Tru-Color paint question

[bman]

I've a quick question for those of you who have been using Tru-Color paint.  What brand of dull or flat finish are you using for your final coat?  Going to give Tru-Color a try this weekend and was wondering if anyone uses a rattle can flat to finish or  should I stick to Tru-Color's flat through an airbrush.  I've always used Testor's MM dull coat, or gloss if it's a model car, over everything I've painted.  But that's over acrylics and enamels.  Tru-color is a new type of paint for me as I believe it's acetone based if I read correctly.  Thanks for the help and advice.

[peteski]

I use Testors Dull and Gloss cotes over Tru-Color and Accu Paint paints.  But as you said, Tru-Color also  sells their won clear coats (in gloss, sating and flat).  You know those will work too. Of course all of the water-based clears will work too.

That paint is a type of a lacquer and uses organic (smelly) type of solvent.  it will handle pretty much anything over it.

[craigolio1]

I used Testors clears as well and had success. However I don't know that everything can be applied over top.  I tried to paint some grills with Polyscale black and it was like oil and water. Afterwards I redid it with some Model Master black and it covered just fine.

Craig

[coosvalley]

I use rattle can Testors dullcote over Tru-color, no problem....I do recommend using lacquer thinner instead of acetone to thin, however, or just use Tru-colors thinner..

[nickelplate759]

I use rattle can Testors dullcote over Tru-color, no problem....I do recommend using lacquer thinner instead of acetone to thin, however, or just use Tru-colors thinner..

I use Tru-color almost exclusively these days.  The Testors rattle-can clear coats work just fine with it.

That said, I have consistently poor results with rattle-can Dullcote, no matter what the base paint is.    The dullness always ends up uneven after it dries.  this happens no matter how much or little I shake the can, and seems to be an artifact of how the stuff dries.  Am I putting the stuff on too wet maybe?

On the other hand, I have consistently good results with rattle-can ModelMaster semi-gloss - as long as I want a semi-gloss finish of course.   The only problem I ever had was once  when I forgot to shake it, and it worked like a gloss coat.

[cbroughton67]

That said, I have consistently poor results with rattle-can Dullcote, no matter what the base paint is.    The dullness always ends up uneven after it dries.  this happens no matter how much or little I shake the can, and seems to be an artifact of how the stuff dries.  Am I putting the stuff on too wet maybe?

[/size]
[/size][size=78%]I've had that issue as well. [/size]However[size=78%], one I've noticed that the glossier the surface I apply it to, the more matte and more [/size]even the finish appears. Not sure what that's about... [size=78%]

[/size]Chris[size=78%]

[cbroughton67]

I use rattle-can Testors Dullcote as well (not the MM version).


I've heard good things about the Tru-Color flat finish, when it's mixed right. A reputable guy on a FB page I follow discovered that simply shaking the bottle isn't enough to get whatever makes it matte loose from the bottom of the bottle. It has to be stirred with a toothpick, Badger paint mixer, etc. in order to get a truly flat finish. I haven't used it yet, but that's what I've read. FWIW, that Badger paint mixer is the best $10 I ever spent...


https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Badger-121-Paint-Mixer-p/bad-121.htm


Chris

[SP-Wolf]

I use Testors dull coat - airbrush version over Tru-Color. As I feel I have better control of it. I suck at rattle can painting.

Thanks,
Wolf

[peteski]

I use Testors dull coat - airbrush version over Tru-Color. As I feel I have better control of it. I suck at rattle can painting.

Thanks,
Wolf

There is no airbrush version.,    Only a spray-can and a glass bottle (brushable).
So are you decanting the spray, or thinning the brushable version for airbrushing?

[wazzou]

I prefer to use the Lusterless Flat spray cans by Model Master, a division of Testors.  Better nozzles that better atomize the product.

[SP-Wolf]

There is no airbrush version.,    Only a spray-can and a glass bottle (brushable).
So are you decanting the spray, or thinning the brushable version for airbrushing?

I use the glass bottle version -- to be honest, I wasn't aware that it is supposed to be "brushable" - go figure.

Wolf

[Missaberoad]

I use the glass bottle version -- to be honest, I wasn't aware that it is supposed to be "brushable" - go figure.

Wolf

I'm not sure its "supposed" to be brush applied, it's simply not pre-thinned for an airbrush...

[peteski]

I'm not sure its "supposed" to be brush applied, it's simply not pre-thinned for an airbrush...

Exactly.  When bottled hobby paint needs to be thinned (quite a bit) to be sprayed through an airbrush, I call it "brushable".  There are other hobby paints which are sold in bottles (like Alclad II) which are airbrush-ready. Those are way too thin to be brushable.

The Tru-Color itself is a it of a dilemma to me.  It comes in a bottle and the manufacturer says that it is airbrush-ready. But to me it is a bit too viscous out-of-the-bottle, and straight-out-of-the-bottle to me it is too thin to be brushable.

I also decant spray cans so I can airbrush those paints, and I often find those slighty too viscous for airbrushing. So I thin those too.

[robert3985]

...that Badger paint mixer is the best $10 I ever spent...


https://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Badger-121-Paint-Mixer-p/bad-121.htm


Chris

What he said....

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[wazzou]

Yeah, I bought one of those from Micromark probably 18 years ago.  Great tool. 
I use it whenever I open a bottle of paint.