The biggest factor in causing cloudy, dull paint on a model is using the wrong type of paint when the humidity is above 40%. Acrylics work better than lacquers on a high humidity day. You can make cloudy dull paint shine with two or three coats of clear coat, then polishing.
What Makes Paint Go Cloudy And Dull On Models
The biggest factor in causing dull cloudy paint on our models is too high of humidity. The water from the humidity gets mixed into the paint spray and is trapped in it making a fog. Painting onto plastic that has not been previously sprayed with primer can add to the clouding affect.
There are times when you have low humidity and near perfect conditions and you will still get some clouding of the paint. In my research I have found that some brands of paint like Tamiya high gloss or Dupli- Color glosses work better in high humidity areas.
For those who live where there is high humidity, you run the risk of cloudy paint so you need to plan on spraying a couple layers of clear coats and/or polishing to get the desired results.
Most spray paint manufacturers recommend spraying during the day when the humidity is under 40%. You can pick up a good digital hygrometer for about $9 from Amazon to take out the guess work.
What Is The Best Paint To Choose Without Needing Clear Coat Over It?
In my experience the best paints for giving you the greatest chance of not having a cloudy, dull paint job are Tamiya acrylic glosses, Testors enamel glosses and Krylon high gloss. Most spray paint manufacturers recommend you paint when there is less than 40 percent humidity.
There are a lot of brands of paint that work well on models. What you find in discussions on modeling forums is everyone has their own preferences and reasons why they choose a certain brand of paint. There are a lot of builders who choose Duplicolor because it can match the original color of paint on a lot of different models. If you want a certain red of a 1968 Mustang you can order it off of their website.
If you prefer a brand like Duplicolor because of the color selections they offer you can put up with the cloudiness in the paint because you can clear coat and polish it to get your desired outcome.
The short answer to the question of which is the best paint to keep from getting a cloudy paint job is the one you are used to using. You get the feel of how to use it and how high of humidity you can spray in to get the best results.
How To Make Cloudy Dull Paint Shine On A Model
The first method to try is spraying with two wet coats of a good quality clear coat that is the same type of color paint you used. If you sprayed acrylic color use acrylic clear. If the paint is still cloudy use #2000 3M Wet or dry sandpaper, followed by polishing with Weiman’s Silver Cream.
There are a lot of methods we can use to clear up a cloudy paint job. Heres a list in no order of preference to use:
- Let it gas-out a couple of days and sand with 1200 to 3600 and reshoot on dryer days.
- Use two wet coats of Testors clears over it to bring back the shine.
- Paint inside with air conditioning and heating where you can control the humidity.
- Use primer first because it lessens the effect of the particular color and then clear over it.
- Use a polish to remove the cloudiness while it wont make a “rough” surface glassy smooth like sanding.
- Polish directly with Weiman’s Silver Cream after sanding with 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper.
- Use clear coats & “Micro-Mesh” polishing pads, starting with the lightest grit possible. Then finish with “Novus” liquid polishes.
| Cloudy Paint Repair Method | Pros | Cons |
| Polish with Novus | Easy to Use | May Need Sanded First |
| Add Two Coats Testors Clear | Works Well on High Gloss | Takes Extra Time To Paint |
| Sand with 2000 and Repaint On A Dryer Day | New Try Starting Over | Your Starting Over Extra Work |
| Sand With 2000 then Polish With Weimans | Tested And It Works Well | Cost of Weimans Polish |
| Clear Coat Then Polish With Micro Mesh Pad | Easy To Do | Extra Time Painting |
Final Thoughts
In researching this subject I found that cloudy dull paint is a common problem in painting our models. I have a 68 Roadrunner model I just painted green like the real deal I owned some years back. It turned out a dull green so I’ve got some work to do to get the finish I want. Seems like whenever I get away from a gloss white I’ll get some clouding. No problem- I’ll fix it. Happy Modeling!
Related Topics
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Should I paint my model before assembling? If you build the model completely before painting it, it will be harder to paint. If you construct the model partially and then paint it, before completing the model, it will be a lot easier to paint. More info in this post
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