Mr Hobby Gloss versus UV Cut Gloss

[ai5629]

On two different trips to my LHS, I managed to pick up one can of Mr Hobby Gloss spray and one can of Mr Hobby UV Cut Gloss spray.  Does anyone know the difference other than price (UV Cut was more expensive)?  Thanks in advance.

Jeff

[peteski]

Not familiar with either, but the UV seems to imply that it is hardened by UV light (like many coatings and resins on the market today. Maybe that makes the coating harder, and it cures faster than standard gloss?

[MK]

I interpret it as having UV protection ("UV cut") instead of curing by UV.

[wazzou]

I interpret it as having UV protection ("UV cut") instead of curing by UV.

That seems to make more sense.

[Rasputen]

From the Mr. Hobby site:

"Many modelers have had the experience of not only direct ultraviolet light from the sun but also indoor sources such as fluorescent light fading the paint on their projects. Mr. SUPER CLEAR UV CUT series is special clear coating that reduces the effects of ultraviolet light. Use this coating to preserve your long hours of painting. (This product is made especially for the Mr. Color series and cannot be used over water-based paints and decals.)"

[ai5629]

From the Mr. Hobby site:

"Many modelers have had the experience of not only direct ultraviolet light from the sun but also indoor sources such as fluorescent light fading the paint on their projects. Mr. SUPER CLEAR UV CUT series is special clear coating that reduces the effects of ultraviolet light. Use this coating to preserve your long hours of painting. (This product is made especially for the Mr. Color series and cannot be used over water-based paints and decals.)"

Interesting.  Thank you for posting this from their website.  So it looks like it cannot be used as an overcoat to seal decals.  I am going to try this on some N scale Atlas FMC 5077 boxcars that I need to add ACI panels and inspection dots / U1 tags to.  Hopefully it will work as a glossy base for decals to stick to.  I will try sealing the decals with Mr Hobby Flat (not UV Cut) and see how it works. 

Jeff

[peteski]

I interpret it as having UV protection ("UV cut") instead of curing by UV.

I sit corrected.   I  thought that all modern paints were UV-safe.

I guess reviewing the name again (considering that it is Japanese-English),  "UV Cut" means that it cuts down on UV rays (or protects from UB rays).  Manks perfect sense now.

[muktown128]

Paints have varying degrees of UV resistance (durability).  There are several factors that influence resistance to UV durability including:  resin (or binder), pigmentation, and additives.  Some resins or binders are more resistant to UV degradation than others.  Polyurethanes, acrylics, and polyesters are better than alkyds and epoxies.  Inorganic pigments are better than organic pigments.  In addition, there can be significant differences in UV durability between different types of yellow, red, and orange organic pigments.  There are also additives such as UV absorbers and HALS (hindered amine light stabilizers) that can be added to paints to improve UV durability.

Formulating paint is more complicated than I imagined, and I'm still learning things even after 35 years of formulating paint (industrial coatings).