Orange Peel with Spray Varnish??? Please Help!

[SpicyJuan11]

Hi all, after finally getting a result that I'm happy with with an airbrush after many months, much to my disappointment, a simple gloss clear spray varnish (Tamiya TS-13) has almost ruined them.

I first sprayed my 1/48 Corsair with a thick, heavy coat in my garage (54-56F). The top half (my first pass) turned out very well except for a few spots where I got an "orange peel". When I repeated the process again on the bottom half, it turned out terrible! When I went on to a 1/72 Hs 129, I sprayed the upper half again with a quick light coat followed with additional coats after the initial layer dried (the temperature was now 60F). This turned out pretty good, but when I repeated the process on the underside, I got crackling again!!!

Can someone please help me understand what I'm doing wrong? Do I have to do even lighter, quicker coats? Do I need to warm the can up in warm water before I spray? Is the temperature of the garage too cold to spray (the instructions say at least 50F)? I have never had this issue before as I have always used Testors spray Glosscote without any issues.

Also, how do I fix the mess I already created? 3000 grit sanding sponge?

Please, any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[fubar57]

I'm still in the learning process of all things airbrush but I believe its best to start with light coats and then build up the colour. Spray bombs are a finicky thing, hard to control and more like a fire hose than an airbrush. I've only used one once, yellow, and took forever to build up the colour. I've heard warming up the can helps. About the orange peel.....
orange peel removal - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

GAH! Chasing 'orange peel' back and forth... stop the madness! - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

 

[SpicyJuan11]

I'm still in the learning process of all things airbrush but I believe its best to start with light coats and then build up the colour. Spray bombs are a finicky thing, hard to control and more like a fire hose than an airbrush. I've only used one once, yellow, and took forever to build up the colour. I've heard warming up the can helps. About the orange peel.....
orange peel removal - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

GAH! Chasing 'orange peel' back and forth... stop the madness! - FineScale Modeler - Essential magazine for scale model builders, model kit reviews, how-to scale modeling, and scale modeling products

Thank you for the links fubar! I bought myself a cheap $10 single-action airbrush for varnishes and clear coats which I have yet to use. What would you recommend spraying through that? I've been using the spray cans since they're so convenient.

 

[fubar57]

I have yet to use an airbrush for clear coats. I use a wide soft brush for Future and whatever flat coat paint is close at hand

 

[SpicyJuan11]

I have yet to use an airbrush for clear coats. I use a wide soft brush for Future and whatever flat coat paint is close at hand

Ok, thank you. I might have to do the same.

Update: I used a can of Testor's Dullcote right now and it came out perfectly despite me only putting on one thick layer and it drying in a temperature of 56F while the can says to use it at least at 70F. This is incredibly frustrating since Rustoleom is discontinuing the Testor's line. I thought Tamiya was supposed to be better than this?

 

[Airframes]

ALWAYS avoid a single, heavy coat !
This can, and probably will, lead to "pooling", runs, sags and drips, no matter how the paint or varnish is applied.
Whether using a brush or airbrush, apply one, even coat - missed or "thin" areas can be covered before the first coat is dry - and then build-up the coats as required for the desired finish, once previous coats have dried.
Also, find the optimum distance, from spray can or airbrush nozzle, from which to spray for the medium being used, by test and practice - too close can cause bubbling and an uneven, "runny" surface, and too far can cause a grainy, rough finish, or a thin, patchy,. uneven finish.
In general terms, spray cans are jus about acceptable for covering large, even areas, where a constant angle and distance from the surface can be maintained, but are not really suitable for anything else. They also lack good control over pressure and spray pattern an, in the long term, work out as expensive, compared to "normal" paint used with a compressor / airbrush or paint brush.

 

[SpicyJuan11]

ALWAYS avoid a single, heavy coat !
This can, and probably will, lead to "pooling", runs, sags and drips, no matter how the paint or varnish is applied.
Whether using a brush or airbrush, apply one, even coat - missed or "thin" areas can be covered before the first coat is dry - and then build-up the coats as required for the desired finish, once previous coats have dried.
Also, find the optimum distance, from spray can or airbrush nozzle, from which to spray for the medium being used, by test and practice - too close can cause bubbling and an uneven, "runny" surface, and too far can cause a grainy, rough finish, or a thin, patchy,. uneven finish.
In general terms, spray cans are jus about acceptable for covering large, even areas, where a constant angle and distance from the surface can be maintained, but are not really suitable for anything else. They also lack good control over pressure and spray pattern an, in the long term, work out as expensive, compared to "normal" paint used with a compressor / airbrush or paint brush.

Thank you airframes. How many coats do I need if I just want a simple surface to put decals over? Looking closely at the second model, I'm not seeing an orange peel rather a cracking texture. What causes this? The model/spray can not being warm enough?

 

[Airframes]

To answer the first question, it should be good enough when there's a smooth, glossy surface, particularly where the decals are to go. This may take one coat, or as many as needed to get the desired gloss.
The cracking is possibly caused by too heavy a coat, or coating before the first coat is fully hardened, ort a combination of both.