I have been using an airbrush to paint over metal and I'm finding it hard to achieve a gloss finish, it always comes out really misty and I just can't get it to shine!
Is there a technique to this? I have been using enamel paints. Whenever I try and lacquer over the paint to get a gloss finish the paint crackles and lifts, no matter how long I leave it to dry.
I just want to have a gloss finish, what paints should I use with an airbrush to achieve this effect, and can I use a lacquer over a particular brand so that it will not bubble?
Thanks

Spray clear floor polish over your finished paint job which acts as a gloss cote and will provide an almost mirror finish.

Almost sounds like your enamel isn't cured before putting a gloss coat over it, and thus during it's "gasing out", is cracking the gloss clear coat.

Enamels can take literally weeks to fully cure depending on the paint and the conditions.

Definitely sounds like a paint compatability issue - i.e. the undercoat the and top coat are not able to work together.

When you say that you're "laquering" over the enamel paint, are you literally using a laquer or are you using this as a generic term for "gloss coat"?

I've never had any issues actually airbrushing a true laquer over an enamel. However, I have had issues using a clear gloss acrylic over enamels, especially gloss enamels.

I'd suggest switching to all enamels, all acrylics, or all laquers for both the color and clear coats. In fact, I'd suggest even going a bit further and using paints from the same brand which should be compatable with each other, at least until experimentation shows which cross-brand paints are compatable with each other for the type of finishes you're attempting.

Another issue is to consider the number of clear coats that you put down. You may have to build up successive clear coats to get a deep shine. Build these up gradually to prevent runs and sags. Some laquers and acrylics will "cloud" if sprayed too soon after an earlier coat that hasn't been allowed to dry properly. (The product application instructions usually specify if earlier coats have to be allowed to dry and for how long.)

Also, I'd suggest using a compatable metal primer, too, if up to now you've been spraying the color coats directly on the metal surface. Again, seek a compatable metal primer within a single brand of paint until you can get the desired results.

Most guys I know who build car models and are going for super-gloss finishes pretty much use all enamels or all laquers and polish the finishes, using a final wax coat. All very labor intensive if a super gloss is what's desired.

However, you should be able to get pretty good results with just clear coats over the color coats. Problems like you describe are usually either surface prep or paint compatability issues (most often the latter).

If this doesn't help, maybe if you provide some specific details on the paint brands and types along with the way you're reducing (thinning) the paints, someone might be able to see the exact problem. "Enamels" and "laquers" cover a lot of ground and pretty generic terms without more details.

HTH,

Thanks for the responses. When I say lacquer I mean Halford universal clear lacquer. I used this over humbrol gloss enamel paints as well as mtn montana hardcore paint (which I figured just wasn't compatible!)
It seems fine when I use the lacquer in the airbrush, it doesn't crackle, but then it doesn't appear gloss because of the texture of the airbrushing.
Even using the halfords own brand spray paints creates crackling so it is not the brand incompatibility in this scenario. I have also used plasticote brand enamel spray paints with plasticote clearcote with weeks to dry in between and it has crackled.
I just want to know which brands have worked together so I can experiment with them myself, knowing that they do work together.
Basically I want to be able to use a clear cote over a paint, using the spray can and not the airbrush, to create a glossy finish and have it not ruin the paint underneath that I've applied with an airbrush.
Sorry if I am confusing!

Also I do use a primer before the colour coats.

you might want to try putting a primer coat on then spray your gloss coat

I'm not personally familiar with the Halford's brand and haven't sprayed any Humbrol enamels since the 80's. I use "rattle can" clear lacquers on my wooden bases over enamel stains with no problems. I allow the stains to simply dry over night.

However, in so far as what I know will work with hobby paints:

Any Tamiya acrylics with Tamiya Clear Gloss X-22.

Any Tamiya acrylics with either Testors Gloss Coat and Dull Coat laquers. The Testors Clear Coat laquer requires multiple coats to build up to a nice gloss.

Any Tamiya acrylics with Future Floor Wax (airbrushed straight from the bottle).

Replace the Tamiya acrylics with Vallejo Model Air (reduced with distilled water and Vallejo's thinner) and any of the above clears.

Floquil paints with Floquil Gloss Cote.

Spraying clear gloss laquers generally required multiple coats. You have to build up a sufficient thickness to cover any underlying irregularities in the surface. Very thin single coats on top of the the color coat will not appreciably add to the depth of the gloss look. To achieve a "deep" shine, you need multiple coats.

Often times, buffing between earlier coats with steel wool will help before spraying a final gloss coat. The quick drying nature of the clear lacquer will allow multiple coats to be built up rather quickly - only needing one or two hours drying time between coats. The buffing helps to polish and smooth the surface for the next coat. Be carefull on edges and corners. It's very easy to buff through the color coat to the underlying surface.

A very heavy initial coat of lacquer may be softening the enamel (the lacquer thinner) and causing the enamel to lift from the underlying surface. Again, start with light coats of the lacquer and allow to dry between coats.

If you're getting orange-peel (frosting) when spraying, reduce your air pressure, increase the paint flow, move closer to the surface, or some combination of all of the those. What is happening is that the atomized clear laquer is partially drying between the airbrush and the surface. This creates microscopic "beads" of clear laquer adhearing to the surface making the "frosted" look.

Obviously, if you're using canned paint, you cannot adjust the air pressure, but you can move closer or further to/from the surface and move the spray can either faster or slower to adjust the volume of clear reaching the surface.

Sometimes laquer will "blush" because of high humidity and temperature. This "whitish" haze is actually within the clear layer. It will occasionally dry out, but often not. Sometimes spraying straight laquer thinner back over the clear (the sooner the better) will "re-activate" the laquer clear coat and allow it to dry without the blush haze.

Maybe someone else can offer suggestions for some specific clear coat brands over the Humbrols. However, I can't see why you should have any compatability issues with a reqular gloss clear lacquer over a fully-dried enamel, even a "rattle can" lacquer.

Try building up the gloss using thinner coats, thorough drying between them, a light buffing between them with 4x0 (0000) steel wool (wipe down with a tack cloth), and a final clear coat over that. The number of coats will have to be judged based on the look that's being developed.

HTH,

Thank you so much, I have got Tamiya acrylics and Future Floor Wax which hopefully will do the job. I appreciate all your help!