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Clear acrylic narnishes


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I am seeking acrylic clear coats (gloss, semigloss, clear) to use. It would be mostly spray painted. I have been mostly using ModelMaster Acryl clear varnishes, but since that line is being discontinued, I am seeking other options. Can anyone help me find the best ones to use, based on personal experience? Any help you can give is most welcome. Thank you in advance.

Bob

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Speaking for myself; I've always had great luck with Future; now known as Pledge Floor Care. In order to make it flat or semi-gloss; I just mixed in Tamiya Flat Base in varying degrees to achieve the level of 'flatness' you're looking for. Be careful to keep the ratio of Future to flatbase about 55:45 or you risk 'frosting' your model. If that happens, just shoot a straight gloss coat on it again and the frosting will go away.

 

Another alternative to a gloss acrylic is the Alclad Clearcoat. It goes on smooth, but my own issue was that I'd get a lot of runs from it since it is already so thin. That is all on me; I was too impatient and tended to shoot it on thick.

 

Aside from those; I'm not familiar with other alternatives. Someone more knowledgeable will be along with more options.

 

Hope this helps somewhat.

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Gloss:  Future (or whatever they call it these days).

Flat: Either Vallejo Matt Varnish or Liquitex Matte Varnish.  In all reality, they're probably close to being the same thing.

Semi-gloss:  Either Vallejo Semi-Matt Varnish or the Liqitex Matte Varnish, un-stirred and unshaken.

I thin Future with Isopropyl Alcohol, about 50-50.  It is certainly thin enough to spray from the bottle, but I find the alcohol helps it to dry faster, and it does not dry to a mirror gloss but rather a smooth, slick, almost eggshell finish.  I leave it to dry/cure for 36-48 hours before I start applying decals.  If you get frosty patches from decal solvents, simply overspray the model with another coat of Future before you apply the final matte or semi-matte finish.

Be careful with the flat clears mentioned--it is really easy to go just one coat too fat and wind up wit a white haze on the model.  I normally invert the bottle once or twice (no shaking or stirring) and apply it in a few light mist coats.  It doesn't take much.

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Thanks, Ralph.

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Thanks, Mark.

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