what clear coat should i use?

Hey just about to clearcoat my bucket and was wondering what i should use gloss satin or matte? Also can anyone from australasia reccomend a brand that wont affect or darken colours too much. I just spent all this time painting it up i dont want to fall at the last hurdle!

I use Australian export clear coat, very cheap- seems good enough for what is needed not sure if it's a satin or matte

Ok bud, first off, see what you are using the helmet for. If its only for display, and your not trooping in it, it may not actually need a clear coat. Mine is for display, and as I got a really nice finish throuh the airbrush anyway, I decided not to clear coat mine. But ultimately, that will come down to what you are using it for, or just preference..

If you do decide to coat it, stay away from gloss. Some see the lids as having a slight satin finish, so that can work, I personally prefer flat. Just not gloss. Out of a can, testors dullcote is good, but do be warned - it will dull your metallics. Which some like for a more weathered feel, but I personally prefer bright silver. Most flat coats will do this though. Brands like humbrol also provide clear coats you can spray through the airbrush - and will be needed to thin down a fraction with white spirit. Other than that, you can try cheaper spray can versions in bunnings, just make sure they are compatible with the type of paint used - enamels, acrylics or laquer. obviously, always do some test strips before applying it to your lid. Best of luck m'man! :-)

Gahh! I havent thought about paint compatability! Ive used a mixture of different paints laying around including rattlecan acrylics and citadel minatures paints. What now i wanna be able to wear it so it needs a coat! What now! I want to use something out of a can coz i dont have an airbrush. Any more ideas?

I'm pretty sure many of the clear coats you buy will be laquer based, and pretty compatible with all types of paints, but of course, if you are looking at a no name brand from Bunnings etc, just read the can, as they may be paint specific. If you really need a clear coat, I would personally go into a hobby shop and look for some Testors Dullcote. Its all purpose, and I believe can even be used over many surfaces, even styrofoam, so it shouldnt have too much trouble adapting to differrent paint types. Even if it costs a few bucks more, its well worth it, and again, I always stress - do some tests over differrent paints. Even if it reacted badly for some reason (which is highly unlikely), at least you only waste $10 bucks or so, rather than ruin your lid. Again - and I cant stress this enough - it will dull your metallics. So, you can either go for that look, or there is the option of roughly re-liquid masking your main bright silver areas before application to keep them brighter. See how you go brother!

I've used Testors dull coat on many projects. It's lacquer based and provides a tough finish. But it is DEAD flat.
If you prefer any kind of sheen at all, Krylon matte clear will provide a little reflectivity. Not sure if you can get
Krylon in Australia, though.
Apart from those two, the only other clear coat I can remember using is Polly Scale clear flat. But you need an
airbrush for that one. Also the Polly Scale comes out a tiny bit more "milky" than either Testors or Krylon, which causes
an interesting muting effect on your colors.

Thanks guys! The other thing i dont want to do is mute the colours im happy with the way they are. Im gunna give the testors a shot. Hope i can get it in NZ!

Gave the testors dull coat a crack today man its realy flat! Didnt affect colours and hasnt muted down the silver too much! Dunno how i feel about it right now does the original helmet have a bit more shine to it or is it matt?

Heya Josh. Your helmet is looking sweet, love the paint job ( I really must get round to painting mine sometime...).
I have had a play round with a Helmet that Boba Maker painted up for a friend, and as I remember it it was completely Matt.
But as most say here though, its personal choice.

Cheers paul! what kinda bucket do you have? I thought someone with your skills would have given it a full work over!

Awesome paint job mate! I was kinda wondering the same thing! Im using Humbrol model paints and I have Humbrol matt cote, which I hear is very good ans doesnt dull or colour. But check whether its suitable for the paint you used. Good luck and I hope you find the right one for the job, cause its too nice a paint job!

Originally Posted by joshsurf

Cheers paul! what kinda bucket do you have? I thought someone with your skills would have given it a full work over!

My helmet is a fiberglass pull from an unknown source, I brought if off a 501st forum member years back, I have never tried to match it to its right helmet (Something I may do latter on, to be honest its never bothered me what the original helmet was).
I keep meaning to paint my bucket...Really I do.. but time has not been on my side, there is always some project or the other getting in the way and returning back to full time study hasn't helped.
But I will post development picks up, once I do, and it will get the full work over, I have even hunted for all the right shades of paint!
One thing I am looking forward to, is building a jet pack from WOF's templates, they're incredible.

Yup i know what you mean i'm going to embark on that one soon enough!

Thanks guys for advice went with testors dull coat in the end it didnt mess with the colour depth at all! Which is a relief! Only thing is that its really matte. I mean dull as! Is fett supposed to have a bit of shine to his dome? Its hard to tell in the images.

if you want a little shine, plain old hand sweat/grease will do that for you. If you want to speed up the shine that way, rub your hands through your hair to pick up some extra oil... not that I'm saying you have oily hair or anything

Originally Posted by fettwho

if you want a little shine, plain old hand sweat/grease will do that for you. If you want to speed up the shine that way, rub your hands through your hair to pick up some extra oil... not that I'm saying you have oily hair or anything

Lol just get some nice greasy chips from the chippy.....!

Almost done heres with the clearcoat and visor finally installed just needs a few tweaks and then onto my scratch build jetpack!