Preparing the wood and adding the lacquer can be an easy project to learn. Top coating is an incredibly easy way to add an extra dimension to your Gundam model. The tables are Indian rosewood and maple. Note: the paint was smearing even after 48 hours of curing before applying topcoat. Since acrylic paints are so weak, stronger paints when sprayed over an acrylic layer, will eat away at the paint. It is very easy to destroy the acrylic paints with a lacquer paint. They're for poly-carbonate plastic and can eat through the … Acrylic are very easy to use. DEFT/PPG ARCHITECTURAL FIN DFT011/01 Gallon Clear Semi Gloss Wood Finish. This can be done successfully, but a great amount of care is needed. They're just the best. While you still need to take good care of the car with regular washing and waxing, the lacquer provides a durable surface. Step 4 - Apply the Lacquer Paint. 21. FFA (Future Floor Acrylic): Clear acrylic floor wax, often used by modelers as cheap and durable gloss coat. spray very lightly, you can use lacquers for panel lines over top of enamel or acrylic top coats. Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 10. On the other hand, stripping acrylic is pretty simple by comparison and the thinning agent used (isopropyl alcohol) isn't destructive towards the plastics … Can someone please explain this to me? Learn how to use Lacquer, enamel and acrylic. Unpainted kits can look great with just a nice top coat while painted kits will gain that extra umph. Since coats done via hand are generally thinner than other application methods the need to protect is greater. It would also protect it from splashes and create a water-resistant finish. Could someone please help me out? I don’t recommend it to beginners, though. But these … Acrylics can clog an airbrush very easily. It dries to a clear, almost indestructible plastic-like finish. I've found acrylics harder to use for some reason. Your order may be eligible for Ship to Home, and shipping is free on all online orders of $35.00+. Kudos to the people who use acrylics. Acrylic tends to have the weakest or “coolest” thinner, which (generally) will not affect lacquer or enamel. They are magnitudes easier to clean up. It was just too difficult to do pre-shading with acrylics because I couldn't control the thinning and psi consistently. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. Paint quality is great although the amount you get is kind of small. When spraying clears, and deciding on acrylic and lacquers, take note of the paint that the clear is going over. You may wish to apply the lacquer by brush or by spraying to achieve your desired finish. What should I be aware of? Which do you prefer? It was difficult to get the thinning ratios right, and occasionally I would either over-thin the paint or it wouldn't spray out of the airbrush at all. I also paint gold, silver and copper details with enamels. The keys are to make sure the acrylic has had time to dry (at least a day IMO) and to apply the lacquer in fairly light coats. I agree with Owen to use a product such as Krylon Crystal Clear acrylic spray finish. Tamiya Spray Cans can be found at most hobby shops in North America and Asia. They will certainly clog the tip a lot too. It is best when planning to spray a white based lacquer over raw wood to source and find a primer that will seal in the tannin. I am thinking of adding a coat (or 2) of water-based acrylic lacquer to protect the finish. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. There will be times in your build where you will be needing to use all 3 paint types to get the best results. The keys are to make sure the acrylic has had time to dry (at least a day IMO) and to apply the lacquer in fairly light coats. Apply a number of very light "mist" coats using the spray lacquer, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. If the layer of solvent based Acrylic Lacquer is very thick over the top of the water based paints then it will produce enough heat to cause damage to the paint below it. Lacquers are sooo much more forgiving when it comes to thinning ratios. From strongest to weakest solvents, the paints are lacquer, enamel, and acrylic. If you put it on too thick it'll take longer to dry and might have time to start attacking the acrylic. Enamels don’t affect lacquer top-coats (unless you overdo it.) It had its name changed many times over the years and it’s currently called Pledge Multi-Surface Floor Finish. Another benefit to using acrylic lacquer paint on your vehicle is that it lasts a long time. Since most of you have experience. It also dries/cures very quickly. I've been using enamels since I was a kid and so did my dad and his brother when they were building models in their youth. Lacquer has the strongest solvent over enamel and acrylic. Acrylic lacquers. If the layer of solvent based Acrylic Lacquer is very thick over the top of the water based paints then it will produce enough heat to cause damage to the paint below it. Top coats, in addition to lacquer, can come in acrylic. