Oops!

[delta]

So today I got some primer to try in my new airbrushes and mixed it 50/50 with thinner as recommended by the Hobby Shop. Once almost to 50/50 I spilled a bit of thinner and went to clean it up. When I got back I filled up the last drops to reach 50/50 and then immediately realized that I had not used thinner for that last few drops, but had accidentally grabbed the jar of dullcote. So now I have a mixture of maybe 50% primer, 45% thinner, and 5% dullcote.

My question is, is this batch ruined completely, coagulating as I type and turning into a high explosive; or is it fine to use?

Any help or advice is very much appreciated!

[wbill76]

Dullcoat is usually lacquer based...so depending on what type of paint/thinner you combined it with will determine if it remains usable or turns into a clogging mess!

[delta]

I'm afraid it was an enamel primer and enamel thinner... I've read though that dullcote is not a "real" lacquer?

[delta]

Couldn't risk it, scrapped the batch and made a fresh one. Thanks for your advice though!

[JimD]

I couldn't imagine it would have been a problem. I thin enamels with lacquer thinner. You probably just would have had a slightly more flat finish.

I see a lot of paint chemistry misunderstanding and downright falsehoods being perpetuated, but I've never seen the suggestion that dullcoat isn't lacquer? It most certainly is.

All in all you were wise to dump it, no sense in risking problems to save a penny or two.

[delta]

Thanks! A few sites call dullcote "not a true" lacquer in the same way that varnish is a specific product but is used to describe many things that are used as varnish.

[wbill76]

The terminology can be quite confusing...especially since what people use to label things in 'common' discussion may not be 100% accurate from a chemical composition/interaction standpoint. The dulling agent in most dull coats is a very finely ground talcum powder, the lacquer just serves as the carrier and fixing agent for the powder which creates its dulling effect by essentially scattering light (vs. reflecting it back if it were a gloss). It's one of the reasons that many people get a rude awakening when spraying a dullcoat over any kind of pigment treatment when the pigments seem to disappear!

A simple rule never fails, when in doubt, throw it out!

[delta]

Agreed! The new primer worked just fine and I don't miss the old one. I am very happy to have my airbrush back though! The first subject just got its camo-

[deafpanzer]

Great start on the camo!

[delta]

Thank you!

[Leon]

Camo is looking good Ari!

[delta]

Thank you as well