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[wrasse]

I am in the process on a Smit Nederland build and am unsure as to which sheen of paint would make for the best looking model. I have searched all over the internet and cannot find any recommendations. What do most people prefer to use? Any help would be most appreciated

[Martin (Admin)]

Matt for matt areas, satin for high gloss areas, (or satin varnish / sealant over gloss).

.... but what do i know as everybody will soon prove!

[Stavros]

Tug hulls dont seem to be painted in gloss but a semi gloss finish.....obviously the antifouling is semi gloss.....uperworks in otherwords the superstructure is gloss


Dave

[BarryM]

In full-size use, ship paints are usually either gloss or a dull-gloss which in use flats down to a less reflective finish. Hulls eventually acquire an almost - but not quite - matt finish.  Some hull paint, usually below the waterline, is described as 'self-polishing' but even this never acquires a gloss sheen.
To my mind, gloss paint never looks right when applied to models; it just makes them look too toy-like.  I use a satin finish which looks much more realistic on a model.

Barry M

[wrasse]

Thank-you all for your input. I do have one final question..... Which would be the best type of paint, acrylic or enamels for the best adhesion as well as overall appearance. Is one more favorable among model boat builders in general?

[Unsinkable 2]

I was asking the same question last week, and today I finished the hull with a SATIN lacquer finish.....


...... U2

[BarryM]

That's how I do it. Looks good.

Barry M

[wrasse]

Do you apply gloss paint first or matte paint? Not really any choice of satin paints where I live. Also, are the paints latex or enamels?

[BarryM]

My experience is that it doesn't matter whether you apply gloss, silk or matt paint first. The final finish is given by the (compatible) finishing lacquer.

Barry M

[Unsinkable 2]

Barry M is quite right according to what I have read here on Mayhem 'compatible' being the key word.


All my paints are acrylic and I use an acrylic lacquer to finish. The black was matt but the white and red are gloss car paints. They don't shine though now that I have covered them with satin acrylic lacquer.   U2