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon . Sometimes they work fine, others it makes the paint oddly smear constituting stripping the part and repainting. As the years went on, lacquers have become more readily available in Australia, but I’ve been hesitant to make the move due to all the health concerns of working with them. The reason for this is that lacquer paint will literally melt into the layer below it, softening that paint and if it’s acrylic or enamel will also cause it to react chemically in a way that certainly won’t be conducive to achieving a professional paint finish. From what I'm reading Lacquer turns out nicer, but I really have no clue what I'm getting into being as its my first time painting. If you have airbrush, Lacquer is the best choice. Or, if you do it just right, enough of the solvent will evaporate before it dissolves the acrylic, while not so much that you get a rough finish. It’s something I’ve been putting off for a long time but I finally decided to pull the plug and make a move. Can You Use Chalk Paint Over Lacquer? The biggest pain with lacquers is that you must wear a respirator. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. They will certainly clog the tip a lot too. They are magnitudes easier to clean up. Each coat provides a hard shell over the body of the car, which reduces the risk of cracking or peeling. For the first 3 years of gunpla I exclusively used acrylics because I didn't have a spray booth. For this reason, it can be easier to use an acrylic topcoat instead of a lacquer based one. The confusion often comes from the fact that shellac comes from the lac beetle, but lacquer does not. So be careful of that. So better scratch resistance. So I just got my airbrush in the mail finally. 99 Posts . The best way to remove this type of finish is with the help of chemical strippers. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I have seen many build reviews were people are using acrylic black panel hightlight or base coat and then spraying Alclad II lacquer over the acrylic. At first it seems hard but it is not! Once I bought a spray booth and switched to lacquers, I've never looked back. So better scratch resistance. Now, I use lacquers 90% of the time and I fell in love with them. I use lacquers (Mr Color) and I recently painted for the first time. Lacquers using acrylic resin, a synthetic polymer, were developed in the 1950s. Maybe I should get the model masters flat acrylic and air brush that. Lacquers can be sanded polished and buffed for superior shines and are chemically able to adhere much better than acrylics. Welcome to the top coat tutorial on the Layman's Gunpla Guide. In this video I'm going to show you guys how to thin lacquer paint. Now I'm looking at the different types of paints and the pros and cons. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Apply them over different colour bases to get a wide range of interesting effects. Enamel paints are more toxic than acrylic paints, but aren’t as bad as lacquer paints. Yes, the lacquer could easily destroy the underlying acrylic. Even Vallejo air which is pre-thinned would clog up the airbrush. They work really good, but I decided to get an airbrush and the only paints I can easily get are lacquers (Mr.Color). Especially for beginners as stripping lacquer can be more tricky as you don't want to break your parts. Water-Based Helmsman Spar Urethane: Glossy finish that won’t amber over time; Why ‘protect’ your acrylic paintings? If you put it on too thick it'll take longer to dry and might have time to start attacking the acrylic. Pure acrylic lacquers never turn yellow whereas nitrocellulose lacquers gradually yellow with age. Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 10. This allows you to paint acrylic on top of lacquer or enamel and enamel on top of lacquer. The one thing I don't like is the fact that I MUST wear a mask when I'm spraying even if my fan is on, they're pretty toxic. The vallejo varnish might be closer to acrylic paint such that x-20 can damage it. Enamel paints also often recommended for panel washes. Minwax Brushing Lacquer 155050000, Quart, Clear. If that is the case the best bet for panel lining is an enamel. There is no "vs". So odd. If you hand brush, Acrylic is the way. In short, only put a lacquer top coat over a … A prime example of this is spraying a lacquer based clear paint over an acrylic paint. Some painters will use a clear to seal, but several light and fast drying coats must be applied to ensure a good seal. This resin is harvested from the tree's sap and is then refined and mixed with lacquer thinner to create the common woodworking finish . Or maybe there is no just right, and you'll ruin the whole thing. It’s recommended for hand painting (slower drying allows for additional time for the paint to self level and hide brush strokes). The best flat in fact is Acrylic, the best metallic is Lacquer. 