HELP! Dullcote not working

Be VERY careful if you try this. I just did it with some brick red primer. Sprayed it into a glass airbrush bottle. Didn’t use all of it so I put the lid on it to keep from drying out. Went to use it a few days later and the paint had separated so I shook it up. BIG MISTAKE!!! Some how the paint re-pressurized. When I took the lid off it sprayed EVERYWHERE!!! What a mess![D)]

My point is using the alternative does solve the problem, simple. As for my engines that are dullcoted I will be glad to post some pictures of it as soon as I set up a website to host. i was looking at www.PBase.com for $23 a year. As soon as I decide I will share the pictures.

I recently gave up on the can dullcote! Its simply too unpredicable.

I’ve gotten finishes as good as anything I ever done using the airbrush. I say keep jigging with the jar dullcote and laquer. 50/50. Make sure your airbrush is clean.

I had the same problem with DullCote, litle white flecks of laquer. I thought the problem was dried residue in my airbrush so I gave it a thorough cleaning, this helped some but the white flecks persisted. I tried thinning the DullCote more than usual and this helped a little but didn’t solve the problem. I finally decided it was a bad batch of DullCote and bought some new. I noticed immediately that the new batch was a different color and consistency and much thicker. I thinned as I usually do and it worked just fine. So, I think Testors changed the formula on the new DullCote and possibly the laquer thats causing the problem may be old. Best idea is to go get some new DullCote, you will know it’s new because they changed the label colors and printing.

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What happened there is the paint is “Carbonated” just like a Coca-Cola. The pressurized gas is absorbed by the paint. When the paint is shaken, then opened, it will spray or foam just like a shaken carbonated beverage.

I have taken spray bombs, turn the can upside down, and depressed the nozzle to release the pressurized gas. Release the nozzle, then shake the can and repeat the upside down depressed nozzle procedure. Do this several times, letting the can warm up between procedures.

Once all the gas has been released, I’ll take a “church key” type bottle/can opener, and punch a hole in the side of the can. Pour the contents of the can into a bottle, and stir well. Do this a couple times, to release any residual gas from the paint. I also leave the bottle open for a while, to let the paint "ga

I agree with Darth…photobucket.com is the best free photo host out there, IMHO.

Rotor

Never have had a problem with Testors Dullcote. I thin it with Scalecoat 2 thinner and shoot it with an airbrush.

Another reason to prefer the use of an airbrush over spray cans for clear finishes is the ability to match the finish to the job. You can get Dullcote or Glosscote in a spray can, but you’ll not find Semiglosscote, and even if you could, it would be only one version of “semi-gloss”. When painting a steam locomotive, I use Dullcote, and two or three versions of semi-gloss to complete the actual paint job, then weather over top of those finishes. This allows the effects of weathering to show on the various finishes, without making everything flat, which, on all but the dirtiest of locos, is not very prototypical. For sealing decals and dry transfers on freight cars that are meant to represent fairly new cars, try using Dullcote to which just a small amount of Glosscote has been added, then weather over top of this. Even on cars that are to be heavily weathered, apply the clear finish only before weathering - applying it afterwards results in weathering with a too-uniform appearance. An exception to this would be if you use chalks or pastels for weathering, where the clear finish is needed to protect the weathering. Weathering which consists of washes of thinned paint or airbrushed paint does not need to be coated with more paint to protect it.

Wayne

It works now, I am now using lacquer thinner and there is no snow at all.

I got model master lacquer thinner and it works great, but for $3.99/oz im definitley going to the hardware store for that next time.

I still have 1 more question… How do you get rid of the dullcote snow?

Thanks everybody for all your help!

Joe

I think you have been some good ideas. The airbrush is the best thing to use but the rattle is okay for small jobs.

I’ve heard that Future floor wax will clear up foggy window glass. You might want to try brushing some of that over the crazed white spots and then hitting them with dull coat again. That’s just a guess though.

One of my other Hobbies is Miniature painting/Model Building. I have been doing this almost as long as Model Railroading. When folks ask me how to become a better Painter I tell them to build a few dozen model kits, and paint some Mini’s…seriously I have learned tons from my other Hobby.

What I would suggest is switch the type of Dullcoat your using, Vallejo makes some excellent Airbrush paints including a Matt finish that is second to none, and best of all you can use em for the most part straight out of the bottle, and unlike most acrylic based paints you don’t get that Milky effect no matter how thin you apply the coats. It’s tough as nails, Clear as Glass and flat as the proverbial pancake. Don’t take my word for it, grab a bottle and try it out on an old junker model…I think you’ll be impressed.

Any spray paint can be improved by warming the can before using. Fill your sink with hot water and put the spray can in the water. (The water should not be too hot. If you can hold your hand in it without getting scalded, it should be safe.) Remove the can from the water and shake it for a minute, and return to the water. Repeat this several times, shaking the can for two minutes the last time before you spray the paint.

I’ve used Model Master enamel and lacquer overcoats in high gloss, semi-gloss, and lusterless (flat) with good results. Also, try not to spray any model paint in high humidity conditions.

For whatever it’s worth…

I, too, prefer the spray cans for Dullcote. I usually buy 3-4 cans at a time. Once, on a very humid day, I got a white haze on the model [a structure]. Another coat the next day took care of the problem. But, yes, you do need to use lacquer thinner to thin Dullcote.