Testing 9 Brands Of Hobby Matt Clear Spray Cans - Is There A Clear Winner 

I’m just getting back into the whole gunpla hobby after nearly a decade hiatus and you’re already saving me a ton of time and money. Thanks a bunch and keep it up! God bless, brother.

Here's hoping all of you are having a good day.

Hi Robert the Titan brand that AMMO sell is the Ambro-Sol brand.made in Cigole Brescia province in Italy. I bought a AMMO bottle in a hobbystore when i was there. Later i found a bottle that looked simular to that AMM Titan spraycan. Went reading the small letters and barcode. And the result is it is all comming from the same factory. Ambro-Sol is a for professional use brand. But they are the same. AMMo was $18 in the hobbyshop. Titan via internet the same price. Ambro-Sol in the paintshop here in town$11.50. All bottle had 400 Ml. Even the spraynozzles were the same.

This is exactly why I watch your videos tested tried and true,great,good,and not so good.

GSI stuff has been my go to as a mostly straight builder... their Mr Super Smooth Clear Matt has been my go-to since it's carried by my local Gunpla shop.

I've been painting for many years and I'm blown away with how matte the Vallejo clear is. Usually you just get steps when you put a matte over a gloss and I've never seen a complete matte after just one coat. The finish description and what finish you actually get are all over the place from what I've seen. Semi-gloss that looks satin, flat that looks satin, satin that looks semi-gloss. It's a lot like sandpaper in that respect, because there are no industry standards. A tip for when you're sanding a project and doing a progression, is to stick to one company. 220 for one company might be like a 150 for another company. You can really end up with a mess and a lot of extra work if you switch up companies.

Excellent comparison video. My only comment is that there are actually two kinds of Winsor & Newton matt spray varnishes. The one you tested is the General Purpose, silver & blue can. They also make a Professional-grade varnish for oil paint, silver & black can. This is the one you want to try out. I use it for my historical miniatures, which usually need a super matt finish. IMO, it dries to a dead, flat, matt finish.

Been waiting for this for a bit. Hoping that a airbrush varnish review is in the future.

Really useful video for anyone looking to start top coating. Wish I had this when I first started and it's great to have a comparison reference now, especially across different base paints

Winsor and newton do a bottled version of the matt varnish which is fantastic. Main reason I use it is citadel varnish is shockingly bad for hazing and cloudiness never had that issue with w and n also really easy to find.

Thanks for this test Robert, I would never thought that Citadel's mat varnish is so horrible and would look at Vallejo or Revell will be going on my hobby bench for sure.

your tests and showing the results is why I keep coming back for more.

Testing all these different topcoats on multiple types of paint and raw plastic. You, sir, are a wonderful madman. I don't think I've ever seen this much of a comprehensive review of these items. Hats off. Second: I could tell when you were spraying it that you were overdoing that Munatorium Varnish. That stuff needs to go on real light and I've ruined a few units I was working on (bad dusting and white clouds) when I was using it a few times. If anyone is using it, apply it like you would perfume. Let it dry an hour and do it again. Really light coats. If you DO end up getting clouding or frosting from using too much, you can fix it by using some citadel medium over it. I've even seen people do *another* application and that sort of dissolves the first one and evens it out. Personally. I've moved to Tamyia semi-gloss for topcoating my figures and TS-80 for bases and I've never had issues with those at all.

one of your best one so far! very comprehensive tests. i absolutely appreciate it. thanks, man.

"FInisher's"!!!! About time!!! Looking forward to seeing that video. I have some on my shelf awaiting a Lamborghini project, be happy to see you put it through the test before I tackle it.

I would love to see a comparison between different airbrush varnishes/clear coats including the protection to wear and tear as a category to be judged.

Once again, an excellent review AND an excellent Gundam build! Kudos!

Great video. Love the comparisons

@27:35 you can see the Tamiya has the weird shiny ghost lines and rings about a mm or two beside every concave edge.

Another great test! Very helpful. Thanks so much for doing this. Hope your wife is doing better. Take care.

Great video! Very informative indeed 🙌

Another great test and another great video. Mr. Hobby has a Super Clear Matt AND a Super Clear Flat unless something changed recently. The matt has a little shine to it, but I find the flat is dead flat. I can almost never find Mr. Hobby Flat, though. Even when I order it on Amazon, most of the time, they send matt instead. But I've used both, and there's definitely a difference.

Yeah, I've never had good luck with any of Citadel's rattle cans, even though they're my top choice for hand painting.