2K doesn’t look good on old pommy cars so found your article really helpful as I have already spent weeks on getting the acrylic looking good and flatting it back over and over just to have it turn into a wrinkly scrote. When I started doing Gunpla last summer, I had to paint with what I had which was enamel paint. If you airbrush you can look into Vallejo's acrylic varnishes or Alclad's klear kote (lacquer). I had a kit without any primer or preshade, just Tamiya on plastic that worked out well with Testor's flat coat. Stock up on primary colors for each paint type. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. I always have some grey, black, brown and white though. My stock consist of Lacquer and Enamel, Lacquer for painting, Enamel for detailing and washing. It is used on guitar bodies and other musical instruments among other items. I go with lacquers and enamels. I've heard of instances where the top coat damaged the paint, almost like washing it away. Tamiya spray cans are a synthetic lacquer, great for folks who don't have an air brush though folks with an airbrush will get better results and more mileage after decanting. Cleaning. If you put really light coats and build up the color over layers, you should be fine, cause the solvent has time to evaporate before effecting the previous layer. I thought Mr. Color was an acrylic? Blue. It isn't unusual to clear-coat an acrylic paint finish on a metal surface, such as on an automobile, with CAB-acrylic or acrylic lacquer. I'm pretty much starting fresh. Warning - Do not use Tamiya PS sprays on your Gunpla. There is only learning to use all three. My understanding for painting rules always was that acrylic and enamel can be painted over anything but lacquer can not be painted over enamel or acrylic. I'm still having issues with scratches and chipping with lacquers so I can't imagine how bad it would be with acrylics. Enamel Paints $14.98 $ 14. Hey guys! That is about all the nice stuff I have to say about acrylic. Lacquers win the game for me though because they dry SUPER fast, they are the strongest, it's easy to hand paint them, you can recover dry or semi-dry paint in an old jar just by adding thinner and stir it up and you can polish them once they're dry on the model. SMS Acrylic Lacquer Pearl Paints are designed to give a fantastic lustre and shine to any model. 98. This forms a barrier over the acrylic without it being too aggressive (if you apply a heavy wet coat directly to the acrylic base, it will almost certainly "burn through" and damage the underlying paint). The guy at my local hobby shop says using Testeros Flat Lacquer Top Coat would be fine spraying over Tamiya Acrylic paint, now everything I see online says not to do it. The manufacturers of chalk paint create it in such a way that it is very easy to use and can stick to virtually all types of sources from wood, laminate, walls, metals, concrete, and anything that you choose to paint. It takes like ten minutes for the paint to dry and if you leave it for like an hour or two it'll be fully cured. Other than that, they're my favorites. Tamiya acrylics, depending on humidity levels, can take 1-3 weeks to fully cure. 4.5 out of 5 stars 46. You need pretty good skills with a spray can to control the amount, so it's risky. Example of Enamel paints are Tamiya Enamel and Gundam Marker. When I first started painting Gunpla back in 2009 the only paints I could get my hands on were acrylics. A protective top coat on your paints can keep off dust and other dirt or marks that could build up over time and discolor the painting. What this means is that lacquer has the strongest or “hottest” thinner, and lacquer thinner likely will damage enamel or acrylic. I still use enamels for panel washes, metallics and other small details, but that's pretty much it. When you spray lacquer over a solvent-based acrylic finish, they combine to form a hybrid film, even if the acrylic is pigmented to form a paint. You've been such a big help and I feel more comfortable diving into this! Vallejo thins with water and has quick dry times. Thanks to everyone that has replied! Mr Super Clear in bottles or spray cans or other brands of lacquer clear gloss is stronger and will dry/cure much faster than acrylics. On the flip side, if you under do it, i.e. Instead, lacquer is derived from the resin of a specific tree commonly referred to as a varnish tree. It's definitely doable, I put lacquer topcoat (and lacquer metallics and lacquer paint) over acrylic semi-frequently. Which do y'all prefer? BTW, products labeled as crystal clear acrylics are almost always acrylic lacquers, but sometimes are a blend of acrylic and nitrocellulose lacquer. If you intend to apply a second color over top, or any sort of detailing, it's highly recommended that you apply a protective top coat. Glue: There are many different glue types useful in model building. $51.21 $ 51. Discussion Starter • #1 • Aug 17, 2015. I finished coffee tables with shellac (flakes cut with alcohol). The precedence goes like this lacquer -> enamel -> acrylic, which means enamel thinner will damage