So I have been discussing the ins and outs of various paints with several companies Paint Designers. I have always been wondering about when I am making someone a custom figure(Transformer or Action Figure) how long will that paint finish look this great? Well the answer is quite mixed depending on what your poison is.

If your using Enamels or Lacquers well the life expectancy is mixed depending on brands an composition but one thing that rings true is paint yellowing, they will start to yellow whether they are in sunlight or not and there is nothing known to stop it as it is a chemical reaction. (A new reason for me to stay away from them.)

Acrylics are prone to a fading(though not nearly as some make it sound, why would acrylics be the number one painting medium among artists?) of bright colors over time and while many seal their customs with a can of Testors Dullcote, this is the worst thing to do. Reason being is that testor uses a similar chemical mix in their enamels as they do their Dullcote spray lacquers. So instead of really helping protect the figure you are actually creating a reaction to the paint so that it will yellow like its evil twins and it has no UV protection so sun can hurt your figures.

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So how do we fix this for all Acrylic Users? Well this stuff is called "Krylon UV-Resistant Clear," it is acrylic based and is made especially for artists that want to protect their art for lifetimes(Costs around 5 at Michael's). It has UV protection so that the acrylics will not fade if they do not already have it (Most don't, UV that is) and it is acrylic based and formulated to be archival quality(means to make something look like how it was originally for a long time) so no yellowing ever and now your finish is there to stay with out any worries. This is not meant to be an advertisement, nor it is an opinion, these facts were extracted from Lead paint designers from our hobby who have been in the business longer than most have been in the hobby. So take heed and I suggest not using Dull Cote anymore, I have yet to talk to them about Future floor polish but I think that we have less to worry about on that.

 

Whoa, now this might work. Thanks TC for that information, I might get this for my projects so that they dont look like sh!t.

 

Glad the info can help. I used it on my latest (Captain Hulk) and man it makes the finish really nice. Your projects don't look like sh!t if you need help with painting I would take a look at my tutorial on wet palettes, that will up the ante on anyone's painting skills (thin paints are key to smoothness and a great even finish).

 

The acetone is what causes a lot (all?) of the problems you are talking about, and many acrylic sprays contain acetone even though I'm not sure why. I know the krylon gloss acrylic has acetone in it too so I'd be surprised if that doesn't as well.

Acetone is also the reason why spray coats will turn silver enamel paint into gray enamel etc.

As a side, I've painted a lot of stuff over the years with enamels, and have yet to see anything go yellow with time. Some fading I guess, but never yellow. I've ruined plenty of metallic finishes with sprays though before I realized what the problem was...

 

yes. i hate this server also.

I like this stuff tony, but to begin with... it contains acetone, doesn't it? (i've yet to see a spray that doesn't)

I try to steer clear of krylon's "hobby" grade paints, like this and their other finishing sprays (gloss, matte, satin, etc) I've heard the best of the best on these boards advise us to stay aways, and I admit, I've cheaped out and went with Krylon's finish sprays only to feel regret afterwards.

Testor's i think still is the most professional grade finishing spray you can get, although (of course) people at Krylon or Krylon fans will disagree...I can say this confidently through using both kinds. on both enamel and acrylic paint jobs. (you can't always rely on what a can or spokesperson says)

I'm not really understanding the direction of the recommendation... It sounds like further support that acrylics lack compared to enamels and there-by require UV protectents. Acrylic companies main focus is to strive and persist to get their paints as close to enamels as possible. this stuff sounds like another band-aid.

Most artists will swear by one thing. If you paint with acrylic, seal it with enamel. Some even recommend sealing enamel with acrylic based finishing coats. I personally, prefer priming with Fusion (as does 99% of this board) which is an enamel, painting with enamel, and sealing with enamel.

Finally, it doesn't appear to be for models, upon reading reviews on this product, it's usually suitable for painting, drawing, photographs etc.

 

Take the info any way you want the people I spoke to were not biased in there remarks and even recommended other brands products. All I know is I used this on my last custom and its finish is better than Testors Dullcote and it is made to archival so it has been engineered to last a very long time. Where as I have been told that Dull Cote will cause yellowing over time.

