What is the best flat clear coat?

B

Bloody_Tailgate

New member
I am just finishing up with my first camo paint job and the clear I picked up at the hardware store is too shiny. It says that it is a matte paint but it's not.

What have you guys had the best luck with?

Thanks...I'll post some pics when I finish.
 
Last edited:
Go to a hobby shop and ask for the flattest clear coat they have. I have some Testors that is geared towards Military Model painting and it is flat flat flat. Only thing is I buy it in jars and use it in the airbrush.
 
Just rub it down with 000 or 0000 steel wool, it will take the shine off. If you don't like the results you will be ready for the next clear coat you try.
 
Krylon Clear Matte is pretty good, it's much more durable than similar brands. The more coats you apply, the more durable it is, but it also starts loosing it's flat matte appearance if you apply too many coats. 2-3 coats is just fine.

Do NOT try Brownell's Aluma Hyde II Matte Clear. It is NOT matte, more like semi-gloss. I returned two cans of it for exchanges, and all 3 cans they sent me were the same semi-gloss sheen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
Quote:
Krylon Clear Matte is pretty good, it's much more durable than similar brands. The more coats you apply, the more durable it is, but it also starts loosing it's flat matte appearance if you apply too many coats. 2-3 coats is just fine.

Do NOT try Brownell's Aluma Hyde II Matte Clear. It is NOT matte, more like semi-gloss. I returned two cans of it for exchanges, and all 3 cans they sent me were the same semi-gloss sheen. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif



I tried the Krylon 1311 matte finish over my shotguns when I painted them. But, it seemed to be softened by the solvents or oils that I used on them. They would get tacky and the Krylon would form ridges ahead of where my hands were, from it being pushed up when handled. I wasn't expecting that sort of behavior from it as I know some guys use it for coating decoys after painting them.

However, I cleaned it off, as best I could and sprayed the guns down with matte polyurethane finish. It will still shine a bit, but I hit it with some 4 0 steel wool and the shine went away. It is much more resistant to the effects of solvents and gun oils than was the Krylon 1311. And, I haven't had any issues with them over the last year of use.
 
I would suggest the same thing yotenaylor told you. Find some Testor's flat clear coat. That has worked real good for me. I don't have the can here at work, so I can't give you the label name or the # off the can. I think it is called "lusterless" or some such thing. I have used it as a final coating over my camo paint and also used it over clear packing tape that holds my trajectory and wind deflection charts on my stocks. It dulls the shine on the tape right down to no shine.
 
Back
Top