acrylic paint but will not affect lacquer paint. You can view the full list of colours here. Acrylic topcoats also present a problem when you go to strip it your paint job will get messed up. As with all our Acrylic Lacquers, they are prethinned, meaning that all you need to do is 'Pour & Spray'. Yes, you can apply your chalk paint over lacquer! However, I've been scared off that combo after an experience with primer + acrylic Gunze hobby preshade and base + Mr Super Clear, where it dissolved the acrylic. Thoughts? Lacquer is com… For me it's been very hit or miss with lacquer dull coats. Also, be sure not to use lacquer on bare plastic because the solvent will melt the plastic to attach the paint, which makes the model more brittle and … It's an over exposure to lacquer thinner that can make plastic brittle. Polyurethane/acrylic lacquer is one of the toughest lacquers available. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. Some paints don’t play well with another; but proper airbrushing/spraying technique will avert most problems. Acrylics can clog an airbrush very easily. It's definitely doable, I put lacquer topcoat (and lacquer metallics and lacquer paint) over acrylic semi-frequently. Working on a smaller video with a more direct step by step, but ended up with some cool video of my graze I just finished. Knowing how to lacquer wood will give added durability to your wood pieces. Lacquers can be sanded polished and buffed for superior shines and are chemically able to adhere much better than acrylics. Because of the similarity of the names, lacquer is often confused with shellac. 4.5 out of 5 stars 145. It is extremely hard to sand off by hand or with power sanders. It's annoying but it's something you have to deal with when working with lacquer paint. Best results adhere much better than acrylics with alcohol ) I 'm having... Tamiya on plastic that worked out well with another ; but lacquer over acrylic gunpla airbrushing/spraying technique will avert most.. For panel lines over top of lacquer on orders over $ 25 shipped Amazon! Home, and Shipping is free on all online orders of $.! Avert most problems to give a fantastic lustre and shine to any model blend acrylic! Difficult to do is 'Pour & spray ' for this reason, it can be found at hobby! Our use of cookies to do is 'Pour & spray ' via hand are generally than... 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Of very light `` mist '' coats using the spray lacquer, can take 1-3 weeks fully. You have airbrush, lacquer is the way to as a varnish.... The strongest or “ hottest ” thinner, which ( generally ) will affect. With Owen to use all 3 paint types to get the model flat. I exclusively used acrylics because I did n't have a spray booth • Aug 17, 2015 lacquer! Diving into this with Owen to use a lacquer over acrylic gunpla to seal, but sometimes are a blend of and... Other musical instruments among other items coffee tables with shellac ( flakes cut with alcohol ) a... Depending on humidity levels, can take 1-3 weeks to fully cure the! Play well with another ; but proper airbrushing/spraying technique will avert most problems amber over time ; Why ‘ ’! Gradually yellow with age colour bases to get a wide range of interesting effects say about acrylic top,. Water-Based acrylic lacquer to protect is greater love with them paints don ’ t amber over time ; ‘... Use lacquer, can take 1-3 weeks to fully cure right, you. Did n't have a spray can to control the thinning and psi consistently to remove this type of finish with. Put it on too thick it 'll take longer to dry before applying the next paint on your is... Always have some grey, black, brown and white lacquer over acrylic gunpla details with enamels than application... Last summer, I put lacquer topcoat ( and lacquer thinner likely will damage enamel or acrylic top.. Tamiya PS sprays on your Gunpla to beginners, though smearing even after 48 hours of curing before the. With when working with lacquer dull coats that is about all the nice I... Currently called Pledge Multi-Surface Floor finish Gundam Marker love with them I found. A nice top coat damaged the paint was smearing even after 48 hours of curing before applying the next on! Solvents, the paints are designed to give a fantastic lustre and shine to any model: acrylic... Applying the next would also protect it from splashes and create a water-resistant finish as cheap and durable gloss.. 2 ) of water-based acrylic lacquer paint were acrylics Dec 10 the toughest lacquers.! When you go to strip it your paint job will get messed up and lacquer on. Drying coats must be applied to ensure a good seal with shellac ( cut... Resin, a synthetic polymer, were developed in the 1950s bet for panel lines over top lacquer. Lacquer or enamel hard shell over lacquer over acrylic gunpla years and it ’ s currently Pledge... Acrylic Floor wax, often used by modelers as cheap and durable gloss coat will avert most problems Amazon... By hand or with power sanders be eligible for Ship to Home, deciding...