Airbrushing Gloss Paint

[chicken45]

So, I don't often use gloss for anything in my railroading world other than glossing things for decals. I used to do a lot of model cars in my pre internet days, but these gloss paints always got the best of me. They still do, today. I have never got a gloss finish to look as good as a flat finish. How does one get that "like glass" finish? Maybe I'm not sure how gloss paint "works," but there are always little spots in it.

From Top to bottom:
-The boiler painted all Pollyscale: brunswick green acrylic, zinc chromate, and pollyscale acrylic gloss (thinned). The tender was all that then dullcoated.
- I don't know what the boiler was painted, but the roof and tender have PS Zinc Chromate primer.
-The tender on the bottom is my best example and indicative of my gloss painting attempts. It was painted with Scalecoat II. Thinned about 1/3. Is this the finish I should expect? In the past, people say "sand it" but that takes the paint off and I have to repaint, and sand, and repaint and sand again. Is that right?


Any ideas on how to improve? What am I doing wrong?

[Philip H]

I don't generally do gloss paint . . . I do gloss finishes for decalling purposes.  If I had a Glosscote finish looking like your bottom one, I'd decal it, then Dullcoat it and call it good.  Real gloss, like Automotive gloss finishes, are not paint based on model trains - they are generally some variation on the Future Floor Polish method.

[chicken45]

But what to car modelers do? I hear they make micro wax polish for paints!

[Philip H]

R/C modellers paint the inside of their clear acrylic shells, so there always that option (!) - not.

Most of the car modeling articles I've perused in Finescale Modeler the last few years involve taking flat paint and mixing with Future for the initial coat, then adding successive thinned coast of future to build up the shine.

[peteski]

Building model cars is one of my hobbies.  I also belong to a model car club and I participate in model car contests.

There are all sorts of techniques for achieving glossy finish.  Many involve applying multiple coats and painstakingly polishing and waxing the finished model. Not me. My system for glossy paint is to airbrush heavy coats.  Almost to the point where the paint runs.  Since I usually build stock models (no body modifications), and I use plastic-safe paints, I try to avoid using primer as much as possible.  I paint right over well cleaned bare plastic.  There are also many flavors of glossy finish lacquers and enamels. Even though they are all described as glossy, some dry glossier than others. Of course having smooth model surface is vital to a glossy finish.  The paint will not hide imperfections or texture in the model's surface.

IMO, the most common mistake modelers make is to spray the paint on too dry. Either the paint is too thick, or the airbrush is too far from the painted surface or both.  Or they use a thinner that evaporates too fast.  That results in a texture in the paint drying to a pebbly or orange-peel surface.

I have yet to use Pledge with Future floor finish for anything but dipping clear parts.  But other modelers use it for all sorts of applications, including a glossy top coat for a model.

Part of the problem here is that N scale models are relatively small. To be glossy, paint needs some thickness. But that will hide the minute details on the body of an N scale model. So, IMO, there will be compromises between showing crisp details or having a mirror-like finish.

Here is one of my 1:24 scale models.

Few more are featured on http://classicplastic.org/pete.html

[Kisatchie]

I don't know what you could be doing wrong, but way back when I had airbrushes, I used Scalecoat II and ALWAYS got a gloss finish as smooth as glass.


Hmm... not me. Maybe I'd
better stop using a roller...

[chicken45]

Hmm. I bet I'm spraying too dry.

[pnolan48]

I get a nice gloss finish when I hold the airbrush (or rattlecan) about 1/3 closer than normal: hence, wetter paint. It took some gritted teeth to commit to a distance of about 6-7 inches but I just kept the brush moving.

[peteski]

I get a nice gloss finish when I hold the airbrush (or rattlecan) about 1/3 closer than normal: hence, wetter paint. It took some gritted teeth to commit to a distance of about 6-7 inches but I just kept the brush moving.

Besides doing that, one can also play with the air pressure and with the needle opening settings.  Everybody's technique can be slightly different. 

[pnolan48]

Besides doing that, one can also play with the air pressure and with the needle opening settings.  Everybody's technique can be slightly different.

Since I'm in a production setting and have acquired three airbrushes, I tend to leave the settings alone once I've found good ones for each paint formulation. I'm just not very good at adjusting them. But I have gotten better at cleaning them out!

[chicken45]

I sprayed wetter and thicker (TWSS) and it seemed to get better. Not perfect, but better.

[peteski]

I sprayed wetter and thicker (TWSS) and it seemed to get better. Not perfect, but better.

It takes practice...
The airbrush settings and the thinner-to-paint ratios will be different for different brands of paint. Sounds like you're getting there.