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I've got my first NYC 20th Century Limited car from Walthers, and I was wondering if anyone's had good/bad experience applying the car name decals straight onto the painted surface...without any sort of gloss coat.
In other words, is the factory paint smooth enough to prevent decals from silvering, without using a clear gloss coat first?
I've done a few of them and the decals are fine without any gloss coat. The film is very thin and a little hard to handle so make sure you have planty of Solvaset or some other decal setting solution available to straighten everything out. I spray a coat of satin finish after the decal application (mask the windows first) and it seems to blend everything together.
I've done a bunch without gloss coat. I use the Microscale solutions. Mirco-Sol (blue bottle) to position, then after that dries, Micro Set (red bottle). Get plenty of blue bottle on the car surface before you put the decal down and it won't silver. If it does silver, take a NEW #11 blade in an X-acto knife and cut through the decal film & apply more red bottle.
Jonah, if I'm airbrushing, it's Floquil Crystal Cote, thinned 50/50 with lacquer thinner. If I'm using a rattle can (Shhh...don't tell any of the guys here I ever use rattle cans ), it's Krylon Clear Satin Finish. You can get it at Wallyworld for about three bucks for an 11 ounce can. It does a good job on things where you don't want to fire up the airbrush for a small job.
I've got (4) cans of satin and/or dullcoat on the bench, Jim. I've never used glosscoat. What's that stuff look like?
I use "rattle cans" to weather my track, brown/rust primer, gray primer, dark gray and flat black. I just don't have enough hose for the air brush to reach that far. And Waldo World is the place to buy it. $2.77 a can I believe.
Bob, glosscoat is really nice if you are doing wood "varnish" or want to simulate a locomotive right out of the paint shop. You have to make sure the model is absolutely clear of dust or any finger prints as the glosscote will show them right up. If the mosel is well prepped, the glosscoat gives a nice "showroom" finish.
), it's Krylon Clear Satin Finish. You can get it at Wallyworld for about three bucks for an 11 ounce can. It does a good job on things where you don't want to fire up the airbrush for a small job.
I suspect I'm not the only closet "rattle can" user either.