Semi gloss question

[belugawhaleman]

What product do you recommend for a semi-gloss clear finish?

On my recent Dragon German bicycle build, I mixed a little clear gloss with my German gray

(Both Tamiya) and I got a nice, durable finish. I know Tamiya has a flat base that you can mix

with its gloss paints to achieve a semi-gloss finish; but my attempts using the flat base haven't

been successful. I saw that Tamiya has semi-gloss clear, but it only comes in the mini bottles

and is sold-out everywhere. My question is; what other manufacturers

are out there, besides Tamiya, that offer a good semi-gloss clear?

[DocRob]

Very often, I use Future / Pledge as a clear coat, at least, when I do not work with hot chemicals later onto it. It can be mixed with Tamiya flat to the desired matteness.
If you use more than 30% Tamiya flat in the mix, the results will look frosted.
There is a good description of the mixing ratios on the homepage of talented modeler fichtenfoo.
Clear Coats with Future Floor Acrylic – FichtenFoo

Cheers Rob 

[belugawhaleman]

12 hours ago, DocRob said:

Very often, I use Future / Pledge as a clear coat, at least, when I do not work with hot chemicals later onto it. It can be mixed with Tamiya flat to the desired matteness.
If you use more than 30% Tamiya flat in the mix, the results will look frosted.
There is a good description of the mixing ratios on the homepage of talented modeler fichtenfoo.
Clear Coats with Future Floor Acrylic – FichtenFoo

Cheers Rob 

Thanks, I noticed that tamiya makes a clear semi-gloss lacquer in spray; I may decant this from the can and use it in my airbrush. Thanks for the tip on using future. I didn't

know this could be used with the Tamiya flat base. I'll give it some thought. Thanks for

The link as well. Does the Future need to be thinned? If so, with what do you thin it with?

I recently purchased a Minerva armoured car from CSM and I would like to try something

different than my usual dead-flat finish.

[DocRob]

11 hours ago, belugawhaleman said:

Thanks, I noticed that tamiya makes a clear semi-gloss lacquer in spray; I may decant this from the can and use it in my airbrush. Thanks for the tip on using future. I didn't

know this could be used with the Tamiya flat base. I'll give it some thought. Thanks for

The link as well. Does the Future need to be thinned? If so, with what do you thin it with?

I recently purchased a Minerva armoured car from CSM and I would like to try something

different than my usual dead-flat finish.

Tamiya also has a semi gloss lacquer in jars in their range. It's LP-24, no need for decant. Are you sure, you could mix flat base with lacquer paint? I would test it in a jar, before I have a lump in the airbrush.
Future can be used directly from the bottle, no need for thinning even with a 0,2 mm nozzle. For cleaning the AB, I use ethyl alcohol.

Cheers Rob

[belugawhaleman]

14 minutes ago, DocRob said:

Tamiya also has a semi gloss lacquer in jars in their range. It's LP-24, no need for decant. Are you sure, you could mix flat base with lacquer paint? I would test it in a jar, before I have a lump in the airbrush.
Future can be used directly from the bottle, no need for thinning even with a 0,2 mm nozzle. For cleaning the AB, I use ethyl alcohol.

Cheers Rob

No, I meant I didn't know future could be mixed with Flat base. The Tamiya flat base

works only with their Acrylics as far as I know. The only reason I would buy the spray

and decant is that the semi-gloss lacquer comes only in small bottles and the spray can

lacquer would already be thinned.

[belugawhaleman]

I just ordered 8 bottles of Tamiya semi-gloss lacquer (10ml) from Tower Hobbies.

[DocRob]

I use LP colors and gloss, semi gloss and flat coats thinned with leveling thinner. A ratio of 2,5-3/1 thinner/paint works perfect. 
As I have no access to spray cans anymore, I have to work this way, but I found the results to be very good with the LP colors. 
If you haven't used LP colors, you should be warned. With their thinner they are relatively hot and melt some kinds of plastic and sometimes decals.
It's always a good idea to test before. I tend to spray a very thin coat first and dry it with the AB, before I spray on the real deal.

Cheers Rob

[belugawhaleman]

2 minutes ago, DocRob said:

I use LP colors and gloss, semi gloss and flat coats thinned with leveling thinner. A ratio of 2,5-3/1 thinner/paint works perfect. 
As I have no access to spray cans anymore, I have to work this way, but I found the results to be very good with the LP colors. 
If you haven't used LP colors, you should be warned. With their thinner they are relatively hot and melt some kinds of plastic and sometimes decals.
It's always a good idea to test before. I tend to spray a very thin coat first and dry it with the AB, before I spray on the real deal.

Cheers Rob

Thanks. Glad to hear that leveling thinner can be used.