Reddit mentions of Mr. Top Coat Flat Spray

1. for Primer, I have been using the Tamiya Fine Gray spray can. This works great, as the particles are smaller than hardware store or craft store primers and preserve the details of the pieces. Other hobby primers work well too, such as the Mr. Surfacer line but I personally have not used those. Refer to this primer guide for which color you should choose for priming.
   
2. You typically use a gloss black coat if you intend to bring out shiny / glossy layer of the paint on top. If your end game is a flat / matte topcoat, I would say this step is unnecessary. I have NOT observed a significant difference in color between a build with glossy black base and gold top paint layer versus. just a gold top paint layer when I matte coat it at the end.
   
3. Your ordering is CORRECT. For the number of layers, my go to procedure:
   

• Prime in 2 coats. I do a flash coat (quick spray bidirectional, there will be missing spots). Wait for 15 minutes and come back to do a 2nd coat to completely fill in. Wait a whole day.
  
• Spray desired paint layer, 2 coats. Same idea as the primer.
  
• Glossy coat to preserve the paint. I handbrush Pledge / Future Finish on and it works, but I am very patience with this step as I can overcoat and this will fill in the panel line. One thin coat is sufficient
  
• Decal hell. Every kit, every time.
  
• I top coat with Krylon Matte Finish. You can use the hobby stuffs like Testors Dullcote or Tamiya Flat Clear or Mr. Hobby Top Coat Flat, but I am a student with a part time job and these damn cans are damn expensive. The Krylon works sufficiently for me, I just have to spray it more carefully than the hobby ones.
  
  Good luck!

Ok so I havent try this on my Tamas but seeing how the shell is plastic it might work and be a better solution than nail polish. My other hobby is building plastic models and I use a clear plastic top coat to protect them. Needless to say protect the screen with masking tape before doing that, a few light coats should do the trick. Here is what I use:

Mr. Top Coat Flat Spray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000WS12C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_gkCzCb36VG8ZJ

Also your local hobby store like Michael and Hobby Lobby should have other options. Just make sure they are Flat or Matte not glossy.

For anyone interested, I've also used Mr. Color Top Coat and Molotov UV. They're much more expensive, but it works for me since I also use them on my Gundam builds.

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Top-Coat-Flat-Spray/dp/B0000WS12C

https://www.amazon.com/Molotow-Urban-Varnish-Gloss-Matte/dp/B07214DLBF

Also, for the customizers out there, this is worth the watch. It's a comparison between different top coats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKh0nYnivDo

1. Oil dot filters and oil washes (gunk wash) are subtle changes to the overall tone of the kit and you're not going to be able to tell the difference between the two really when the kit is done. It doesn't really matter which you do first in my experience, but armor modelers seem to do a wash first and then the oil dot filters. Check out this video filters start at 10 minutes in.
   
2. There isn't a rule in what colors you need to use for what base coat. You need to decide what kind of environment has your mobile suit been in and select colors based on that. So for example, if your mobile suit has been fighting in the desert, then you'd want to have a more yellowish-beige-ish tone. Of course, you don't want to go over-board with the modulation, so your white parts will just have a slightly yellowish tone and not look like it's been painted yellow.
   
3. Maybe check out this video to get an answer on chipping. But yes, using a slightly lighter version of the base color and then your choice of the bare metal color (can be grey, silver, whatever you want) is a good way to do chipping. When it comes to white, use something contrasting like dark grey or maybe dark brown for a rust look.
   
4. You have the right idea going but you might want to use grey or dark grey instead of black. Black can be too contrasting just from an artistic point of view. You'd probably want to color-in the blasted part dark grey, dry brush the silver and add touches of rust here and there. But you also have to consider the state of your mobile suit. If the laser blast has been there for a while, you might not see silver metal, it'll probably be all rusted. And vice versa is true, if your mobile suit just got shot, there probably won't be any rust.
   
5. Yes there is a difference between acrylic and lacquer clear coat. Lacquer is generally more durable, it doesn't scratch as easily and you can use either enamels or acrylics on top of it safely, but it is pretty toxic stuff. Acrylics are a lot less toxic but if you paint enamels or lacquers over it, the enamel and lacquer paint will eat through the acrylic coat and can affect whatever work you have done under the varnish. Lacquers can indeed harm plastic, but if you use proper spraying technique (spray past your kit in multiple quick bursts), any solvents that can potentially harm the plastic will dry too quickly to do any damage. I'm not 100% sure what kind of a product the link you have is for, but ideally you'd want to find a good hobby brand spray can clear coat like this (acrylic) or this (lacquer)
   
6. Youtube and the wiki are your best friend, you don't need to buy books for those kinds of things, there are plenty of material out there. Checkout channels such as Gunpla Lab, Ravi Pla, JENIC, Zaku Aurelius, Musasino Plamodel, LIKE GUNPLA, (most of these channels speak korean some videos have subtitles, some don't) and non-gunpla channels such as PLASMO, Night Shift, Scale Modelling Channel and see what techniques can you bring over to gunpla. For a lot of the basic stuff and even some advanced techniques, check out Gunpla Lab's tutorial series and Paint Project series. They speak Korean but have professionally translated videos so the subtitles are fantastic.

I use this stuff. A bit pricey, but can be found at lower prices than Amazon if you look around. Works great. Nice flat finish. (If you want certain parts to be shiny you will need to go over them afterward with 'Ard Coat or some other gloss medium.)

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Top-Coat-Flat-Spray/dp/B0000WS12C

This is Topcoat (cost less than this like 10USD) it makes the plastic less glossy ( makes it look way better without having to paint) also protects the plastic and panel linings

The major impact is due to the Matte top coat:

Mr. Top Coat Flat Spray https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000WS12C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DdWuDbQHS4ZJE

They are VERY cheap in Japan but good luck importing them at a good price.

Hey guys, I'm looking to build my first serious Gunpla here soon (built a bunch when I was a kid) and I want to finish it with a top coat. I've found this item from Mr. Topcoat, which seems good, but I was wondering if there are similar options in larger quantities or for better prices?

I'm planning on top coating some HGs. I'm also using gundam markers for small details and the pour type markers for panel lines. Which top coat would be better: tamiya, mr. hobby top coat, mr. premium top coat spray, or mr. super clear, or maybe anyone have other recommendations?

This community has been great with answering so many questions but this is the first time I can’t find the question I’m asking
I’m hoping to step up my building with adding paints. So my questions are
1.For now I just want to paint the Master Grades inner frame. From what I’ve gathered, this would be a neat inner frame color but do I need to prime the inner frame ?
2. Assuming the inner frame is spray painted with question 1’s spray can and I go about my regular building process, when I matte topcoat finish with this, will it react it some weird way with the inner frame color ?