Lacquer clear coat

[deano2450]

Started building the Dyno Don Eliminator and the body is molded in red. Is it okay to apply decals to the bare body and use a lacquer clear coat? Been building off and on for 40 years and can only come up with a mediocre paint job on 95% of my builds. 

Edited April 14, 2019 by deano2450
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[Modelbuilder Mark]

You should be ok with Testors versions such as wet look,, but any other brands,  i would test on spare sprue from the same kit. 

[BigTallDad]

I prefer Tamiya TS-13

[deano2450]

I have Testor's "blue label" clear.

[El Roberto]

You might want to test it first using the same plastic and decal brand.

[BigTallDad]

Most decal sheets have extra info, such as copyright date, kit number, etc. Apply one of those to a sprue, then spray with the paint you have.

[Rider]

My 2 cents.

Not meaning to throw a wrench into this discussion, but I would suggest polyurethane as a much 'friendlier' option. With poly-u you'll have no worries about it reacting to the decals or any other paint you may have laid down. Plus it is pretty hard to mess up the finish, it lays down glass smooth with a good wet look finish. I use it exclusively when I build, or paint helmet/goalie masks etc. The only draw back is it is  hard to rub out a scale shell and get the original sheen to it if you happen to mess it up. Keeping this in mind It does polish up but never as good as untouched, simply because you can't put the pressure behind it without damaging the shell. 

[ACR-E Doug]

You have to be careful of TS13 it can be hard on decals.  It is a very good clear otherwise.

[peteski]

14 hours ago, Rider said:

My 2 cents.

Not meaning to throw a wrench into this discussion, but I would suggest polyurethane as a much 'friendlier' option. With poly-u you'll have no worries about it reacting to the decals or any other paint you may have laid down.

"Polyurethane" is a very nebulous term, covering many different coatings.  For example there is Minwax Urethane which  is used for finishing wood, but can be used on models. However it is amber in color. There is also a water-based version of that urethane which is clear.

Can you give some specific types or or brands of the polyurethane you are using?

[Rider]

7 hours ago, peteski said:

"Polyurethane" is a very nebulous term, covering many different coatings.  For example there is Minwax Urethane which  is used for finishing wood, but can be used on models. However it is amber in color. There is also a water-based version of that urethane which is clear.

Can you give some specific types or or brands of the polyurethane you are using?

I buy it from my local auto paint supplier. I buy the Valspar 2 part stuff. The draw back using this stuff is it is very toxic and requires  ample ventilation and a good mask. Check with your local paint supplier you might be able to get the rattle can stuff which it was available a few years ago. 

Tamiya acrylic clear is also a good option, non toxic, lays down smooth, and my polishes up really well, just make sure to lay down a number of coats. 

[TarheelRick]

My understanding of the original question is the builder intends to shoot clear on bare plastic.  Will the clears mentioned have any negative interaction with bare plastic?  Years ago I shot some clear on an unpainted body and it bubbled very badly.

[peteski]

On 4/14/2019 at 2:39 PM, deano2450 said:

Started building the Dyno Don Eliminator and the body is molded in red. Is it okay to apply decals to the bare body and use a lacquer clear coat? Been building off and on for 40 years and can only come up with a mediocre paint job on 95% of my builds. 

While I have never done this, I don't think there will be a problem if you use clear designed to be plastic compatible (made specifically for plastic model kits - like Testors or Tamiya paints).  But I'm not sure how the decals will stick to bare plastic.

 

But if you think your color paint jobs are mediocre, do you think you clear paint job will be any better?