SPA Modeler

I know this has been brought up somewhere but I’m curious about lacquer properties and hotness. I’ve started looking into the possibility of getting AK Interactive Real Color paints since Clint got himself a few.

Now my questions....

Can lacquer paint be airbrushed on enamel based primer?
Is lacquer paint safe to spray on top of enamel and acrylic paints?

Clear coat questions...

Will lacquer clear coat ruin enamel and acrylic finish?
When doing weathering, will enamel clear coat be safe to weather over lacquer paints?
I know lacquer clear tend to be hotter than enamel and acrylics but am confused which route is best as far as clearcoats goes.

Weathering questions.... which clear coat is best without ruining a paint job? Enamel paint with acrylic clear or acrylic paint with enamel clears?

I’ve use AK Real Color paints once so far. Thinned with Tamiya regular thinner, sprayed over a base of Mr Surfacer and then a coat of Tamiya acrylic with no ill effects. It did come
out quite “gritty” (perfect for a no slip surface), but not conducive to all my follow on stuff, “as is”. I next applied a very heavy coat of Future prior to decals and all my follow up stuff, again with no ill effects. John, aka Jkim here suggests using Gunze self leveling thinner. So I’ll either use that or lacquer thinner for my next use of AK Real Color paints.

I'm going to experiment this weekend with them, I order AKs own thinner to use with them.

General rule of thumb is hotter paints, lacquer, polyurethane, etc, cannot be used over enamels and water based, but vice versa should be ok. You should be able to use a enamel or water based wash over lacquer and urethane but not the other way around.

Yeah I'll second what Lee said about the Lacquer over Enamel and I'll add a big ol' fat DON'T DO IT on top of it. I mean this in the most friendly way so don't misinterpret the strength of the message just the content. Enamel does dry and harden over time but the problem is that you've gotta understand that enamel paint is oil based and lacquer is a solvent based paint. Ever put solvent on a painted surface? It dissolves the paint right? Same thing applies here if enamel is used first and then lacquer. The lacquer will dissolve the enamel because when wet it is a solvent and when it dries, having dissolved some of the enamel paint under it and being a fast drying paint it will lift and crinkle that which it has dissolved. The result? A complete disaster!!!!

There are instances where a sealer can be used between enamel and lacquer coats but I just avoid the whole mess altogether like the plague.

The other way around is perfectly fine with Lacquer first and then Enamel. Just don't make the mistake of applying lacquer over enamel in any situation. Ask me how I know.

Let me get this straight. Since Rustoleum brand is usually my main go-to primer in a rattle can, it will “melt” if AK Real Color paint is applied on top? This is where I’m confused. I’ll have to read the rattle can to see if there any caution in using lacquer based paint on top.

From what I've read (and you can double check on your can) Rustoleum primer seems to be a lacquer based primer. In that case you'll be safe if applying a lacquer over it. Lemme know what you find on your Rustoleum can labels.

BlackSheep214 wrote:Let me get this straight. Since Rustoleum brand is usually my main go-to primer in a rattle can, it will “melt” if AK Real Color paint is applied on top? This is where I’m confused. I’ll have to read the rattle can to see if there any caution in using lacquer based paint on top.

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catal ... mer-spray/

If it is this, enamel over enamel.



AK INTERACTIVE REAL COLOR

https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/real-c ... uer-paints

AK Interactive Real Color is an acrylic lacquer and I would use Vallejo or AK thinner (Vallejo and AK being the same family). For primer I would use Tamiya instead of Rustoleum. I have sprayed a lot of Rustoleum primers - especially the 2X line but also the professional series - and I find Tamiya’s primer has the most synergy with acrylic lacquers. AK makes primers, too. You could stay entirely within the company’s range if you wanted to do so. I hope this helps you!

This is my go-to primer by Rustoleum. I have it in both grey and white:

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catal ... lat%20Gray