Protective clear coat for enamel paints?

[Neo Fett]

I recently started learning airbrush. I've got the technique more or less figured out however I'm having trouble with everything being very easily scratched and scuffed. I bought testors clear coat (the 3oz can) and it seems like it helps after putting on several coats, but I feel it could still be better.

What is the best and strongest clear coat that is also matte to be used overtop Humbrol enamel airbrush paint?
Related question: Best primer to use?

 

[TheZeroEffect]

Odd your enamel paint is scratch easily.... how long have you let it sit between coats/layers?
Also what’s the weather like when your painting and when the paint is drying as it does effect the paint.

 

[TheZeroEffect]

Also, what primer and brand of enamel paint are you using?

 

[Evan1701]

I also used Humbrol paints for my helmet and I noticed the green layer scuffs really easily as well. I know some people don't clear coat it at all but I'm worried about damaging the paint if I don't.

 

[Fett 4 Real]

OK, from an accuracy perspective adding a clear coat isn't accurate....

From a protection standpoint a little bit of dullcoat will add SOME protection BUT it also changes the color of the paint so keep in mind the more coats you add the farther away from the color you started with you get. And the more you add the hazier it gets. Youre not wearing a Vader or imperial guard suit youre wearing a grimy bounty hunter suit that is worn and the scratches (not to the plastic) add more character to the suit! So if your paint is hard and not chipping off youre good to go. If its chipping off that's a problem possibly from your application or priming.

 

[TheZeroEffect]

As above....
I usually mist a dullcote over what I’ve painted, mainly just to seal and add a little protection. Unless the paint is scratching through to the next layer too easily or flaking off, you shouldn’t be too concerned;after all most paints we use are designed for model kits not the hard knocks of life.
Scuffs and small scratches add character and possible stories
Enamel paint does harden though but it will never impervious and the same goes for clear/Matt cotes... after all they are a paint too. Sealing the work with a clear spray may help stop light scuffs not not those determined scratches.
Just take care and don’t sweat the small stuff...

 

[TheZeroEffect]

In regards to primer, I generally use Rustolum for ease of application. I like to let it cure for a few days to make sure it has gone off fully before applying the first cote of paint.
Also remember its best to spray multiple light cotes and not one heavy cote. The paint goes on smoother and dries better.

 

[Fett 4 Real]

I like rusto primer for most things too! The only thing is it comes out thicker then the one primer I love for detailed pieces and that's the Tamiya super fine primer. Its really nice and aerosol too!

 

[TheZeroEffect]

I like rusto primer for most things too! The only thing is it comes out thicker then the one primer I love for detailed pieces and that's the Tamiya super fine primer. Its really nice and aerosol too!

Hmm have to try Tamiya primer. I also like Vallejo primer for acrylic paints.
Ill sometimes decant the rusto primers into a jar and spray through my airbrush for finer details, as the rattlecans have that habit of always being heavy and gumming up on the spray head.

 

[Fett 4 Real]

I know what you mean... the Tamiya I used on my 29" Falcon...stuff is SMOOOOOTH

 

[Evan1701]

Hmm have to try Tamiya primer. I also like Vallejo primer for acrylic paints.
Ill sometimes decant the rusto primers into a jar and spray through my airbrush for dinner details, as the rattlecans have that habit of always being heavy and gumming up on the spray head.

This is my biggest issue with the Rustoleum primer. The first 3/4 of the can is great, but that last 1/4 it's spitting all over my stuff and just looks horrible. I'm a terrible painter anyway, but when this stuff happens, I'm like "is it me? Is it the can? This is the worst! Kill me now!"

 

[TheZeroEffect]

This is my biggest issue with the Rustoleum primer. The first 3/4 of the can is great, but that last 1/4 it's spitting all over my stuff and just looks horrible. I'm a terrible painter anyway, but when this stuff happens, I'm like "is it me? Is it the can? This is the worst! Kill me now!"

You have to clean the spray nozzle after each use to help stop this from happening. The can instructions usually say turn upside down and spray till only air comes out... this cleans all the residue paint and stops it from blocking up..
The spluttering is a build up of paint on the cap, new paint sticks to it and it comes out and can blow off in larger drops.
Some times it is easier to clean the nozzles, i like to soak mine in paint clean for a bit and blow compressed air through them, also its good to buy clean spare ones.

 

[Evan1701]

You have to clean the spray nozzle after each use to help stop this from happening. The can instructions usually say turn upside down and spray till only air comes out... this cleans all the residue paint and stops it from blocking up..
The spluttering is a build up of paint on the cap, new paint sticks to it and it comes out and can blow off in larger drops.
Some times it is easier to clean the nozzles, i like to soak mine in paint clean for a bit and blow compressed air through them, also its good to buy clean spare ones.

