Clear coats for decal protection / flat coloring...

Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Clear coats for decal protection / flat coloring...

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 9:30 PM

I am just getting back into modeling after a hiatus of many years. I just completed a model of the Voyager from Star Trek, and while I think the results are pretty good for having been away so long, I do have one concern. I wish to protect the decals I applied (yes, I used MicroSol) so they do not peel over time, and so I can clean the model as dust builds up over time without fear of scratching them. The problem is I am not sure what type of clear coat to use. It needs to be flat, and coat / seal the decals without attacking them or the paint already applied. I have heard of something called Pollyscale clear flat and was wondering if this would work? Also I remember from years ago that clear coats could (ironically) fog clear plastic, and there are numerous windows in the Voyager that could easily be damaged this way. Are there any clear coats out there today that do not fog clear plastic and do what I need, or do I just need to apply a mask (difficult on the Voyager, as many of the large windows are recessed)? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

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Borg R3-MC0

Member since
September 2004
From: Utereg

Posted by Borg R3-MC0 on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 2:17 AM

Putting a coat over the decals is a very good idea, it will protect your decals.
If you want a flat coat, it will always fog the windows. So you must mask the windows, you can use masking tape (for instance tamiye tape, very good stuff!) or liquid masks, which will form a rubber layer on the windows (for instance Humbrol Maskol)

I haven't used Pollyscale, but it's probably a good product.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 3:55 AM

Thanks for the advice. Masking the windows will be difficult but probably not impossible. I don't have a spray gun, however, and Pollyscale seems only available in bottles so I was thinking of using Testor's Dull Coat instead. The only think is that is a lacquer based paint and I have heard horror stories of lacquer destorting plastic. The Voyager is painted, of course, but some of the original plastic (scanner array, sensors on the top) is still exposed. Do you (or does anyone) know anything about how safe this stuff is?

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waikong

Member since
December 2002
From: NYC, USA

Posted by waikong on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 11:42 AM

I've used Dullcote, it wont distort your plastic. Still perfer Pollyscale or any Acrylic due to the odor and health issues.

My website: http://waihobbies.wkhc.net

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 12:44 PM

Do you know of any clear acrylic sprays or if Pollyscale is available in spray form? I would prefer that myself, but as I said I don't have a spray gun and even if I can get one I have never mixed paints for a spray gun before. I don't want to experiment on a finished model with something I have never used.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 1:09 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by TDonnell
so I can clean the model as dust builds up over time without fear of scratching them.

Use a large soft paint brush for dusting off your models.

I would really think you might rather have a satin finish rather than a flat finish on that model. Tamiya flat + future in the right ratio will work well and it's acrylic but you need a airbrush. See Swanny's website for info on doing this.

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knight667

Member since
January 2004
From: Philomath, OR, USA

Posted by knight667 on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 5:46 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by I-beam

QUOTE: Originally posted by TDonnell
so I can clean the model as dust builds up over time without fear of scratching them.

Use a large soft paint brush for dusting off your models.

A women's large blush-application brush works great for this...stole my sister-in-law's and it's awesome. The bristles are super-soft, so no scratching, and it gets all the dust off quite easily. I usually use canned air first, then the brush. No problems. Big Smile [:D]

As for a flat finish, I use MM Dullcote and have never had a problem with it.

John "The only easy day was yesterday." - US Navy SEALs "Improvise. Adapt. Overcome." - US Marine Corp. "I live each day/Like it's my last/...I never look back" - from "I'm A Rocker" by Judas Priest

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MusicCity

Member since
January 2004
From: USA

Posted by MusicCity on Wednesday, May 18, 2005 7:19 PM

QUOTE: Tamiya flat + future in the right ratio will work well and it's acrylic but you need a airbrush.

I've used a brush to coat relatively small parts with the Future + XF-21 mix and it worked fine. Never tried it on anything large though, I always airbrush that.

If you want to give it a try, do so on some scrap first and make sure it's going to work properly. For a dead flat finish I usually use about 4 parts Future to one part Tamiya XF-21 Flat Base. For semi-gloss I use about 5 parts Future. If you get too much XF-21 you'll start to get a white haze in the finish. Notice that XF-21 is a Flat BASE, it is **NOT** a clear flat finish and should never, never, not EVER be used alone or it will look terrible.

Scott Craig -- Nashville, TN -- My Website -- My Models Page

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Borg R3-MC0

Member since
September 2004
From: Utereg

Posted by Borg R3-MC0 on Thursday, May 19, 2005 4:13 AM

QUOTE: Originally posted by MusicCity

QUOTE: Tamiya flat + future in the right ratio will work well and it's acrylic but you need a airbrush.

Notice that XF-21 is a Flat BASE, it is **NOT** a clear flat finish and should never, never, not EVER be used alone or it will look terrible.

had that once: It looked like there was icing on my model!! Disapprove [V]

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