How thick is Humbrol Matt Cote supposed to be? (Good News! 5/9)

[FramFramson]

I picked up some Humbrol Matt Cote yesterday, as I found a shop here that had some. One thing I noticed though was that the bottom was REALLY sludgy. It took me forever to shake it to an even consistency - first I tried my usual expedient of adding a couple of ball bearings to the bottle, but they just got stuck! Eventually I used a couple of toothpicks to breakup the sludgy bottom and that finally did the trick for the most part.

Is this stuff always like this? Do you really need to stir/shake it that much or did I get a dud bottle?  

I was going to experiment with it tonight, but that seems rather extreme to me and I just figured I'd ask if my experience was typical of the stuff. I know I can thin it with white spirit (and I probably will a little).

[FramFramson]

Anybody? I guess I can just try it out on some harmless surface to see.

[Sardoo]

I'd suggest caution here. I bought Humbrol matt recently, gave it a good stir as it was pretty sludgy and then painted it onto a figure only to find that the end result was more gloss than matt!  i was not, as they say, best pleased!

[Andym]

I tried it on glossy fake plant leaves to bring 5 he shine down and I was the same...They stayed shiny!!

[FramFramson]

Hmmmmmm, not good then. I haven't used it yet, so I can probably take it back and exchange it for some Testor's Dullcote (they had that too), but what do you normally think that with? Can you thin Testor's with white spirit?

According to the Testor's label, you have to use a particular Testor's thinner (which the shop didn't have and which was part of the reason I got the Humbrol instead).  

I might try this Humbrol stuff on something anyway. A small test patch on something relatively unimportant.

[FramFramson]

Well, there might be some people who swear by Humbrol, but the bottle I got is trash. Tried it on some paint samples and it was disgustingly variable, with more patches that were gloss than matte.

[Atheling]

Fram Framlinson- avoid it like the plague... it is rubbish!

Darrell.

[warburton]

I have yet to find any matte product that is even slightly satisfactory, except for Testors Dullcote.

[Lt. Hazel]

Daler&Rowney is good. Buy a bottle and remove a but from the liquid, put it in a small jar, the matting Agent will have settled on the bottom. Than stir it well and Test it on a black, gloss coated Mini. If it is streaky put some of the liquid back, if too Glossy wait a Day and remove more. A bit of work, but the afford will end in a dead matt finish.

[FramFramson]

Can't find Daler Rowney anywhere here.

I did find a shop that carries Testor's Dullcote and the appropriate thinner, so that's sort of my 'final redoubt', but one of my objectives is to try (If possible) to use acrylics only, as ventilation is abysmally poor in our apartment. I recently picked up the Vallejo matte to try. It's about the same as the Windsor & Newton "regular" which is my current, unsatisfactory matte, requiring three coats just to get things tolerably matte-ish.

The Vallejo is slightly better matt coverage then the W&N, but both still require multiple coats, both tend to be thick (otherwise I wouldn't mind doing multiple coats so much), and unlike the W&N has a slight tendency to frost in cracks (fixable, but ugh).

Apparently the Windsor & Newton Galleria is a higher-quality acrylic matte coat and quite decent, but I haven't been able to find any here either. The search continues.

[Mr. Peabody]

Fram are you adding any water to the Vallejo Matte Varnish when you brush it on?

I've found just a wee drop helps a lot when I brush it. Goes on in much thinner coats and no frosty build up...

Most of the time I airbrush it at 30psi.

Still haven't found my ideal acrylic matte, but I'm always happy to be 'finishing' work and moving on to the next project. I have enough hurdles to creativity and getting stuff done.

[FramFramson]

Yes, at first I thinned it with a little water, then on the second try I added a fair bit more (probably close to 30% water for my second application). I keep getting bubbles (the main source of the frosting issues), which I try to blow out after brushing the stuff on, but sometimes I miss a few. I tried adding flow improver, but that doesn't seem to solve the issue.

[Mr. Peabody]

Yeah, if I have one real issue with it is that it can 'suds-up' if I'm not careful when brushing.

I frequently rinse the brush right out and charge it again when the first bubbles start to show.

Flippin' grail-quest, what?

[blackstone]

I use Matt Cote a lot and have no problems with it. Maybe a bad batch?

[warburton]

I have just experimented with Winsor & Newton Acrylic Matt UV Varnish which so far has left a slight satin finish. I will put on a second coat and see how it goes.

Daler Rowney is no longer available in the local art stores here, unfortunately, though I do wonder why no product seems to be able to be used straight from the tin without having to decant and mix the carrier and so on.

I have also recently tried the Vallejo matt varnish and also had problems with bubbles forming. Thinning helped, and unloading the brush, but it makes it hard to get into the crevices. The W&N varnish was also very difficult in terms of bubbling.

Still, Testors Dullcote (I have only ever used the aerosol version) is unmatched. Though constant supply problems and the desire for a brush on alternative have lead to all of this unhappy experimentation....