Humbrol Clear problem help

[Nick]

There was a thread on the IPMS(UK) Facebook page this week about Humbrol Decalfix causing white powdery deposits on the model when dried. People have suggested that the formula eats into acrylic paints and Pledge Klear to produce this effect. The staining is most obvious on darker paints.

I use MicroSol/Set and Klear floor polish on mine with no bad effects yet.

[Dizzyfugu]

Another topic that's itching here are the RLM enamels that have been announced for two years now. Will they ever hit the shelves? Ironically, a local hobby shop had a new enamel tins display in store, with the RLM tones listed already on the shelf liners, but with empty racks...

[PR19_Kit]

Another topic that's itching here are the RLM enamels that have been announced for two years now. Will they ever hit the shelves? Ironically, a local hobby shop had a new enamel tins display in store, with the RLM tones listed already on the shelf liners, but with empty racks...

The recent Airfix email newsletter says they're imminent, so it shouldn't be too long to wait.

[Librarian]

They seem to have changed their enamel formula, e. g. for the matt black - it's more pastous now, and need frequent thinner addition to be kept alive in the tin. But, as a positive effect, it actually results in an even and matte finish! In more than 30 years of model painting with enamels, I had this "success" with the current Humbrol 33.

Well, that explains that. I've used 33 Black "successfully" for a long time, then having opened a new tin recently found it had turned to gloop after a couple of uses and required thinning. What are 'they' thinking of.... .

[Dizzyfugu]

Had the same just happen to me with an 11 (silver Metallic): almost new, but turned into a yellow-ish goo within four weeks. No hope for rescue. Got to rely on 191, I think... 

[lancer]

Another topic that's itching here are the RLM enamels that have been announced for two years now. Will they ever hit the shelves? Ironically, a local hobby shop had a new enamel tins display in store, with the RLM tones listed already on the shelf liners, but with empty racks...

The recent Airfix email newsletter says they're imminent, so it shouldn't be too long to wait.

I was in Reading hobbycraft on Sunday and they've got them in there. Along with the rest of the acrylic range. Might get some to see what it's like. But my current flavour of acrylic is Vallejo.

[Spey_Phantom]

BUMP:

had it again, this time with a brandnew fresh bottle and new brushes.
my guess is the varnish doenst react to good with matt paints.

however, i did found a simple sollution, i painted over the white stains with clear enamel (Humbrol 135 satin) and it appears to have solved the problem.

one things for certain, i gonna avoid using Humbrol clear varnish from now on  

[Dizzyfugu]

Another BUMP:

got hands on the RLM enamels - they are still not available in Germany (even though Humbrol distributes tin racks that have the respective space and even the code numbers...), but a friend found them at a model shop in Belgium and imported them from there. Got 9 tins/tones, looking forward top test them and compare them with e. g. the Modelmaster tones. RLM 65 looks very good, RLM 74 seems to have a very greenish touch (probably too much of what others lack...) - we'll see.

Still looking forwards to see the stuff officially in the shops around here  

[PR19_Kit]

Humbrol must have lost their minds. NOT selling the RLM paints in Germany must be a classic 'own goal'!

[NARSES2]

Humbrol must have lost their minds. NOT selling the RLM paints in Germany must be a classic 'own goal'!

Probably just a distribution problem. I know we are supposed to be in a single market, but believe you me it isn't quite as simple as that especially with something as "dangerous" as paints 

[NARSES2]

BUMP:

had it again, this time with a brandnew fresh bottle and new brushes.
my guess is the varnish doenst react to good with matt paints.

however, i did found a simple sollution, i painted over the white stains with clear enamel (Humbrol 135 satin) and it appears to have solved the problem.

one things for certain, i gonna avoid using Humbrol clear varnish from now on  

Had a similar problem/solution with Humbrol matt varnish (aerosol) over a coat of Future/Klear. If I get it again I to may avoid Humbrol varnishes

[Dizzyfugu]

Bringing this one back to the surface, as I got hands on the RLM enamels through a friend who ordered them from Belgium.
I only used one of them so far (#253, RLM 82), and I am rather disappointed  

The tone itself is not bad, even though - compared to RLM 82 from Modelmaster - it has a rather yellow-ish hue. Other tones, like the RLM 74, which actually is to be a greenish gray, look more promising. RLM 65 looks also VERY good!

But what I am REALLY worried about is the paint's consistency - it is not opaque at all! At first I thought I had not stirred the tin up well, but it did not become any better. The pigments appear to be rather big, a green, grainy stuff with an oily thinner. The stuff dries up matt, though, as it is supposed to be, but the paint itself is (sorry) rubbish. You cannot apply it properly. I finally worked out that a thin base coat with the paint, on which another, thocker coat can be applied, works so far that you get a 90% opacity, but it's still not a good result as you need way too much paint, ruining any surface detail or leaving visible streaks, as the paint dries up rather quickly.

Not certain if this is a new enamel formula (I hope NOT!  ), but I'd love to hear other impressions. Haven't tried any other tin yet, so I cannot tell if it's a one-shot phenomenon. But what I experienced so far really p!ssed me off!  

[dumaniac]

in the past, I had similar frosting of the clear paint - i found a spray of high gloss erased the frosting on the matt paint (I guest that Future will do a similar thing).  Then go back to the matt - maybe a semigloss in between.  I had this problem with acrylic paint but now use ModelMaster and nothing else.  Watch out with the semi gloss because I think it is a mixture of matt and gloss.  If you run out of gloss and can't quickly access a paint store (I live in the country and increasingly have to get stuff by mail order), go to a semi gloss bottle and draw off the top liquid WITHOUT stirring it.

For mat paints, I tend to leave them in the sun or in my pocket for half an hour to warm them up before a really vigorous shaking - also lots up lots of sucking and discharge back in the bottle with a pipette.  i acknowledge it is bit of a to-do, but it seems to work for me in my environment.

good luck

Bernie

[Murat Gedik]

I have had the same problem right after my first try with humbrol satin clear. Then i found this forum on web, tried many things with thinner, water etc, but non of them helped me wipe the stains out. When i was working on decals on the same model, i applied humbrol decalfix on a wider surface than one decal, and surprisingly i saw that the white stains were going away.

Ok, decalfix leaves some another stains on surface, but in the end it is quite a lot better than white stains of humbrol clear.  I think, if you apply decalfix carefully you can get better surfaces than mine.

I am not chemical engineer, and i do not have any idea how it works, but it helped me from throwing the whole model kit away. I never think of painting the whole kit once again.

I asked  to the guys at humbrol for a solution, but their reply was quite a way above for my English level.  I think they still do not have any idea why it occurs.

[NARSES2]

Thank you Murat that's interesting. 

As far as I'm aware most decal (transfer  ) setting solutions are mild acetic acid, very mild vinegar ?