Mick Bonwick's Blog

Hi Mick,

 

I think your work is excellent and has inspired my own development of my weathering skills. It wasn't an area i enjoyed previously but realise patience is indeed a virtue. 

 

Where do you get your dullcote from as i hear it is the very best for this job? I have used railmatch enamel matt spray, humbrol enamel matt spray, humbrol acrylic matt spray, games workshop purity seal and a thinned humbrol matt cote sprayed through a humbrol splat gun. I am yet to be 100% satisfied with any (humbrol enamel rattle can giving the worst result) but the humbrol acrylic comes nearest to what i want. 

 

Your photo suggests the dullcote has not dried evenly. For your base coat this is not an issue i know, but do you commonly get a uniform finish with dullcote? 

 

Many thanks

Dave

1 hour ago, westernviscount said:

Your photo suggests the dullcote has not dried evenly. For your base coat this is not an issue i know, but do you commonly get a uniform finish with dullcote?

 

Probably not quite enough coverage.

 

I had this when I recently Dullcoted a Bachmann G2 - but it looked quite authentic, so I've left well alone!

 

Dullcote provides a completely uniform matt finish if properly applied.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

In my relatively limited experience, once fully applied and dried (I'd suggest that perhaps the varnish still hasn't quite dried out in Mick's second photo), I have found Dullcote the best for giving a good, matt finish, but this only applies (in my personal experience) to the original USA formula.

 

I bought two or three rattle cans of this a few years ago from an exhibition and have found it very good.

 

More recently, when looking for more supplies, I found it being sold with a different label and an apparently amended formula (possibly to meet European/UK safety requirements?) and this stuff didn't give quite such a matt finish.

 

Not sure where to go from here, as you just can't get the original 'USA formula' any more (unless someone knows of a dodgy 'Private Walker' spiv supplier).

 

I've also heard (from Rob the Sheepman of this parish) that the Humbrol acrylic spray cans are good, so I've got myself one of these, but haven't tried using it yet.

 

50 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

In my relatively limited experience, once fully applied and dried (I'd suggest that perhaps the varnish still hasn't quite dried out in Mick's second photo), I have found Dullcote the best for giving a good, matt finish, but this only applies (in my personal experience) to the original USA formula.

 

I bought two or three rattle cans of this a few years ago from an exhibition and have found it very good.

 

More recently, when looking for more supplies, I found it being sold with a different label and an apparently amended formula (possibly to meet European/UK safety requirements?) and this stuff didn't give quite such a matt finish.

 

Not sure where to go from here, as you just can't get the original 'USA formula' any more (unless someone knows of a dodgy 'Private Walker' spiv supplier).

 

I've also heard (from Rob the Sheepman of this parish) that the Humbrol acrylic spray cans are good, so I've got myself one of these, but haven't tried using it yet.

 

 

I suspect that weather, and therefore speed of drying, is a factor here.

 

I shall henceforth try and use Dullcote in a warm, dry atmosphere.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

2 hours ago, westernviscount said:

Your photo suggests the dullcote has not dried evenly. For your base coat this is not an issue i know, but do you commonly get a uniform finish with dullcote? 

 

1 hour ago, cctransuk said:

 

Probably not quite enough coverage.

 

 

Hi Dave,

 

The Dullcote wasn't completely dry when the second photograph was taken (spotted by the good Captain), but it is an uneven finish as suggested by John.

 

My use of Dullcote is for preparing a surface rather than protecting it, so my usual application is deliberately haphazard/rough/approximate. If I apply it with more care and accuracy it does, indeed, produce an even matt finish. It is also consistent in its performance and never requires the inversion process to clear the nozzle.

 

Mine comes from Phil Atkinson at Hobby Holidays, procured in quantity at exhibitions that he attends.

3 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Hi Dave,

 

The Dullcote wasn't completely dry when the second photograph was taken (spotted by the good Captain), but it is an uneven finish as suggested by John.

Thanks Mick,

 

Yes, i assumed as a base coat it wouldn't matter and as you state it was 4mins since the initial spray of course it would not have dried thoroughly.

 

4 hours ago, Captain Kernow said:

I've also heard (from Rob the Sheepman of this parish) that the Humbrol acrylic spray cans are good, so I've got myself one of these, but haven't tried using it yet.

 

I have found humbrol acrylic to be pretty reliable. It dries extremely quickly (perhaps on the way to the model) which can create a powdery finish if used as a final fixing coat for powders. 

 

5 hours ago, cctransuk said:

Dullcote provides a completely uniform matt finish if properly applied.

This is exactly what i am after. Humbrol acrylic is the nearest i have got to this so far

 

Cheers

Dave