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Hints for gloss (insignia) white


Kartal

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Hi,

I have just started a Trumpeter 1/32 A6 Intruder which was sent by a friend as a gift. I usually do WWII aircraft, and I don't have experience with modeling US Navy Jets.  Therefore I need a bit of advice, especially using the gloss (insignia) white for painting the lower parts / undersides.  My initial experience with gloss white was not pleasant.  I used Gunze Aqueous Hobby color H316 with 50/50 mix with the Gunze's own Thinner (Mr. Aqueous Hobby Color thinner) for acrylics. Unlike my WWII flat grays and greens, this gloss paint was messy, needed much more time to get dry, dried with plenty of fingerprints on, etc., and was also very difficult to clean from the airbrush.  Most importantly, I am not happy with its covering properties.  Are there any recommendations for getting the best from it (handling, mixing, airbrushing and cleaning tips)?

Thank you,

 

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One thing I've found helpful is starting with a good coat of flat white before airbrushing the gloss.  Like you, I've found that gloss tends to take long to dry.  I haven't tried Gunze paints but, Tamiya gloss white seems to work about the same.  Keep your coat of paint thin & give it plenty of time to dry.  I usually airbrush the gloss & let it sit for several days with a cover over it to keep dust problems down.

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Ditto what Nick said. The key is that flat white undercoat. The flat white covers better so the gloss coat can be more even. All gloss paints take longer to dry. Actually, not dry, set. Several days at least to make sure you leave behind no trace of handling. Just incorporate it into your building schedule. 

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I agree with everyone here. Excellent advice. I sometimes take a slightly different route by painting the flat white first. Then when it is set, I add a clear gloss coat over it and let it set. I get a very similar effect. I do this when I'm being lazy too.....

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Ditto to the dittos. Likewise, Duke's glosscoat over flat white technique can give that nice semi-gloss sheen, where a show-car finish is not desired.

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Thank you all for your replies and advices, which are extremely helpful; especially using a flat white undercoat makes sense.  Will a white primer work well as a flat white acrylic undercoat does?

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One other thing. Depending on how glossy you want that final white coat and how "rough' the flat white undercoat is, you may want to wait a day or two to make sure the flat is set and then go back over the flat white with either very fine steel wool or even just rough burlap to level out the surface a bit. Go easy and don't remove paint from raised surfaces. Then a quick wipe with a tack cloth to remove any residue and apply the gloss coat or gloss white. 

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I often use Tamiya's Superfine White Primer in the aerosol can.  No decanting, no airbrushing, just a few light coats of primer right from the can.  It flashes quickly, you can recoat in 15 minutes.  Allow to fully dry/cure for a few hours (overnight is best), then move along with your other colors.  I usually use the primer as the final white, unless the "white" I need is off-white--in which case, I'll overcoat with the proper color...

If you build airliners, it is the perfect white for fuselages, and it offers a good base for whatever metallics you want to use for the wings, etc.

Ralph

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