Testor's Dullcoat... not so dull

[Bravo Six]

About a month ago my can of Testors Dullcoat which I've had for years finally ran out. I've bought 3 different replacement cans from 3 different places (thinking it could have been a bad lot) and all seem to leave a semi-gloss sheen compared to my old can. Has Testors changed the formulation? Is there an alternative if this is the case?

I don't want shiny minis. 

-Todd

[Bugsda]

I bought a can just to see what it's like, same result. 

[clanmac]

Glad you said that. Having read about Testors for years I finally tracked some down recently, only to find I had a batch of shiny figures after the first run-out. Argghh!

[Plynkes]

I think Testors have changed the formula. I believe it did not pass certain safety standards before. I've found the new ones to be shiny too. But then again, it always was temperamental, like all spray varnishes. I used to get about 50/50 shiny/dull results. Now it is more reliable. Reliably shiny.

I use Army Painter now. I quite like it, but it still occasionally goes bad on me. That's spray varnish for you, it really does demand perfect atmospheric conditions and temperature, which is hard to come by in some parts of the world. Look at it funny and it will play up. When it does that I get out the brush-on.

[Antenociti]

Nope, no formula change, just the propellant.

Testors Dullcote will go satin or even gloss for a number of reason mostly down to its carrier (nitrocellulose) which is naturally shiny.

If you dont shake the can well enough, spray too closely or spray too much, then you wont get a matte finish, the more you spray, the more closely and the ehvier, the worse it will get.

Dullcote is a lacquer (not a varnish) that is VERY dependent on being used with VERY fine mistings, rather than direct spraying. Your model should be placed at a point where the spray/mist gently falls on to it, you should not be spraying with any force, on to the model - otherwise it will go satin.

Army Painter Matt is OK, but very granular (in the extreeme), temperature sensitive and tends to white-out...but then so is every other aerosol out there.

I've got both, sell both, so i'm not really picking a favourite: but my personal experience is that Testors Dullcote is the most relaible, most matte but probably the most difficult to perfect the technique of using. Army painter is reaosnably Matte, but futt-bugly at times as the matting agent (grain) is so large you can actually see it. It is, like the coloured primers, exceptionally thick, which you may or may not like; i love the primer colours but am really going off the thickness of the paint.

However: no changes to Testors' formula and its just as matte as it always was. It is, in all honesty, just down to application and preperation (warm, shaken and misted).

[Bravo Six]

Thanks for the input guys. How does Floquil Figure Flat measure up?

-Todd