Have a couple bottles of Dullcoat that I'd like to spray.
Used to be that a 50/50 dullcoat/thinner ratio would work fine, but with the new bottles it doesn't want to flow through the air brush.
Anyone use a different ratio with success?
For thinner I used to use lacquer thinner. With all the discussions recently about changes in lacquer thinner composition, does anyone have a different thinner recommendation?
Thanks
Bumping this up.
Certainly someone here mixes bottled dullcoat for use in an airbrush??
maxmanCertainly someone here mixes bottled dullcoat for use in an airbrush??
Yes, I do it all the time. I like the bottled Dullcote so much better than the little rattle cans. For some reason I would sometimes get an orangepeel effect when using the rattle can stuff.
50/50 is my ratio. I use a gallon can of Klean Strip Lacquer thinner I got at Home Depot some years ago. Using various airbrushes from an old Paasche model H (my first) or a model VL. For some non-critical work I've even used a few Amazon $40 top feed internal mix knock offs.
My 'Go To' brush now is an Iwata Eclipse that I treated myself to about a year ago and this thing just seems to lay down a flawless coat of whatever I put in it.
Honestly, can't say I've ever had any problems with bottled Dullcote and I've been using it maybe fifteen years now. At rest there's about a half-inch of 'talc' or whatever the dulling agent is in the bottle. I use a vortex mixer to shake it up, then let it rest about ten minutes. I also use those little 3ml 'hummingbird' disposable pipettes to measure and decant the finish and thinner into the color cup of the airbrush.
I guess some guys shoot at very low pressures but I tend to keep mine around 18 psi.
Wish I could offer more help.
Regards, Ed
Thank you, Ed. Have you tried using that other enamel thinner you mentioned, I think for use with Scalecoat?
I have a Badger single action internal mix that I use.
I dislike the rattle cans. Although more convenient, seems like a lack of control and too much wasteful overspray.
I use a Binks single action and use the same 50/50 mixture of thinner to dull coat without any problems.
Rick Jesionowski
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maxmanHave you tried using that other enamel thinner you mentioned, I think for use with Scalecoat?
Scalecoat, as far as I know, is a different animal being enamel-based and not lacquer.
When cleaning out the airbrush color cup that had some Scalecoat remaining in it I noticed that the lacquer thinner caused the Scalecoat to 'clump up' which sort of looked like the inside of a lava lamp, if you get my drift.
My remaining Scalecoat branded thinner is really running low and that's when I tried some Xylene as a thinner/cleaning agent for the Scalecoat I and II paints and I think it works very well, although it 'might' extend the curing time a bit. Scalecoat on plastic seems to take a long time (meaning several days) to fully cure.
maxmanI dislike the rattle cans. Although more convenient, seems like a lack of control and too much wasteful overspray.
Agreed. Rattle cans have their place, mostly on scenery and structure painting and as I mentioned with the canned Dullcote, I have had some poor outcomes using it, a splotchy, orange-peel effect.
Now when it comes to a gloss finish I have recently gone to the Alclad2 lacquer with excellent results. I've been using this on Walthers passenger car sides prior to decaling the car name in place and I rather like the 'clean' look of the passenger cars. I'll still give them some very light weathering but for the most part I like to see the cars with a bit of gloss. In my era the Century was kept fairly clean!
Kind of difficult to see in this photo but there is a bit of gloss on the paintwork:
Century_Lounge Atlantic Shore-A by Edmund, on Flickr
So I have some Alclad matte finish on order and I'm going to do a comparison to the testors Dullcote.
https://www.hobbylinc.com/alclad-4oz-bottle-clear-coat-flat-hobby-and-model-acrylic-paint-314
How does your Badger act with other paints or even plain water? Maybe it is time to disassemble the airbrush and inspect/replace some of the O rings or packing? How is the Dullcote 'acting' when your airbrush falters? Thinned Dullcote should not have much in the way of 'solids' (pigment) that would normally plug up an airbrush.
Good Luck, Ed
Like Ed & Rick I also mix bottled Dullcote 50/50 with lacquer thinner (Klean Strip) brand. Shoot it with a Badger 200NH SA siphon feed at 18 psi without issue. My bottles of Dullcote are at least a couple years old or more. Hope Dullcote formulation has not changed as it has been my fav matte clear coat.
Btw Ed, Been lovin' my iwata Eclipse HP-CS too, not that I'm adept with it yet.
My son uses one in his art work for fine detail.
Regards, Peter