# TAMIYA TS-80 Flat Clear Spray Laquer instead of Testors Dullcoat?



## Spockr (Sep 14, 2009)

For most rattle can needs I use Tamiya (TS series) paints. They spray with a very fine mist, cover really well and dry faster than Testors. I was thinking about trying their Matte Clear (TS-80) and was wondering if any of you had used it in place of Testor's DC? If so how did the results compare?

Matt


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Great Stuff. It dries nice and flat. You do have to watch for humidity with any of the Tamiya sprays, since it causes blushing. Blushing is when moisture in the air is trapped in the paint and causes a frosted finish. 

Gunze's Mr. Color clear matte/flat top coat sprays are also excellent. They dry DEAD FLAT.


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

Can Tamiya clear lacquer sprays be used over acrylic paints, their own in particular? I know that Testors Dullcoat works, but I've never tried Tamiya's clear sprays.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I use the Tamiya sprays over dried Tamiya acrylics all the time with no problem. Like any other paint you dont want to just flood it on in one gloppy thick coat. But the usual two or three light coats works fine with both the gloss and flat sprays. You do have to be careful of it over SOME enamel paints. I did a test and it crinkled up some airbrushed Testors gloss gull grey (lacquer over enamel can do this) but some clear flat went down fine over some Testors Flat Grey. 

It's always good to test paints. I've found Testors Dullcoat spray will dissolve Gunze Aqueous Hobby Color acrylics. The Gunze paints are similar to Tamiya's paint, but Dullcoat is perfectly safe over Tamiya. Dullcoat will also turn Alclad II into flat grey.


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## spock62 (Aug 13, 2003)

Thanks for the info, I'll have to give the Tamiya clear sprays a try.


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## Spockr (Sep 14, 2009)

Thanks very much for the info and recommendations! :thumbsup:


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## Jodet (May 25, 2008)

Where can you but the Gunze Mr. Color products? I had thought they haven't had a U.S. importer for a decade or more.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Jodet said:


> Where can you but the Gunze Mr. Color products? I had thought they haven't had a U.S. importer for a decade or more.


Mr. Color is the lacquer paint series and they are fairly easy to get in the US. In fact, Tower Hobbies has some hidden under "Bandai" since they sell them for the Bandai Gundam kits. I buy most of mine from Hobby Wave. Sprue Brothers also carries some, as do other mail order outfits in the US.

The Gunze Aqueous Hobby Color paints are no longer imported to North America. You can buy them from overseas. Lucky Model has them. For whatever reason, traditionally the Aqueous Hobby color acrylic paints were the ones sold in the US. They were never the most common paints, though. Then, around 10-12 years ago, Mr. Hobby, the company that makes all the Gunze paints, decided to swap product lines and withdrew the acrylic series and replaced them with the lacquers.

For what its worth, the Mr. Color lacquers are great and plastic safe.


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## Jodet (May 25, 2008)

djnick66 said:


> Mr. Color is the lacquer paint series and they are fairly easy to get in the US. In fact, Tower Hobbies has some hidden under "Bandai" since they sell them for the Bandai Gundam kits. I buy most of mine from Hobby Wave. Sprue Brothers also carries some, as do other mail order outfits in the US.
> 
> The Gunze Aqueous Hobby Color paints are no longer imported to North America. You can buy them from overseas. Lucky Model has them. For whatever reason, traditionally the Aqueous Hobby color acrylic paints were the ones sold in the US. They were never the most common paints, though. Then, around 10-12 years ago, Mr. Hobby, the company that makes all the Gunze paints, decided to swap product lines and withdrew the acrylic series and replaced them with the lacquers.
> 
> For what its worth, the Mr. Color lacquers are great and plastic safe.


Thanks for the info. I've never heard of 'Lucky Model' before, I might have to try them. I've heard great things about Mr Color acrylics.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Jodet said:


> Thanks for the info. I've never heard of 'Lucky Model' before, I might have to try them. I've heard great things about Mr Color acrylics.



Mr. Color paints are NOT acrylics. They are lacquers. And, for airbrushing, you have to use Mr. Levelling Thinner, which has a retarder or flow agent. Otherwise when you spray them, they come out like cotton candy.

Maybe this will help:

The company is GSI (Gunze Sangyo Inc) Creos but is better known as Mr. Hobby. Mr. Hobby makes a wide variety of paints, glues and hobby supplies, as well as having their own line of plastic kits for the Japanese market. 

There are three paint ranges made by Mr. Hobby... 1) Mr. Color lacquers, 2) Aqueous Hobby Color, and 3) Acrysion Hobby Color. As I mentioned, the Mr. Color range are plastic safe lacquers. The formula is similar to what you get in Tamiya's lacquer spray cans. It requires Mr. Color or Mr. Color Levelling Thinner, which are lacquer thinners. The Aqueous Hobby Colors, which are no longer sold in North America, are solvent based acrylics similar to the Tamiya range of acrylic paints. They require Mr Hobby thinner, which is alcohol based. They are not true water based acrylic paints although you could use water in them in small amounts. They also thin well with Mr. Color lacquer thinners. The third series of paints, the Acrysion range, is new and I am less familiar with them. Gunze says they are water based and can be thinned with tap water, although you can still use the Mr. Hobby alcohol based thinner in them. 

Lucky is a Hong Kong based outfit. I have bought from them for years. Hobby Wave in the USA is great for the Mr. Color lacquers. They also have at least some of the Acrysion range of paints.


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