Paints

[rabidscoobie]

Im thinkinf og using Dupli-colors laquer paint,then clearing with Minwax Polyurethane,is this a bad mix and if so what would best to use for clearing?I know im asking alot of quesions but this is all new to me.Only paints im used to is for custom building model cars.lol.

[Reaper]

I guess I'm confused as to why you wouldn't simply apply a duplicolor clearcoat over a duplicolor color coat in the first place.

[DaveK]

Can you wet sand Duplicolor paint?

[Gorecki]

From what I understand, vast majority of their paint is Acrylic Lacquer. I'm getting ready to use it and get the impression, it's not the best clear coat to get that 'wet look' cause it has a tendency to be just a bit cloudy compared to something like nitro.

It can be wet sanded without any problems though.

My 1 1/2 cents.

Brian

[rabidscoobie]

Exactly they dont have the best clears.I want a good clear.

[lovekraft]

Then forget Minwax, and go with an automotive clear poly or nitro lacquer. Or get your color coats perfect, let them cure for a couple of weeks, and get your friendly local auto body and paint shop to shoot about 6 coats of clear on it.

[rabidscoobie]

Ok then if i use the nitro from reranch,how many cans do you think I might need,or what would be the best i could get locally,a body shop around here will cost way too much for me right now,I want the best i can get but keep it inexpensive as possible.

[Gorecki]

Well, I'm otta real ideas, reranch is pretty expensive when you include shipping. Just read the labels on things and check paintdocs.com for it's composite. Will give you the generals of if it's poly, arc, or NC.

Anyone else got any input???

[lovekraft]

All the oldtimers used to moan about acrylic lacquer not being hard enough. They said it wouldn't polish out like nitro, and wouldn't last as long (well, maybe, but we've seen how well nitro lasts on those old Fenders, so who knows). I've never heard anybody complain about acrylic's lack of clarity, but it may be the formula Duplicolor uses, or it may be another myth. I can remember hearing that auto poly has a blue-green tint to it, but only from people who were used to shooting nitro and had gotten accustomed to the amber cast it has. Has anyone shot any test boards to see how the DupliColor clear works over their color coats, or are we just taking somebody else's word that it isn't any good? I think it'd be worth a random 2x4 cutoff, some prep work, a can of primer, a can of color coat and a can of clear to find out. What's that, about twenty bucks and a little extra time?

[Reaper]

All the oldtimers used to moan about acrylic lacquer not being hard enough. They said it wouldn't polish out like nitro, and wouldn't last as long (well, maybe, but we've seen how well nitro lasts on those old Fenders, so who knows). I've never heard anybody complain about acrylic's lack of clarity, but it may be the formula Duplicolor uses, or it may be another myth.

I just got done using the Duplicolor "truck, van, and SUV" clear on a tele... no clouding problems here at all.

[lovekraft]

Thanks, Reaper! Did you have any problems polishing it out? Oh, and how many cans/coats did you end up using?

[Reaper]

Thanks, Reaper! Did you have any problems polishing it out? Oh, and how many cans/coats did you end up using?

I used the two cans that came with the Mirage kits (which weren't that great), and about a can and a half of the T/V/SUV stuff, which was noticably better. I put on about ten coats, polished it out with high-grade steel wool and Meguiars #7 (the "Show Car Glaze"). It's not the ultra-deep gloss that you see on some of the Carvin axes, but that's more due to my ability than to the paint itself. A few more coats, a little better polishing, and it definately could be.