I use Windsor and newton artist acrylic Matt UV varnish from the bottle by brush and through my airbrush, both the gloss and Matt have done ok for me so far

Perfect timing on this vid! I am very close to clear coating over a mix of Vallejo and Mr Hobby paints. I always get stressed out doing clear coats because of the way they seem to react to the paints when cured. Thanks to this video I know what to use. You're the trusted one stop channel for everything paint related. 👍

Great video; great testing. Thank you! For what it’s worth, I’ve used Tamiya for years, but recently changed to Mr. Hobby for clear finishing. In my experience, it provides a flawless result. Importantly, I haven’t experienced crazing of decals with Mr. Hobby, where I have with Tamiya. I’m careful now to dust coat decals first with Tamiya, then follow with finish coats. Also, I find Mr. Hobby gloss coat much better than Tamiya, such as over commercial airliners. Thanks again!

Paul from NB Canada. Thanks for the GREAT video! I ran out of my Mr Hobby and needed to source another brand. Just in time!!

fantastic as usual !!! Thanx so much Ciao from Italy..hope everythings's fine for you and your family

Thank you for doing this test on the Matt finish . It’s great that you take all the guessing for me so I don’t mess up my models . Keep up all the great work you do !

Another great comparison and test. Thanks again for all you do for us.

I've tried most of these on minis, terrain and Gunpla and Testors Dullcote is the best hands down.

Wow indeed, I can't believe the results of citadel, I'm using Vallejo model air on my games workshop miniatures, I do give the miniatures a Matt coat sometimes as some of the paint has a satin finish,the citadel can would have ruined them

Great video an thanks for the the time you put into the videos you made for us 👍🏻👍🏻

I like Finnishers too, glad the misses is back hope you both have a wonderful Laber day 💪👊🔥💨

Can confirm that that specific mr super clear takes bandai decals perfectly

Impressive test! Mr. Hobby and Tamiya might not always be the best but they are always near the top and work well. I've recently ditched all my old paints. I've been concentrating on Mr. Hobby and Tamiya paint purchasing - in an effort to simplify my painting. Robert, your videos went a long ways in helping me increasing my happiness with painting! Your tests helped my pick the paint brands I have now. You've also helped me pick a paint shaker and other accessories too! Many thanks sir!

I used the flat Revell on Tamyia decals and when I got back to the model a couple of hours later, I was devastated. The decals had turned sort of white and I was sure the model was ruined. After looking around on the web I used a trick someone did to cure silvering. Put some nail polish remover on a cotton stick and gently rubbed over the decals and to my amaze the whitening slowly vanished and the decals were saved.

would like to see a test of different clears (matte and gloss) over white to see if any have a tint to them. The Krylon and Dupli-Color have a slight tint.

Interesting video. Nice to know how these products work.

If anyone reading this has a J4 part for the MG Freedom 2.0 and is willing to let it go can i have it? ... Also i appreciate the candy colors to be tested as well since we often don't see them as a matt finish but i aprreciate the effort, you always go on and beyond!

Excellent video, thanks.

Great video as always

Can't wait to get into this! I typically use krylon matte and have been looking for some alternatives.

Have had great results with Revell in the past. Thanks for all your work.

19:29 that wheeze killed me lmao

THANKYOU! I had asked for a run-down on the flat finishes and you came through big time! I started with Dullcote in the 1960's and in the past 55 years it has been my "go-to" flat finish, BUT now Testors is run by Ristoleum and they keep messing with the bobby paints, so I was wondering about alternatives. I did try "matte fixative" that I got ay Hobby Lobby, but I think your top choices are better. Nobody carries Revell paints in my region, but I have a couple chain hobby shops that carry Vallejo sprays, so I may have to spring for a can on my next xisit. I currently do mostly railroad models, and some military models, so I am always interested in a FLAT finish to put over weathering. I appreciate your testing efforts on hobby paints, even if most of them are glossy. You always have something interesting to say.

I think the citadel Matt will probably work best with the citadel paint range , the only citadel paint I have is the nuln oil

Another informative video ty

FYI the Mr Hobby has a cap for degassing if you're an airbrush user

Great comparison but I would have liked an idea of the retail price of each.

thanks for doing Tru-color again!! i was having issues with some of their gloss coats...

Awesome content...love your hands.

This has been one of my biggest searches as of late to find the flattest clear finish. I usually use dulcoat but that Vallejo finish has it beat. I’m super stoked. I do a lot of World War II diorama’s and scale models so this sounds perfect. I have been using Vallejo thick mud and it’s great perfect in texture, semi flat finish as compared to ammo mud which is a little glossier that has its place to but I tend to look for the flatter stuff, so yeah, this makes sense Vallejo being a flatter finish.

You should get mr clear uv cut and try it over candy. Might get an anodized look

If you see it for a good price, you should get the old Humbrol authentic a6 silver. It’s my favourite silver detail paint and once I get a spray gun and some turpentine, I’m sure that it will give a near chrome effect. It has the finest pigment I’ve seen apart from the original floquil back before testors!

This was extremely helpful. Thanky you very much! Just in case you are reading this, I'm trying to find a replacement for Testors Dullcote (can't get it anymore here) and on video it looked like the Mr. Superclear was very close. Was that your impression in real life as well (if you can recall)?

