1/20.3 boxcar finish

[charon]

Fellow Bachmannians,
There have been several very good threads about the new 1/20.3 scale freight cars.  However, no one has addressed the glossy finish on the  boxcars.  Has anyone come up with a good/simple way of dulling them down besides using countless cans of Dullcoat?
Thanks,
Happy Bachmanning,
Chuck

[Steve Stockham]

Ummmm........yeah! Use a partial can of dullcoat!! Seriously though, using Dullcoat is probably the easiest (and best) method!

[Curmudgeon]

Just run them outside in all weather for a bit.
They'll dull down.
Oh, if running outdoors, steer clear of DullCoat.
Porous, not UV stabilised, turns yellow-brown, flakes off.

Use Krylon Satin Clear.
Plus, it's cheaper.

I threw all my DullCoat out many years ago.

[Kevin Strong]

Krylon makes a variety of clear finishes, from gloss to matte. Some have UV inhibitors, some don't. You don't need the UV inhibitors for the Bachmann cars, but if you're using other paints that aren't UV stable in your modeling, it's a good way to add some protection. And in terms of the B'mann cars, "can't hurt." It doesn't cost any more, and as TOC says, it's far cheaper than Dull-Cote.  Something like three times the volume for half the price.

I'll use the satin finish on a piece to seal decals and paint prior to weathering it, but then I'll use the matte finish to seal the weathering if necessary. I don't use a lot of powders, so I don't really "need" to seal my weathering that often.

Later,

K

[Curmudgeon]

The semi-flat clear is not to protect the underlying paint from UV........the Krylon works quite well out-of-doors, while DullCoat will brown and flake in less than a year, plus pass any moisture right through it and lift decals.
BTDT.

[Kevin Strong]

I don't know if Krylon still makes the semi-flat or "satin" finish anymore. I checked their website (www.krylon.com) but I can't find it listed in any of their product listings. It's product #1313, according to the can I have in the workshop. I hope they do, and that I'm just not seeing it. TOC, can you check what you've got to see if they've maybe just changed numbers? (The site's "search" feature is fairly worthless for locating specific products.) They do still make non-UV-resistant gloss and matte clearcoats (1303 and 1311 respectively) and UV-resistant clearcoats (gloss - 1305 and matte - 1309). Both the UV and non-UV resistant clear coats are said not to yellow over time. (I've never had any issues, but then I've also been lucky with Dull-Cote over the years, too.)

Krylon also makes gloss and satin wood varnishes, but these are different animals. According to the website's FAQ, these products may yellow slightly (contrary to what's written on the product description page. Go figure.).

You only need the UV-resistant variety when clear-coating paint that isn't UV stable. Unfortunately, most hobby/craft paints are NOT, so keep that in mind when looking for that "perfect" color. You'll probably not notice any problems on things like rolling stock that don't see a ton of exposure to the sun, but buildings, bridges, and other things may fade in short order. I used Floquil's "rail brown" to weather some aluminum rail on my railroad back east, and found within a year that the southern exposure of the rail faded to olive drab. Of course, faded paint on rolling stock just ads to the "weathered" effect, so there you go. The EBT had a combine whose paint on the sides had faded from dark green to light blue!

BTW, you'll find the widest selection of Krylon's colors and clear finishes at craft stores like Michael's or Hobby Lobby. The big-box home stores may or may not stock Krylon, (either Lowe's or HD does not, I forget which) and if they do, it's likely not a very wide selection.

Later,

K