Spraying %$&#ing gloss!

[chicken45]

I think I may still be spraying too dry. I painted some styrene with some gloss and had some issues. It may have been a dirty airbrush nozzle, though. We'll see what happens.

[peteski]

I think I may still be spraying too dry. I painted some styrene with some gloss and had some issues. It may have been a dirty airbrush nozzle, though. We'll see what happens.

It needs to go on wet so it levels out on the painted surface.  Either decrease air pressure, increase paint flow, or spray closer to the model (or a combination of any of the above).  If you get really close to the model you will want to use low air pressure and not too much paint flow.  It is a matter of practicing what works the best for you.

[chicken45]

More frustration!
This was after 3 coats of hand brushed future.  Do I need to just add more coats?

[Lemosteam]

Get closer and slow your movement.  Weeeetttt.

[Philip H]

More frustration!
This was after 3 coats of hand brushed future.  Do I need to just add more coats?

Doesn't get much closer or slower . . . .

[chicken45]

That's the problem. If I get closer, I'll need lower pressure. I'm already spraying at 15psi when I do spray.

[central.vermont]

Josh,
Do you have a photo of this car before any gloss coating? I'm thinking that your problem is you have a very rough finish to begin with. If that's the case then you may not get a good finish no matter how many coats you put on it. If it is rough then your paint is going on too dry. Just my observation.

Jon

[peteski]

I agree that the paint under the gloss coat is the real problem. It must have been very flat and possibly applied in a way that partially dried it before it hit the model. That gives the flat surface even more texture (which the gloss has to fill to get really glossy).  You can apply 20 coats of gloss (future or whatever) to actually make it glossy (that will fill all the irregularities) but the clear will be so thick that the model will look like it has a layer of ice on it!

On model car bodies (automotive models) when when something like this happens, you could sand and rub out the surface then spray more clear), but on a body with all sorts of surface details and rivets this will not work.

The key to a glossy coat is smoothness of all the layers of paint applied to the model.  I prefer not using flat paints as the color coat.  That is why I like paints such as AccuPaint, Tru-Color, or Scalecoat II.  They dry to a smooth semigloss finish (if applied properly of course). 

[chicken45]

Hmm. Ok. That's likely, you guys. I had some trouble spraying the paint today. It was an old acrylic.  I had to put on several light coats and thought the gloss would level things out. I just didn't realize how many coats it would take.