In 48 years of building model trains the only thing I have painted with a rattle can is Athearn freight car weights........
And once I discovered Scalecoat paint I was sold, paint with gloss, apply decals with Solvaset, topcoat with clear, mixing flat and gloss to get different finishes for different effects. Before that I used Floquil.
No unnecessary steps, only one product family to keep on hand, no issues.
One more comment. I hear people talking all the time about stripping paint off before repainting items they could not find undecorated. I have found that Scalecoat will often cover old paint schemes with no "shadows" and yet without detail hiding build up.
To each their own,
Sheldon
That's one way of doing it. Me, I don't bother with the gloss coat at all. My decals go on just fine right over flat paint, like rattle can auto primer. I have been using Solvaset for many years, like before Micro-sol and -set even came on the market, and I don't plan to change. Once you apply Solvaset it softens the decal film so that any attempt to move the decal will tear it. So have your decals in the just right place, and dried enough to stay in place, before appling Solvaset. Let the Solvaset dry overnight, al least. You can deal with unexpected decal wrinkles with a bit more Solvaset.
Last step is a shot of DullCote to make the glossy decal film turn invisible. I usually give the entire model a coat because DullCote softens the paint colors in a useful way. For instance a rattle can red applied to a passenger car was a little too bright, but with a top coat of DullCote softened it down to a very respectable passenger maroon.
David Starr www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com
Ditto what DocWayne says here.
So long as the acrylic paint has actually cured fully, Dullcote/Glosscote will not affect it.
To speed things up a bit, you could use an acrylic based clear coat when going over acrylic based paint, or even mix it in to the color coat, by either Testor's ModelMaster or Badger Modelflex. (Both have clear gloss and flat coats. Vallejos might as well, but I am not 100% sure there.) These can go on when the other acrylic paint is "dry to the touch" just like your second coat of color could, or, as I mentioned, even be mixed together with the color coat. (Although, I tend to do my clear coat seperate most times, as I like the thought of doing it like you would be painting a car in 1:1 scale. The clear coat is always the final protective seal coat.) If you mix with the color coat, I would try to get the same brand as the paint color you are mixing with, just out of extreme caution.
One word of caution: Just make sure your gloss is cured before decaling in this case, as the uncured gloss acrylic might not get along with your decals....
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
JPD .....I thought it was not advisible to use Testor Dulcoat on acrylic paint, is that true?
.....I thought it was not advisible to use Testor Dulcoat on acrylic paint, is that true?
Once the acrylic paint has fully cured (hardened), the Dullcote/Glosscote won't affect it. For airbrushing, I thin both of those clear finishes with lacquer thinner, and have never had any problems applying it on acrylic paint.
Acrylics generally are dry to the touch within minutes, but such paint does take longer to cure - I usually leave it for a few days, as there's always something else to keep me busy while waiting.
Wayne
Thanks for the helpful replies. I thought it was not advisible to use Testor Dulcoat on acrylic paint, is that true?
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
I apply a coat of Testors' Glosscote and when it's completely dry add the decals, although I prefer Solvaset for setting them. Once the decal work is satisfactory and completely dry, I apply another coat of gloss. I didn't do so formerly, but have found that the second application of gloss equalises the glossiness of the decal with the glossiness of the surface on which the decal was applied. (I also cut the decals very close to the image, leaving little or no clear film if possible, as that helps to make the decal look painted-on, rather than as an applied decal.) Following that, the model will get a clear coat, if necessary, of semi-gloss or flat finish. The final finish depends on what the item is, and how it's meant to look: if it's a recently painted locomotive or automobile, it should have some sort of gloss, but something not so new might better be done with a semi-gloss. Most freight cars get a flat finish, but newer ones might get a clear coat with just a bit of shininess, then weathering is applied over that. I only very seldom will Dullcote over weathering, as it usually makes things look too dead and even.I should also point out that I use the clear finishes with an airbrush, not spray cans. This allows for an infinite range of finishes, from a high gloss to dead flat.
Azrail's answer is good. I never clear coat with gloss after applying decals to model RR equipment. I do this with wargaming miniatures that will be handled a lot, but my trains do not get touched near as much. Glossy coats are more wear resistant than dull ones.
.
Color shift happens when clear coats are applied, especially dull ones. I prefer Testors #1260 Dullcote for the dull coat layer. It has the least objectionable color shift that I have found, but everyone's eyes see things differently.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
You use the flat coat when you are done with the decals, It should be the last coat.
Also, the clear finishes can change the color slightly (gloss coats make it darker, flat coats make it lighter), so you need to cover the entire model with the same clear finish.
I am nearing the point when I will be applying decals to some structures. I understand that I am supposed to (1) spary one or two coats of gloss finish first before applying the decal, (2) apply micro-sol to the decal for it to lay tighter on the surface, (3) then another gloss coat to help seal the decal, and (4) then finish up with one or two flat coats. Here is my question: Do I spray the gloss coats and the flat coats over the entire model or just the areas where the decals go? I would think it would be necessary to do the entire model to make sure that the coats are even, but am I wrong? Thanks.