Dull Cote Part 2

[zstripe]

kasskaboose

Anyone have sound suggestions for those w/o airbrushes?

For Acrylic's and some enamels like Model Master you can use Tamiya semi gloss clear X-36....Tamiya gloss clear X-22....Tamiya Flat clear XF-86. Can be air-brushed or brushed on. Or You can get them all in spray can's, which has one of the finest sprays that is on the market. Also Vallejo Satin which is 100% virgin resin, can be brushed on or air-brushed. Also may be used on any paint finish. I use them all with fantastic results, on Military figures, ships, railroad with no problems. I stopped using Dull Cote 15yrs ago.

An example of what I am talking about. In a project I am working on at the moment involves painting name plates made in styrene. The black paint is Tamiya acrylic semi gloss black and the lettering is hand painted with Model Master enamel Gold and Silver lettering and then given a couple of coats of Tamiya semi gloss clear. Without harm to anything. I gave the paint a full 24hrs to cure in each case/color.

I would have not attempted to do this, If I was not sure of the outcome of the paint I mentioned......I don't like wasting My time. As with many paint jobs, I do not brush paint clear coats on anything.....air brush only for Me......maybe a brush touch-up only.

Take Care! 

Frank

[kasskaboose]

While I get that Dullcote changed the composition of the spray, it does not appear to work as effectively as the old stuff.  I'm not about to re-spray the entire fleet but I like any way to take off the shiny look of the cars.  Anyone have sound suggestions for those w/o airbrushes?

[doctorwayne]

 

I recently tried Tamiya Primer (in a spray can), and while it wasn't terrible, I'll mix the bottled version and use it in my airbrush next time.
Before that, the last time I used spray cans for models was probably about 60 years ago, and I never really got good results.  While spray paints and their cans are probably much better now than they were in those days, the results I get for household or automotive uses are acceptable, but I find them difficult to use. 

I've used Dullcote in spray cans, with similar results, and I'd attribute the problems I have to my index finger, which seems odd, since it's also used for airbrushing.  However, a spray can usually requires full finger pressure if you don't want spatter, while an airbrush offers much better control.

Another advantage of airbrushing is the ability to thin paints to suit the job.  For example, I might paint a boxcar using a 50/50 mix of paint and thinner, but to weather the same car, the ratio of paint to thinner might be 1 part paint and 9 parts thinner.
Similarly, when I paint a steam locomotive, it's done with five different versions of "black", all using the same ordinary black, but with additions of various other colours to better represent the colours of the prototype.  It's unlikely that I could find those various "blacks" in spray cans.

An airbrushed bottle of Dullcote, thinned with ordinary lacquer thinner, will cover probably twice as much surface area as their spray-can version, allowing much finer coverage and better control over how much is applied to particular places. 
If you need to spray into a blind corner (the interior of a gondola, or the corners of a geep where the cab ends meet the hood's sides) simply lower the spray pressure.
Airbrushing also allows you to mix, in any proportions, Dullcote and Glosscote, for any desired degree of semi-gloss.

I've never understood what all the fuss was about talc:  if you're spraying paint of any type, whether from a spray can or airbrush, you should be using the appropriate safety measures applicable to both the paint-type and application method.  That talc is the dulling agent should therefore cause no alarm, as once applied, it's going nowhere.

Wayne

[OT Dean]

cedarwoodron

I picked up a can of Rustoleum Ultra 2X Matte Clear in the hope that it would serve as a more quantity & cost-effective alternative to buying a tiny can of Dullcote. My experience with 8t is that it is "just okay" but not an exact substitute. I think that it has been mentioned that Dull Cote contains talc particles in the formula which creates the matte effect. I'm not sure how other products achieve a matte finish. Has anyone used other types of matte clear sprays and found them better? It just seems that a standard sized spray can is a better use of my money, as I do a lot of repainting in modeling.

Cedarwoodron

 

Cedarwoodron, being old-fashioned, I generally airbrush everything but wood, which I often brush paint, so back before we lost them, I used to use Floquil Clear Flat to achieve a realistic dull finish over decals.  However, once I became an apartment dweller, lacquer paints became a lease-breaker and I started to use Polly-Scale, but I couldn't find the acrylic equivalent to Clear Flat and bought another brand.  I airbrushed or brushed Clear Gloss over the area beneath the decals, applied them, then brushed Clear Flat over the area to dull it to match the flat acrylic car color. It looked just fine, so I probably would've thinned it a bit and airbrushed it for larger jobs, but it eventually turned to Jell-o while I worked on other projects that haven't yet been lettered.

