help; Lacquer curing time - Mr color

hi all,

I am hoping someone can help me out with some info on clear coating lacquer paints. Mr color in particular.

I am after clarification about the timing of clear coat application once the color has been laid down.

I understand (As with automotive finishes i have used on actual cars, not models) that you should either apply the clear coat after a lengthened flash off time period (anything from 30 min to a few hours, depending on the paint)
OR wait for the color to fully cure and then clear coat can be applied.
(i'm assuming that is due to different curing/shrinkage rates of the two layers of paint, which could cause all sorts of problems)

I have laid down the colour, and was not able to do the clear so now i'm waiting to clear it.
It is not overly warm where i live but the models are indoors so are stored at room temperature.
I have used Mr. color lacquer (bottle for air brush not spray cans)
My question is;


does anyone have any official info about the time I should wait ?
maybe someone has got some personal experience?

I've read elsewhere 4 weeks is a good guess, but is that accurate and applicable to Mr. color?

I will be clear coating with Mr. color clear, I have both bottles for the airbrush and cans, so can use either. (if there is any difference??)

PS; should I be wary of decals being eaten by the Mr. color clear?
This will be the first time I have cleared over decals.
I assume a few mist coats should be done first to be safe like everyone says to do with the tamiya clear....

thanks in advance.

I've used Mr Color paints many times, but only used their clear once or twice. The clear I used was the Mr Color clear in the same glass jars as the paints come in and this was quite strong and did slightly affect the decals. Although I didn't push it, I feel that if applied heavily you would melt the decals. As for clearing over the paints themselves and a time frame for doing that, I can honestly say that I've cleared over them after a few hours and also after a few days and never had any problems whatsoever. They have never reacted badly to the clear or cracked etc. I always use Zero 2k clear coat by the way. This is also the only clear that I have 100% confidence with when spraying over decals. In 8+ years of use and over almost every brand and type of decals, it has never damaged any decals ever.

I've used Mr Color paints many times, but only used their clear once or twice. The clear I used was the Mr Color clear in the same glass jars as the paints come in and this was quite strong and did slightly affect the decals. Although I didn't push it, I feel that if applied heavily you would melt the decals. As for clearing over the paints themselves and a time frame for doing that, I can honestly say that I've cleared over them after a few hours and also after a few days and never had any problems whatsoever. They have never reacted badly to the clear or cracked etc. I always use Zero 2k clear coat by the way. This is also the only clear that I have 100% confidence with when spraying over decals. In 8+ years of use and over almost every brand and type of decals, it has never damaged any decals ever.

thank you stevenoble,
I was hoping you would reply as you are the one who convinced me to try the mr color paints.

by the time i get a day good enough to paint they should be fine to clear coat then.

i might re consider using it over the decals, maybe i'll do a test on something first or maybe i will just get some 2k.

thanks again.

thank you stevenoble,
I was hoping you would reply as you are the one who convinced me to try the mr color paints.

by the time i get a day good enough to paint they should be fine to clear coat then.

i might re consider using it over the decals, maybe i'll do a test on something first or maybe i will just get some 2k.

thanks again.

No problem, glad I could help. Take your time with the clear. Like I said if you go too quick, too heavy, too soon, I fear it will affect the decals. However if you take it slow, do some light coats first with drying in between and treat it with caution, it may be good. Maybe do a test on some spare decals first like you said. Let me know if things work out for you and good luck with it all :)

I understand (As with automotive finishes i have used on actual cars, not models) that you should either apply the clear coat after a lengthened flash off time period (anything from 30 min to a few hours, depending on the paint)
OR wait for the color to fully cure and then clear coat can be applied.
(i'm assuming that is due to different curing/shrinkage rates of the two layers of paint, which could cause all sorts of problems)

What you describe above is applicable for applying enamels (hobby or automotive). Enamel paints are a completely different beast than lacquers, and they harden in a completely different way.

Enamels harden by curing- a chemical reaction with oxygen. It is a process that can take days (or weeks). If a curing layer of enamel is covered by a layer of paint, it is impossible then for that layer to complete its curing process, and it will never properly harden.

Lacquers on the other hand harden when their solvents evaporate (flash) out of solution. Instead of 'curing', they literally 'dry'. It's a good idea to let a newly applied layer of lacquer sit for an hour or so after spraying, to give the solvents the chance to flash out. But then you can go ahead and spray more.

Spraying lacquers can take all weekend (spray, let sit for an hour, sand lightly, spray, let sit, sand, spray...). With enamels on the other hand, if you're not done in a half hour, set it aside and come back to it next month. Some people do some beautiful things with enamels, but I would rather use finger paints.

From my experiences, I always apply Mr color clear coats (GX 100 in the jar or B513 spray can, both of them can be used ) 24h after the application ofcolor layers. And for decals, it depends on the thinner you use and the thinner/clear coat ratio. NEVER use Mr color's leveling thinner for the first several layers, that will eat the decal. Also do apply several mist layers, that will help.