What I have done wrong? Clear coat related...

Hi guys,

After a few years of not doing any scale modeling, I have decided to start again during the winter. I was done with the paint of my current model; 2 coats of spray can primer and 2 coats of TS-38 and then I applied 2 coat of clear coat ( Tamiya TS-13 ). Here the resultats...

I was happy with my paint result before applying the clear coat... Now it like it's not the same color everywhere, different shade of the color, some area seems to have too much. I tried to not apply to much during each coat. I'm lost...
Did I applied too much clear or not enough? Is my 4-5 years old clear can is not good anymore? Can it be fixed with wet sanding?
What I have done wrong?

Thanks for the help!

I haven't had this problem with Tamiya Gun metal, but clearly something went wrong. Things like this have only happened to me when I've put down too much on the color or clear, but you said you tried to keep things light so I don't know what to tell you.

I don't think you can fix this with sanding. Looks like you might have to strip the thing.

One thing I would do in your situation is test the paint on a plastic spoon, then go over it with clear and see if the same thing happens again.

To me it looks like what we call 'flooding' Its caused by the clear coat going on too wet and activating the metallic paint and then the flakes will float around.

Its easy to have this issue when using spray cans as the volume they spray out, even when trying to do light coats, is far more than an airbrush.

It can help to make sure your painting environment is warm and the paint and body are warm too so the paint flashes off as quick as possible and spray initial light coats of clear leaving plenty of drying time between them so there is less solvent build up.

I can't see how you could save that other than to sand and respray.

Interesting!
That model is pretty much "lost" for me, but I don't want to do the same mistake on my next one...
Thanks guys for the help!

It can also be that the air humidity has been too high in your painting location. Too much humidity can cause the paint and clear coat to go foggy.

Interesting!
That model is pretty much "lost" for me, but I don't want to do the same mistake on my next one...
Thanks guys for the help!

Try leaving the body in 91% alcohol overnight. It should strip all the paint and primer off nicely enough for you to start over and save the model.

In case you didn't, apply several light coats as apposed to fewer heavy coats. That should help when using spray cans.

The clear has 'burned' the colour layer. It's softened it to the point where it has become wet again and then flowed into the wet clear layer. Then all the metallic particles have pooled up. That's why you have that colour shift and patchy finish. The Tamiya TS-13 is renowned as being a hot clear. It can cause decals to melt also. Don't stress, you can strip the paint off with ipa and repaint. If you use the same clear again go very light and allow time between coats..

Try leaving the body in 91% alcohol overnight. It should strip all the paint and primer off nicely enough for you to start over and save the model....

Thanks for the tips, I might try that.

The clear has 'burned' the colour layer. It's softened it to the point where it has become wet again and then flowed into the wet clear layer. Then all the metallic particles have pooled up. That's why you have that colour shift and patchy finish. The Tamiya TS-13 is renowned as being a hot clear. It can cause decals to melt also. Don't stress, you can strip the paint off with ipa and repaint. If you use the same clear again go very light and allow time between coats..

Interesting! Next time, should I use a different kind of clear coat? Any recommandation?


Thanks guys for all the good info!

GLL - RonCla and Steve Nobel are correct - too heavy of a coat of the clear was applied and the solvents in the clear "activated" the solvents in the metalic paint which cause the metalic flakes to run.

when you spray the clear coat you want to apply at least one but preferably 2 or more thin coats just to dust the paint with the clear. \

Clear coats can have highly aggressive solvents that will "melt" or reactivate solvents in the paint coats below - especially "enamel" and "2K" clear coats.

the only way to fix it is to strip the paint and reapply the paint and the clearcoat

Cheers
John

What’s it’s interesting though is that is used correctly. TS-13 can provide a smoother metallic finish by lightly activating the layer underneath. I noticed that if I time my clear coat to roughly an hour after my last wet coat.