I really like acrylic paint for its ease of use.  I cleaned the airbrush at the kitchen sink, first running water through it, then alcohol, just to be sure.  This was seven or eight years ago and I still have spots of Boxcar Red inside my poly plastic dishpan and on the stainless sink itself, despite numerous wetness and dish soap!  I suggest you check for Tamiya and other brands of acrylics, some of which may come in spray cans.  Have fun!

Deano

[gmpullman]

Dullcote by Edmund, on Flickr

Paint formulas are changing all the time. It is really tough to learn how they react since next time will be different.

I try to keep a quantity of bottled paints and clear coats that I'm used to using and mixing them as needed for the airbrush.

Good Luck, Ed

[mbinsewi]

I've used the Krylon clear coat flat with some success, only because I ran out of Dull Coat.  It doesn't smell as bad as Dull Coat

I'll stick with Dull Coat.  Like Dave mentions, it works the best for using weathering powders and chaulks.

It's not like I go through cases of the stuff.  You have to be painting LOTS of cars to go through so much, that looking for a larger, cheaper alternative is going to be worth it.

Mike.

[RR_Mel]

I’ve used Rust Oleum Automotive Primer on my locomotives for many Years and never had any issues with it.  I prefer Krylon clear and Matte over Rust Oleum for its finer spray.  But for critical painting with rattle cans I keep Testors handy.  I prefer the Testors Flat Black for my steam over all other paints then Dullcote.

 

My overall preference is Tru-Color Paint and my airbrush.  Their Clear Flat (TCP-017) is great, as good if not better than Dullcote.  Most of the TCP colors are gloss so a “Dullcote” or flat clear is a necessity.

 

For a fine detail primer I use TCP-007.    

 

 

 

Mel

 

 

My Model Railroad   

http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/

 

Bakersfield, California

 

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

 

[Little Timmy]

I have been using Testor's Dull-cote for year's .

But, a few year's ago ( 1998 ) I discovered Citadel Dullcote. 

I bought a CASE !!! ( 12  tall can's ) That stuff was AWESOME !!!

I finally ran out, and couldnt find anymore in my area, ( I wasn't internet savy at the time.) so I went back to Testor's .

I still use testor's ,because it's easy to get.

[dstarr]

I tried a clear satin finish rattle can years ago.  It made the decals crinkle up.  Since then I have stuck with Dull Cote.

[dknelson]

Older threads about Dullcote, including some I participated in, seem to agree that they changed the forumula some years ago in unknown ways (they also changed the label in such a way that only the thin paper strip holding the lid onto the can actually uses the word Dullcote) but I do believe it still contains talc. 

According to one person's explanation it is the talc that alters the light reflectivity and accounts for the dullness of the final result, which also seems to lighten the shade of the original painted color in ways that mimics paint faded by sun and weather.  I have tried other products that were billed as alternatives but to my eyes they seemed more like satin finishes (which sometimes might be what is actually desired) rather than the dead dullness of Dullcote.

I also find that an initial application of Dullcote, but not those other products, makes weathering powders and chalks adhere better.  So the talc whatever its other consequences does seem to play a role in two things I am looking for in a dulling finish.  

Dave Nelson

[cedarwoodron]

That has been my experience as well- a lot of product being sprayed by the Rustoleum.

Cedarwoodron

[gmpullman]

cedarwoodron

Has anyone used other types of matte clear sprays and found them better?

I'm of the opinion that the larger Rustoleum (which Dullcote actually IS a Rustoleum product) cans of primer and paints are simply too thick and apply as a heavy coat. It is OK for track, structures and scenery but I'M not about to spray it on a car or locomotive that I just spent many hours masking, painting and decaling.

https://www.krylon.com/products/matte-finish/

For structures and scenery I like the Krylon rattle cans. They seem to have a finer application rate. I'll use this for stuff like underframes, coal loads, etc. but I don't trust it on locomotives or rolling stock.

 

Cheers, Ed

[cedarwoodron]

I picked up a can of Rustoleum Ultra 2X Matte Clear in the hope that it would serve as a more quantity & cost-effective alternative to buying a tiny can of Dullcote. My experience with 8t is that it is "just okay" but not an exact substitute. I think that it has been mentioned that Dull Cote contains talc particles in the formula which creates the matte effect. I'm not sure how other products achieve a matte finish. Has anyone used other types of matte clear sprays and found them better? It just seems that a standard sized spray can is a better use of my money, as I do a lot of repainting in modeling.

Cedarwoodron