Perfect video, running off to buy revel now

Awesome test

Great Matt clear shootout!

Nice pun. Clear winner!

I’m a big fan of Mr Super Clear - cheers

Thanks for sharing!👏👏👏‼️‼️

Would you show your kit being done in clear blue when finished?

Surprised didnt see "Mod Podge Matte Mate" on here.. Matte paint you can find in any hobby / retail store across the world...

I would like to see you test the Cobra Motor paints by Ammo. Keep up the great work

Have you used Montana Colors before? I’m sure you have but I was wondering what the quality was like. It’s pretty heavily promoted on Amazon where I do a lot of my shopping.

Before I watch - Rustoleum 2x Matte is the be-all end-all for me. Now, onto the video.. After watching - A very informative video. I'll be sticking with my usual. That chalky, fuzzy looking finish isn't for me. The W+N and Mr. Hobby are good alternatives to what I usually use for sure.

Nice to see a non metallic paint test, well done

Hello i have a quistion can you use gloss clear from revell for washes and enamel thinner ??

I've been using Ak Interactive ultra matte and never looked back.,

I appreciate the inclusion of candy colors for this test, since as far as mecha models go I can definitely see wanting to have the vibrant color and metallic sheen of a candy, but without the new car sort of glossy finish. The Mr. Hobby-coated blue candy in particular looked great!

So, I've been in the hobby for around 2 months now and i decided to try and do a custom paint job in one of my kits, i got the air brush but my local hobby lobby only had Createx paint and the same testor can that you used in the video. I honestly don't understand much about paints yet and i wanted to know if this combination would work or if i risk damaging the kit or the paint

I previously tried the Satin version of the Vallejo over their own acrylics and that came out glossy.

Citadel completely ruined an entire kit I had custom painted. It was so bad with the frosting effect. I will never purchase another painting product by them again, and I was anticipating you to have similar results on your results 😂

i have wondered, is that a modified vortex genie 2?

Would it be worth trying the candy sandwiched between two layers of matte? To my eyes it seems like the excess shine is coming from the smooth surface of the spoon itself.

? where did you get the stands for your airbrushes with the quick hose coupler

Awesome video. A hello from Dubai, UAE.

Thanks for the review, definitely a few surprises in there! For what it's worth, there is a town in the California Bay Area called Vallejo, and the locals pronounce it "va-LAY-ho". I don't know if the paint company shares that pronunciation as well, perhaps if someone who works for them is reading this they could chime in.

Tameeyah, Tamiiyah, potaytoe, potaahtoe… 😂

You used (origin?) Guncannon! I was super interested to see the super matte clear. Appearance wise it almost looked perfect, the best. I was more interested in the spray pattern and not as scary as I thought, seemed manageable. I had a question about spraying limbs but your example with the gp03 kinda calmed my fears. I guess I'll Panel line, decal and spray. (What did you use to panel line? Tamiya? And no fears of melting plastic? That lining just looks too perfect, doesnt seem to match my gundam markers)

I use teh el cheapo rustoleum one and it's a bit on teh shiny side, I guess to get a real matte finish you gotta pay out teh wazoo for teh actual hobby ones.

Heya Rex, any recommendations for chrome gold/bronzes for alclad? tempted to try the greenstuff world paints, but saw all the a stand ammo range in the store recently..just wonder if you have any advice? cheers man

Ts 80 can destroy decals. The others i dont know. Thx for the test.

Be aware a lot of these CANNOT be sprayed over decals. Certainly not the Mr Hobby.

Air conditioning Air and heated air may effect the electronic light could very well be

Are you still using the waterfall spraybooth? How is it holding up? Would be great with a followup video talking about your experience with it over time and use. I'm considering getting one.

Besides Vallejo, which of the topcoats are durable?

Just wondering when your 2K Gloss Black will be back in stock?

I have a question. Tamiya TS line spray cans don't have flat black. So how do I get flat black from them? Can I put flat clear straight over their TS Matte Black?

Are any of these tested here UV protection? I’m looking to prolong my arts colour longevity.

So, the label on the Tamiya (@1:05) says "do not spray on decals and stickers". IF true, that sounds like a bit of a problem for most final top coats! Is that true? Surely Not!

Can mr super clear matte be used on craft acrylic paint?

Do you have a suggestion for a good gold acrylic. Model masters was the best gold. But what is the best now. Going to paint marvel legends hulkbuster

Funny thing is, being into painting gunpla, scale models, and miniatures, I guarantee the Citadel spray can was the most expensive out of all of these.

yeah GW product all have low to mid quality and on top they are overpriced too, the only thing they are good in are the plastic minis

Sorry fat finger. Great video. Mjd

Va-lay-hoe is how it's pronounced.

Unfortunately you need to learn to do light layers, multiple light layers will give you a much better result. Especially when shooting satin or Matte finishes. You always shoot to heavy.

Wasn't testors a winner