when painting a loco we use flat paint. to apply decals we apply gloss clear. does this need to be done to the entire model or just where the decals are going?
Tommy,
Generally there are several routes you can take with this.
But we could be much more helpful if you provided some details (and photos if possible).
What is your project? Steamer? Diesel? Electric? HO or N scale? What road name and paint scheme?
tommy2tap when painting a loco we use flat paint. to apply decals we apply gloss clear. does this need to be done to the entire model or just where the decals are going?
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I never could figure out why someone would paint a loco flat then gloss then decal and then flat. I paint mine gloss then decal then flat. If you start with gloss paint then you can skip a step that will add depth and potential runs and orange peel. You can even weather after decals and seal it all with a final flat clear or even a satin clear.
Pete
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I started with nothing and still have most of it left!
locoi1sa I never could figure out why someone would paint a loco flat then gloss then decal and then flat. I paint mine gloss then decal then flat. If you start with gloss paint then you can skip a step that will add depth and potential runs and orange peel. You can even weather after decals and seal it all with a final flat clear or even a satin clear. Pete
Agreed. Trying to get flat paint glossy requires a pretty heavy coating of gloss. Even then, since flat paint isn't smooth (it's the roughness that attributes to the flat finish), spraying gloss over flat will leave you with a less than smooth gloss finish.
If you insist on working that way, patch spraying the gloss for decals is not a good idea either. Once you spray gloss over the flat, you now not only have two different finishes, you also have two different furface textures. No amound of additional finish over the entire model will blend them back together 100 %.
If you are just decalling the sides, you can just gloss coat the entire side. Your eye won't pick up the subtle difference in the finish between the roof and the sides.
Save yourself a lot of extra work (and paint build-up) by painting the model in a gloss to start with. If all you have is flat paint, you can improve it by adding some gloss finish to the mix. It might give you just enough sheen so as to avoid extra clear coating.
Mark.
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Like others here I use a paint that has some shine to it. If the paint I am using is flat then I mix it with Future Floor wax so it goes on with some shine. Then I decal and then weather the entire loco last.
Hope this helps.
Look for it at WalMart, its called Pledge with FUTURE shine. Its a clear floor finishing product. I mix it about 50/50 and it acts as a thinner also. I only use it with water based paints. Great stuff.