Happy boxingday and for those like me whom prefer to only visit the hobbystores today is it correct to dullcoat the model after decals are applied and weathered or before weathering?And to let all know credit valley railway is having good boxing day sales for a week! rambo1…
LIONS do not do decals. The stick to his claws, get torn, make a mess and look like some dragon tried to apply them. Nosiree… No decals for the LION.
That being said LION had heard that decals like to be put on glossy surfaces, with the correct wetting agents. When the model is all done, then the dulcote can be put on to seal everything in place.
Least wise that is what the LION recalls. But LIONS are NOT ELEPHANTS, and so memory is not a strong suit. Besides, Elephants have trouble with decals too.
ROAR
after it is all dry should you wash the model again before weathering? rambo1…
Lots I could say after that response - but basically the poster is correct.
Decals love shiny surfaces. Dull-Cote after all decals and weathering is done.
I find that a spraycan is best for rolling stock (watch the wheels/couplers), but the bottle flat clear stuff is best brushed on structures (long soft bristle flat brush).
Oh, as with all spraying/painting, a couple thin coats beats the heck out of a thick coat.
May I digress… When I was 19, I was allowed to spray a 57 chev 2dr Bel Air with primer. Got all the way around to the drivers door - the last unpainted surface. I got in a hurry, over confident in my skills, and left the biggest “hanger” you could imagine right in the middle of the door. I was not very popular that day.
Decals do prefer smooth surfaces. If you don’t have a smooth surface, you can use a satin or gloss finish before decals. After the decal is set and thoroughly dry, then add Dull Coat.
I like to weather with powders. They prefer a rough surface, unlike decals, so I usually apply the powders after Dull Coat. Then, I add a second coat of Dull Coat to seal the powders in.
I have a few buildings where I’ve applied decals over a rough surface. This gives a very beaten-up, weathered appearance to old signs. Generally, if I do that I’m looking for exactly that effect. Still, after applying the decal it’s a good idea to add another layer of Dull-Coat to seal it on the surface.
Yea, this is the way that I do it too.
since the model is black do you start weathering with the darker paints and go lighter or vice veras or don’t matter?rambo1…
I try to decal my units wiht as glossy of a surface as possible, then I seal the decals with dullcoat, to get a consitent & even surface for weathering.
Then I add washes & apply powders to it, & do any airbrush weathering.
And then, I seal the final project with a final shot of dullcoat again… ( & try not to touch it for a few days!!!) -even though I really want to put all the windows back in, & put it back on the chassis really badly!!!
NOOOOOoooooo… Don’t DO that!
You will loosen and wash away your decal!
By the time you are applying decals it should already be a clean model. Do not touch the outside, but hold it from the inside if possible or by the underframe if that is not possible. Once everything is locked down with the dulcode and the dulcote is dried, THEN you can handle it again, and even wash it if it needs it.
ROAR
great thankyou all rambo1…( still learning)
The purpose of DullCote is to conceal the decal film. After the decals are good and dry, a shot of DullCote will make the decal film turn invisible. There is no reason to apply DullCote before the decals.
DullCote is kind to decals and does not make them wrinkle up. It is hostile to chalk weathering. It marries with the chalk and makes it disappear. If you weather structures with chalk you don’t really need DullCote over the weathering, because structures don’t get handled as much as rolling stock. I don’t use chalk on rolling stock for that reason.
Dullcote is very good at making a glossy coat of paint turn flat. Many trainset cars look quite acceptable with little more than Dullcote to kill the gloss. And Dullcote makes hardware store rattle cans (which are mostly gloss) usable. For instance I get a good passenger car maroon using DullCote over gloss red spray can paint.
Am I the only one that reads these things, or did I not understand the question?
You asked if the model should be dullcoated after the decals are applied and weathered, or should the model be dullcoated after the decals are applied and before weathering, did you not?
Or did you really ask if the model should be dullcoated prior to decalling?
You read the question correctly, as did I, but you didn’t answer it. [swg][(-D]
I apply Dullcote (or, where appropriate, gloss or semi-gloss) after the decals have been applied and set, then add weathering - airbrushed, washes and/or pastels. Then the model is complete.
Wayne
That’s because I wasn’t sure of the answer, and was curious myself!
Does anyone also dullcoat after weathering?
I used to apply Dullcote after weathering, but I like the appearance better when the weathering is applied over the Dullcote. It looks even better when the weathering is applied over a semi-gloss finish, as might be found on a passenger car or fairly new freight car, but, in these instances, weathering would be rather light anyway.
Wayne