I'm so bad at painting, I go through 2 full cans in one session. I guess the build up is happening, but I never know when to stop and clean it. By that point I've inhaled so much paint I'm seeing stars. Last time, I woke up the next day and had shingles on my face. Not related, probably, but maybe I'm so bad at painting I gave myself shingles?

Sidenote, shingles is no joke. I almost died in a motorcycle accident 4 years ago, and the pain from shingles was worse than that.

 

[TheZeroEffect]

I'm so bad at painting, I go through 2 full cans in one session. I guess the build up is happening, but I never know when to stop and clean it. By that point I've inhaled so much paint I'm seeing stars.

Seriously buy a face mask with filters. Never spray without protection, all paint is harmful. All fumes are harmful, invest in your health now with a mask so you wont have to pay for it in the future...

Also slow down a bit, the painting doesn’t need to be done all at once, it can take me weeks sometimes to paint something.

 

[Neo Fett]

Thanks for the replies all,
I'm using Ace Hardware's brand of Enamel primer. Scuffs and what not do add character, but I was having issues with some pretty out of place scuffs. My biggest issue is the silver scratching off/showing very visible scuffs.

What is a good dry time for humbrol enamel?

 

[TheZeroEffect]

What is a good dry time for humbrol enamel?

It does depend on air temperature and humidity as they can both effect cure time.
48 hours is a good safety margin for Humbrol paint in warmer weather.

A good tip for any type of spraying is the first layer should be lite, more of a misting really, what it does is key the surface for the next layer, which helps your paint stick better. Each layer should be touch dry before the next is applied. ( touch dry does not mean cured ) in colder weather paint can take a lot longer to cure hard, this is were you can easily scuff and scratch the paint.

 

[Neo Fett]

It does depend on air temperature and humidity as they can both effect cure time.
48 hours is a good safety margin for Humbrol paint in warmer weather.

A good tip for any type of spraying is the first layer should be lite, more of a misting really, what it does is key the surface for the next layer, which helps your paint stick better. Each layer should be touch dry before the next is applied. ( touch dry does not mean cured ) in colder weather paint can take a lot longer to cure hard, this is were you can easily scuff and scratch the paint.

Thank you, that helps a lot!

 

[Builder]

I have used Testers Non-Buff Metalizer spray sealer over Humbrol enamel to very good effect.
It does not dull the colors even with as many as 3 or 4 coats. Check some photos on my page if you're
interested. I have used some heavy lighting which is somewhat more reflective but in "normal" lighting
conditions it has a hard dull finish. Multiple dull coats make colors loose depth and look dull. We all work
too hard to get the colors right only to loose them in the end. If you start with this spray and don't like it
you can always dull coat later.

 

[Demmoc]

Zen, if you're using Ace brand enamel primer that may be the problem. I have use that primer before and it acts more as a gray enamel paint and less as a primer. Basically you're spraying gray enamel paint onto your work and not spraying primer, which is intentially made to stick to it's surface and not be the final coat like the ace brand can be. (might be wrong on that brand but I know there's an ace brand I've used before and it's actually not primer, just primer color) Personally I like using the primer I buy from Harbor Freight tools. Cheap and doesn't gum up your sandpaper like other brands. I buy it by the case.

 

[Grimstuff]

Yeah Demmoc is spot on, a lot of cheap primers really don't do much anything for actual surface adhesion, they're just a really matted color of regular paint. Rustoleum 2x primer for example has identical solvent mixtures and drying windows as the regular 2x colors.

I've been making an attempt to try a lot of different primers over the past year, and I think I've finally settled on two I really like. Rustoleum Universal Bonding Primer, and Duplicolor Sandable Primer. The Rustoleum is a high-acetone solvent mix that adheres really well to plastics and epoxies, and the Duplicolor is a laquer base primer that adheres incredibly well and goes on super super smooth (seriously feels like it was wet-sanded). Both dry super quick (handle within 2 min and top-coatable anytime) and have stood up to gorilla tape pull tests for me. Only problem is that they're quite a bit expensive.

I'm still exploring and testing clear coats, but I have recently finally tried the Testors Dullcoat that's really popular around here and I did really like it. I agree with Fett4Real though that too much clear can be a problem, if you're experiencing a lot of weak paint issues, it might be better to explore the cause of those rather than over-clear. If you do really want to put a shell of protection on your helm though, maybe look into automotive clears, getting a non-gloss one might be a bit hard though.