Xtracolor Matt varnish

[Simon Cornes]

Any ideas how long you should keep this before you consider it to be 'expired' ? I used a bottle this weekend - which was already opened - and it was a bit 'gloopy' and toffee coloured but I gave it a good shake. Not all the matting agent lifted off the bottom of the bottle but, after a couple of minutes, I thought it would do so decanted some into the airbrush jar, thinned with a bit of white spirit and onto the model.Result - shiny as a toffee apple and not yet dry after 36 hours!

I will let it harden off (for days probably!) and then use a new bottle of the stuff but I would be interested to know how long you think an opened bottle should be useable for and I may then start date marking my bottles!

Thanks

Simon

[triumphfan]

Simon, I had a bottle of this stuff once. Used it once and never again. It never did dry completely and I had to re-do the paint job. Hopefully you will be luckier than me though.

I only use Alclad clear finishes now as I have found them much easier and they actually dry

IMO. there would be a lot of different clear coats recommended but very few people would say use Xtracolour.

Date stamping paint is a good idea. I had a tin of Xtracolour go gloopy once, I didn't have any more EDSGrey so had to wait for delivery.

Steve.

[Stuck]

This seems to be a problem with a lot of acrylic varnishes including woodworking ones , I go along with Steve and use Alclad now. The acrilic that I have found the best is Pleobo matt but it dries just too dead flat for my liking

[Graham Boak]

I'm still using some paints (not many) that go back to the seventies, and have quite a stock of old Precision that I've not got around to using. Date-stamping is a good idea for professionals but I'm not sure it would be cost/time effective for hobbyists.

[franky boy]

I've learned the hard way to steer clear of Xtracolor and Xtracrylics, I just can't get the latter through an airbrush without it blocking. I've been getting some decent results with Vallejo Matt varnish lately. I'm going to give the alclad varnishes a try soon as most people seem to get on with them very well.

James

[Stew Dapple]

Hmm, I generally use Xtracolor Flat Varnish through an airbrush, either on its own or mixed with their satin varnish, thinned with cellulose and I have never experienced any difficulties with it - that said it is the regular oil-based version, not the acrylic.

To compound the oddness further, my bottle of it must be four years old by now and it doesn't seem to have undergone any change since it was new

Cheers,

Stew

[Caerbannog]

I have a big (100ml?) plastic bottle of XtraColour flat clear and it is ancient. The colour is toffee too and I shook it for many minutes before I used it as a final coat (thinned but hand brushed) on a Tempest I build this year. It took a day to be dry enough to carefully handle it but even after two weeks it was slightly tacky still. I should have a look at it now the Tempest is oin my cabinett for several weeks.

I quit trying to get this stuff though the airbrush - it just clogs it. As the drying time is quite long already I would not consider to mix it with a retarder to get it through the airbrush.

Rene

[Greg B]

It takes an age to dry, and if it's still shiny, you have not mixed it enough. Far better results with Matt cote, the Alclad finishes or for a completely matt finish, the Testors Matt varnish

[tomprobert]

I love the Xtracolour paint range but avoid their varnishes like the plague.

Their enamel matt varnish has ruined many of my models - after time it has yellowed terribly and my Airways VC-10 is now a strange olive-green colour. A He-219 has done the same. The grey on my HK Fortress has also started to yellow - about a year since I finished it. The only option will be repaints if I can summon the interest.

I now use Humbrol flat (from the jar and not a rattle can) as it's been on some models for years and not a hint of yellowing.

Tom

[Caerbannog]

Sounds as if I could clear coat my Tempest again with something which is UV stable so it protects the Xtracolour coat...

[CliffB]

I take it that the problems being experienced are with Xtracolour varnishes (the 'enamel' one), not the Xtracrylix varnish (the 'acrylic' one)?

I've got an old bottle of Xtracrylics XAFF Flat that I bought just after Hannants moved out of Colindale (10 years ago?). No sign of yellowing in the bottle or on models yet.

Sprays easily when thinned with Tamiya thinners and gives a nice 'not absolutely matt' finish.

I haven't tried the Alclad varnishes yet. I do use a lot of their metallic finishes though and these most definitely have a pretty short shelf life once opened (a different issue, I know)!

Cliff

[spitfire]

Never had a problem with Xtracolor varnishes, used them for years, I shake them well and then stir for 2 minutes with my Badger battery stirrer, this lifts all the sludge from the bottom, thin 50/50 with Xtracolor thinners and airbrush at 15 psi, I've just matt coated my Typhoon and it came out great. The bottle that I am using now was bought quite a few years ago.

Cheers

Dennis

[Starfighter]

I used Xtracolor enamel varnish, and after about a year it started to yellow, so I now use Humbrol matt cote mixed with a small amount of satin cote, and that seems to give a nice, slightly satin finish. Also, it stops the "Frosting" that you can get with some matt varnishes. HTH.

[Simon Cornes]

Thanks for the replies chaps. The varnish in question is XDFF so I'm not sure if that's acrylic or enamel but I assume enamel. It seems to be drier now so I'm hoping I get away with a coat of varnish from a new bottle. To be fair, when it works I love the result but I just don't think that I got it mixed well enough. I do like Valejo polyurethane satin varnish though - almost like water in the bottle.

Simon

[Scarlet]

I couldn't get on with either Xtracolour or Xtracrylix varnish. I use Alclad varnish exclusively now and have nothing but praise for it.

[Simon Cornes]

Alleluja! Firstly the original coat of varnish dried nice and hard after about 72 hours and then I was to busy to do anything more. Today I have looked at my bottles of XDFF - and I have 6 unopened ones and 3 which are part used. I risked using one where the agent and varnish hadn't separated out and, thankfully, it went on well and immediately started drying matt - I am relieved I can tell you! I am wondering if I should try the other two bottles - one of which I know dried glossy. I think I may give both a very good shake and try them on something unimportant. As it stands I have marked the bottle I used today with today's date and the fact that it works so I will now use it until the bottle is empty.

I have so many unused jars simply because of Hannants policy of not posting paint in isolation and seeing Hannants twice a year at shows. I like their varnish - when it works - so I like to be well stocked in case I actually get to complete a model!