint. I mainly use enamels but did use tamiya on the underside of an aircraft recently and had no problems with the Alclad matt.

And just be aware, Alclad has both a Flat and a Matt.

I like Testors lacquer Dullcoat.  It is really clear.  Many years ago Testors clear coats would yellow a bit with age, but that has ceased to be a problem.  Getting it really flat depends on application.  Too thick and it gets a bit semi-matt, but I don't usually have a problem.

Edwin

I’m just a concerned about the lacquer damaging the acrylic layers below as that’s what I mostly use for airbrushing the main surfaces.

Couple comments on that;

1.  I when I spray Alclad Klear Kote, it is always over acrylic. Haven't had a problem.

2.  Within reason, we can spray almost anything over almost everything, as long as the "everything below" is properly cured. In a way, it is the dissimilar chemistry that protects the acrylic below, as I understand it.

Though I've seen others that have had issues with Tamiya flat clear, I haven't. Well, at least not yet anyway. I use it on top of a pledge gloss coat.