Valspar Clear Flat Finish vs. Dullcoat


Trucklover

Trucklover

BNSF SD70MAC's
Here is my rant for Dullcoat vs. another product Called Valspar Bartop Touch Up Lacquer Clear Flat Finish i discovered, that really will save me alot of money, and works a heck of a lot better then Testors Dullcoat! (at least this is my take on it)

I dont recommend dullcoat for anything, it always takes off alot of my weathering, no matter what i use, if its a wash, or chalks.... It always takes alot of it off and makes it disappear like its eating it. Dullcoat is a Lacquer, and i discovered bo matter how far i stood back with the tiny little can, it always "ate" my weathering powders and made them disappear for the most part.

I brought this up with my uncle, who by the way has been a custom painter/carpenter (he also does some AMAZING art work paintings!) and he was telling me that i should get some Valspar Bartop Touch Up Lacquer Clear Flat Finish (yes thats the entire name of the product lol). Since there was a Vista Paint near my grandmas house, she took me over there and i got a can, $7.50 total for a 12.oz can! How much is that Dullcoat crap? Almost $4.00 for a 3.oz can? give me a break! lol

I used this new Valspar stuff on all 3 of the structures i just built and weathered, and NO eating of the chalks occurred, granted i still stood 10-12" back from the model and applied a light mist to the model, which is the key to getting a good flat and even coat/finish. I would highly reccomend the stuff to anyone who is using Dullcoat still, first of all, your way overpaying for the tiny little can, you get 4 times as much for maybe a little more then double the cost of the tiny little 3.oz can of Dullcoat!

Of coarse, this is just my opinion on Dullcoat, if the stuff works for you, then by all means, keep on using the stuff. If you would like to try this Valspar stuff, if you have a paint retail store near you, they should carry it....

Okay, my rant about Dullcoat is over lol
 
Joah, I agree about Dullcote. I use Krylon Matte Finish in 12 oz. cans that I get for about $4 at Wallyworld. It does at least as good a job as Dullcote in terms of a flat finish and doesn't change the look of chalk weathering as much as Dullcote.
 
Huh, I have not problems with Dullcote. I'll check out the Valspar stuff, I didn't like the finish I got from the Krylon.
 
From what im hearing, Dullcoat shot out of an airbrush is a little better then out of the rattlecan, but im still hooked on the Valspar stuff, 4 times as much for about $3.00 more is what i like LOL

Although, i have not tried the Krylon stuff either...
 
The trick with the Krylon Matte Finish is to shake the can for one full minute. That gets everything mixed up real fine. I've used it now on anumber of models and have always gotten a smooth finish as long as I took the time to shake up the can good first. Kind of a pain but worth it for the cost.
 
I use the Krylon. In the winter I put the can in front of the heater for a little bit. In the summer I set it in the sun. I have found it works alot better to warm up the cans.
 
CJ, you are such a snob. :) There are lots of times where I just need to dull down the shine on the plastic roof on a building or some such small task and a rattle can works just fine without having to set up the air brush and compressor. I do agree that I wouldn't use a rattle can on a nice foreground model.
 
the thing I don't like about dullcote is that it makes my perfect paint job run all over the place so I have to strip and start over.
 
diburning said:
the thing I don't like about dullcote is that it makes my perfect paint job run all over the place so I have to strip and start over.
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Well that may be caused by a few things

  1. You sprayed to thick of a layer of Dullcoat on at one time (lightly mist your work, thats all it needs, most will not even hit the model.)
  2. You applied the Dullcoat to close to the model (member 10-12" away from your work is best, from left to right or right to left, making sure not to stop in the middle of your work)
  3. The Lacquer in the Dullcoat reacts to the paint your using in a bad way and causes it to run and peal away making it go from a good paint job to a not so good paint job lol


    Ive never used Dullcoat to spray a newly painted paint job so i cannot comment on how it performs, but i do know that it takes most of my chalks right off..... And this Valspar stuff does not :D
 
well, the dullcote reacts to my acrylic paint and gives it weird colored spots. I did spray 10-12 inches away, light mist.
 
How old is you Dullcote? That stuff does go bad and one of the signs is that you start getting weird white spots when you spray it. If the Dullcote is new, then I suspect you're not letting the paint dry long enough. Acylics will take Dullcote laquer as long as the finish is completely dry. I always use the sniff test. If I put my nose up to the model and I can still smell paint, it's not ready for Dullcote. Depending on the weather and type of paint, drying time can take up to a week.
 
UP2CSX said:
How old is you Dullcote? That stuff does go bad and one of the signs is that you start getting weird white spots when you spray it.
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If you just bought it not to long ago, it could have just sat in the store you bought it from for a while before too, which would make it a bad can right from the get go.... lol Thats another thing i hated doing when i bough testors rattlecans, i never knew how long they had been sitting in the racks, i usually got them from Michael's and they never seemed to run out of any one color. They all appeared to be just been sitting there for a long while, and when i did get a color i needed and couldnt get in a bigger can from Lowes, i had to shake them for a while before the ball would start to rattle around in the can. Usually that means it might be time for a new can if you have to shake it violently for a minute before the ball starts to move around lol.
 
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Cjcrescent said:
Yea, I still prefer and use Dullcoat. But then I haven't sprayed anything out of a "rattlecan" on to a model of mine since I was 19.
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I agree, I never use spray cans on any model of any scale. No control.... I spray dullcote through an airbrush, thinned 60/40 with laquer thinner, spray at about 18psi, 8-10" away, and only open my dual action gun about half way so I don't get too much out at once to wipe out the weathering powder.
 
Would this Valspar and Krylon dull coat be OK to use on a newly painted and decaled loco?
 
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leo said:
Would this Valspar and Krylon dull coat be OK to use on a newly painted and decaled loco?
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As long as the decals are completely dried (usually about an hour or so is more then enough time to ensure that they have completely dried)
 
Last time I was here we were talking about the Krylon matte finish, similar to dullcote but available at the hardware store. I experimented with it in conjunction with weathering chalks last week, and here is what I found out:

My 40 year old box car did not need any coat for the Bars Mills chalks to stick and look really cool. I used a dark rust on the trucks and grimy black on the car; with some light highlights of medium rust. I did not use any spray coating before, as suggested by the manufacturer. Nor did I seal the product; it stuck quite well and the manufacturer said I didn't have to seal it after.

My newer gondolas: I did Krylon matte them before Bars Mills chalking, in other words I fully followed the instructions, and they turned out very well. I used the same color schemes as above.

My passenger car, however, did not take the chalk easily even after the Krylon matte. It was a cheap car, incidentally.

My stock car seemed to have a flat finish from the factory, and it took the chalks very well without any prep.

I am very satisfied with the weathering chalks by Bars Mills. When I get more work done on my 4x8, the photos will get posted.
 
Watch out for Valspar and yellowing

I haven't used any for models, but these furniture-grade clears may fade from clear to a yellow tint over a few years.

If you want an absolutely stable clear gloss or flat, Humbrol makes a line of clears that I have used for 10 years with no yellowing.

Matt Cote
Satin Cote
Gloss Cote

Dries in 5 minutes, doesn't stink like Testors' products and WILL NOT YELLOW over time.

--Jon
 
Laidoffsick said:
I agree, I never use spray cans on any model of any scale. No control.... I spray dullcote through an airbrush, thinned 60/40 with laquer thinner, spray at about 18psi, 8-10" away, and only open my dual action gun about half way so I don't get too much out at once to wipe out the weathering powder.
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These are samples of the only time I used out of the can to paint a model except for the boxcar, which was painted by brush. I wish I had a airbrush back then.
 
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