Is there a trick to getting a good gloss coat over Tamiya's XF colors?

Daywalker wrote:

Bgrigg- How do you keep the Future from running with the heavy coats?  I have tried to put it on that way, and always get runs in it.

Just lucky I guess. It's been a while since I built a model that required it, as I've been focusing on cars lately. If I actually think about it, I put down a mist coat first, and then finish up with a heavier coat. So my original post is a bit misleading.

I still have a bottle of 99% Isopropyl, can you still get it that pure? IIRC the price difference between that and the 70% was very small and not worth the difference, but it's been a while since I've bought a bottle. I use the Tamiya thinner. I ordered in two of the large bottles and still have 1.5 bottles left. DON'T buy the little glass jars, what a waste of money! 

Daywalker wrote:

I second that!  I think their thinner works much better than plain alcohol.  I bought a bottle of it two years ago as well, and only use it to thin the paints, I clean the airbrush with 91% alcohol.

Just a quick money-saving tip: If you are only usuing the isopropyl to clean, I recommend swtiching to the cheaper 70% isopropryl alcohol. The 91% is great for mixing with paint because it dries quickly and contains few impurities in the remaining 9% of the "water".

Just my . At the end of the day, the best advice is to stick with what you are comfortable with and gives you the result you want.

Daywalker wrote:

espins1 wrote: I would recommend using Tamiya's thinner.  It contains a retarded that prevents the paint from drying to quickly.  If you use isopropyl alcohol the paint dries very very quickly, perhaps even being partially dried as it hits the model.  Some people complain that they don't want to spend the money for the Tamiya thinner.  Well, I bought a bottle about 2 years ago and I've only used about a third of it.  It will last a very long time.  I second that!  I think their thinner works much better than plain alcohol.  I bought a bottle of it two years ago as well, and only use it to thin the paints, I clean the airbrush with 91% alcohol. Bgrigg- How do you keep the Future from running with the heavy coats?  I have tried to put it on that way, and always get runs in it.

I'll third that. If you use the Tamiya thinner only when necessary (gloss cotes), it should last a long time. I use isopropyl on everything flat, or even gloss that will eventually get future-coated. So far I've bought one bottle of Tamiya thinner that I've used half of, and about 2 isopropyl containers at $0.79 each over the last 4 years.  It goes a looooong way.

espins1 wrote:

I would recommend using Tamiya's thinner.  It contains a retarded that prevents the paint from drying to quickly.  If you use isopropyl alcohol the paint dries very very quickly, perhaps even being partially dried as it hits the model.  Some people complain that they don't want to spend the money for the Tamiya thinner.  Well, I bought a bottle about 2 years ago and I've only used about a third of it.  It will last a very long time.

I second that!  I think their thinner works much better than plain alcohol.  I bought a bottle of it two years ago as well, and only use it to thin the paints, I clean the airbrush with 91% alcohol.

Bgrigg- How do you keep the Future from running with the heavy coats?  I have tried to put it on that way, and always get runs in it.

I would recommend using Tamiya's thinner.  It contains a retarded that prevents the paint from drying to quickly.  If you use isopropyl alcohol the paint dries very very quickly, perhaps even being partially dried as it hits the model. 

Some people complain that they don't want to spend the money for the Tamiya thinner.  Well, I bought a bottle about 2 years ago and I've only used about a third of it.  It will last a very long time. 

Bgrigg wrote:

I think your flat coats might be going on too dry, which causes them to be TOO flat. You can tell if this is happening by feeling the surface, if paint dust comes off on your fingers, or it feel almost like sandpaper then it's drying before it adheres to the model and the Future has to be built up in multiple coats, and it STILL might not overcome the problem.

That's pretty much what I'm running into, I think. Is there a way to make the paint stay wet longer? I use Isopropyl to thin with. Would Tamiya's thinner work better? I hear it has retarder in it. Or could could I just mix some Slo-Dri in the mix? 

Thanks! 

I wouldn't use Windex to thin with, it cleans up Tamiya real nice!

I've never had any problems, and Tamiya and Future is all I use. I think your flat coats might be going on too dry, which causes them to be TOO flat. You can tell if this is happening by feeling the surface, if paint dust comes off on your fingers, or it feel almost like sandpaper then it's drying before it adheres to the model and the Future has to be built up in multiple coats, and it STILL might not overcome the problem.

I spray the Future one is a sopping wet coating and they come out shiny like a new dime!