Model Master Acrylic Clear coats?

[dneid]

Hey, All,
Well, my experience with Tamiya acrylic flat has left me less than pleased. I know many of you use the Future/Tamiya Flat mix for your final coats and swear by that for long term quality of finish. However, I am looking to try alternatives after having the Tamiya flat chalk up badly on me. Does anyone have any experience with the Model Master Acrylic clear coats? If so, here are my questions:

1) Over all quality?
2) Do you use JUST the MM acrylic clear coats or do you mix with Future?
3) For longer term, how does the MM acrylic clear coats hold up over time? Yellowing? Cracking?

Thank you in advance for your time.

Dale

 

[T Bolt]

I've not used Model Master Acrylic clear coats, but I do use Testors Dullcote Lacquer over Future and have always been happy with it. Just be sure to use Testors or MM airbrush thinner 3:1 paint to thinner.

 

[Crimea_River]

I'm with Glenn and have been satisfied with the results. On a couple of occasions, I have run afoul with applying this over Future, perhaps because I thinned with lacquer thinner. I've done a couple of recent builds with Tamiya Flat Base/Future mix and the jury is out for me. I came close to messing up my White 11 D-9 with slight cloudiness appearing.

 

[Airframes]

I'll admit, the first time I mixed Future and Tamiya Flat Base, I made a right Rs of it, and ended up with a whiteish grey Beaufighter - which should have been matt black!
The trick is to add just a very small amount of the FB, until the finish is just starting to dry semi-matt. Experimenting with adding further, very small amounts, will produce matt.
If cloudiness or a chalky appearance are evident when dry (on a test piece), then just add a touch more Future, and so on. Once you've found the right measure, it's a doddle.
When I say small amounts, I usually decant the equivalent of around half a cap full into an empty Tamiya bottle (the 23 ml size that the thinners comes in), then add the FB, using a loaded paint brush. Normally, it's around 2 to 3 'brush loads', maybe a touch more, thoroughly stirred in, and stirred again thoroughly, before use.
Not a very scientific way of doing things, but trial and error seems to work well every time.

 

[dneid]

Hey, Terry,
Ok, you can bend me over and spank me.... I went back and looked over the Flat base. Man, here is where I earn the spanking. I interpreted Flat Base as Flat Base Finish.

So, I have been playing around with the Future/Tamiya Flat Base mixes on some scrap sheet painted OD. Finally getting a set of mixes that appear to be flat, "mostly flat" matte, and a nice matte. Time to grab some over sized bottles and do some mixes for use. This leads to the question of how long can you store these mixes? If I make 2-4 ounces, can I leave them in the bottle and just stir as needed when I spray them?
Ok, ok, I see all you pervs lining up in the "spank the dumb arse's arse" line.

Dale

 

[Airframes]

One cricket bat, spanking for the use of, at the ready old boy!
Sounds like you've cracked it. I normally mix up two or three bottles, ranging from the semi-matt, through full matt, to just off gloss, and they will possibly evaporate before they go off!
I think the longest I kept a bottle was around one year, having forgot it was there. Meanwhile, I mixed and used smaller amounts, before finding and using the original ix without problem. I'm just now looking at a mix of semi-matt (Luftwaffe finish) which has the date August 2011 written on the label, and it looks ok to me.
Basically, if there is liquid in the bottle, meaning it's airtight, and it stirs in ok, it's usable. Of course, after a long period, the 15 minutes taken to brush some on to scrap and let it dry, to test it, is worthwhile - just in case. If by some remote chance it doesn't work, then just dump it and mix fresh.