I ~think~ that I scored big time today! I had to got to the hardware store, so while I was there, I asked the clerk if he had any clear spray lacquer in stock. He did in the form of Minwax; Gloss, Semi-Gloss and Satin. Let's see: Testors = $5.29 for 3.00 oz = $1.76 per ounce Minwax = $7.25 for 12.25 oz = $0.59 per ounce Yep, I think we have a winner! And the test shots that I ran today indicate the quality is every bit as good as the Testors.
I've generally found that these are *thicker* than the Testors. However I've not tried them in a long time, so they might have changed them.
I sprayed several pieces of scrap plastic with Metalizer Buffing Aluminum, then coated each with a different sealer; Metalizer Sealer (which is getting hard to find for some reason), Minwax, Testors Clear Flat Lacquer and Krylon Clear (Krystol-Klear?) The Minwax came in very close to the Sealer, the Flat Lacquer made the finish seem like metalic grey and the less said about the Krylon, the better. I brought them into the house (where it's MUCH warmer) and will check again tomorrow morning.
FYI, I have some bad experience with Minwax polyurethane clear lacquers. They seem to yellow badly in just couple of years. Testors Dull and Gloss cotes do not yellow.
Peteski
The best rattle can clear finishes I've ever used are the Guynze Sayngo spray clears. In flat semi and gloss. Amazing stuff and fully UV resistant. And the cans are about 1 1/2 times bigger than normal spray cans.
They also averaged around $14.95 per can..... Still wonderful stuff !!!
I use Floquil Crystal Cote for gloss, (shiniest stuff in the world) and their clear flat through an airbrush.
Now my all time favorite was Squadron Sheen !! Anyone remember that ?
Not that I doubt you, but I was just told on a Yahoo modeling group that I belong to that ~Testors~ was bad for yellowing problems and that Krylon was the way to go. The Testors Flat did nasty things to the Metalizer, like making it more opaque; i.e. turning Burnished Aluminum into a metallic grey (picture the finish on a Toyota RAV-4 - like that). Krylon caused the test paint to pucker like my son did when he ate a lemon. And why the heck can't I find rattlecans of Metalizer Sealer? This is what started this whole thing. I've even come down to getting a bottle of sealer, cutting it with thinner and I'm going to run tests with that today. I have the sealer-thinner cut at 50-50 - is that enough? Maybe I'll save the Minwax for anything darker and if the sealer works, save that for the Metalizers.
The Old Man wrote the following:
You might try the Duplicolor Clear Coat auto paint. 5 oz. for about $5. Available at Autozone or other auto stores.
If you want finish that doesn't yellow or attack metalizers then use Future Floor polish (Pledge with Future is its current name).
Peteski
Thanks, I'll try that today.
Then you might as well read up about it:
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