Frenzy your trying to support an argument that is not there, all paints have there flaws so leave it to personal choice and not projected choice, I am just spreading the good word about something I found out about. I am sure when you make your third magnet recommendations, not everyone will jump out and go and buy what you said, I expect the same. I was recommended, I bought it, I tried it, I like it. That is all I can say.

Quite your jabber jawing about the comparison of acrylics and how they a strive to be like enamels because I have heard otherwise and opinions are opinions and we dont need another argument.

 

cut it out.


personally, I've used this stuff, only it was the satin(semi-gloss) finish instead of full matte (dull) finish. The crap left a rough texture behind, and if you aren't super careful and apply really thin coats, it hazes over and has a white coating over your paint. I was quite upset when I had this happen to me, as I am not one to be sloppy with painting or clear coating, as everyone here knows.

 

Thats what I said.

Hmm well we all know my finishes speak for themselves and my last customs picture were taken with this crap(your words not mine) and it works fantastic, is clear and bright and I have no complaints(hence why I created the thread to tell everyone.) May be your case is an isolated batch or something Andy, all I know is I like this way better than Dull Cote.

 

LMFAO - Now I'm even more scared than ever to clear coat anything.
I've had bad experiences in the past so I don't clear coat anything, nothing worse than making an awesome custom just to have it completely ruined by the last step...that you can skip.

^^^ IMO.

 

Yeah, I've used Krylon finish sprays, and I hated the Matte finishing spray. It didn't want to set quite right, and I had to spray over it with the Krylon gloss, which set right but it wasn't the finish I'd wanted.

I've just used Tamiya finishing spray, and I like it thus far, even though its glossy. I still need to try finishing with Future, which I plan to do at some point soon.

 

it's trial and error TTT. I lost many of days worth of repainting parts I screwed up with the wrong sealer.

 

I still put my money on the Testor's Glossote for most finishes, but the Krylon Satin isn't bad at all, best of both worlds.

Thanks for the heads up, Tony. I've tried this stuff once or twice, but it doesn't work well in the AZ heat (almost evaporates right out of the can) maybe folks who don't live in the desert can get some love from it, though.  

 

Did you ever see my projects here? Nevermind anywho thanks for that I'll might consider this or not, but still something to think about. As painting goes I'll go with trial and error but if I need some advice then I'm pm ya sound good to you.

 

hmmm, this helps explain why my white ratchet I did years ago has a weird yellowish tint to it, instead of being nice and white like I remembered it.

 

I live in the hell hole of the world bro 100 degrees during the day, cold as hell during the night, if it works here it works anywhere. LOL I do know that AZ gets hotter though just do it in the garage and walk out. 

LOL Practice makes perfect just keep at it like anyone else. Trial and error is definitely the best way to go about things, I have found that someone elses experience(while helpful) with something is usually not a way to gauge something.

Could very well be, thats why I plan to use this stuff from now on(or something better comes along).

 

Stupid question, but would the enamel equivalent be for this? Or should I ask: what's the best sealant for enamels?

 

Any solvent based sealer should be fine, again, just not on metallics (I use future or other liquid acrylic sealers for that stuff). You can find them in hardware stores and whatnot, depends on the finish you want though. Gloss, matte etc. The Dullcote from Testors is a great option too but is mostly only sold in hobby shops or Michaels/Jo-Annes etc. I loves me some dullcote too, I go through that stuff like Paris Hilton goes through... mascara.




You thought I was gonna say something else, huh? (because I was, but this is an all ages forum, and I have class. Shame on you, get your mind out of the gutter   )

 

That there is some of the best advice there is in my opinion. Listen to other people's experience, test out the pieces of advice that you think might work for you, and see what works. If it doesn't, disregard it. Over time, you'll develop your own way of doing things, finding the materials and styles that work best for you.

 

I've know about this for years now...Michael's has them at a cheap price

 

you know i have models that i have had for over fifteen years and they have not yellowed. one in particular is a Harley Davidson with allot of white in the paint.

by my experience testors paints and clear coats WILL NOT yellow if applied correctly. also the only enamels i have seen yellow are cheap ones from the dollar general.
testors clear coat will yellow if over sprayed but this reaction is almost immediate and is localized in the low spots where it collects a droplet.