Solvent for Armory Clear Matte sealer

[grimlock1]

I was spraying some parts to a model and one of the sprues came out with a white, frosted effect.  Almost certainly operator error but now the question is how do I fix it?

Pre-COVID, I would bring all the parts into work, put them in a beaker of rubbing alcohol and put that in the ultrasonic bath.  Not so much an option these days.

[Sartris]

i've gotten that before but it's gone away after it completely dries.

[grimlock1]

i've gotten that before but it's gone away after it completely dries.

I'm a couple days later and some parts still look like they have a dusting of snow.

[CranstonSnord]

A re-spray may fix it. Low humidity, etc.

[worktroll]

Yup - respray will probably fix it. Just make sure that it's warm and dry - heat shouldn't be a problem for most USAians, but humidity is what causes the frosting.

[Two Guns Blazing]

A respray of varnish can quite often remove or significantly reduce frosting, but not always.

If you end up stripping the mini. I've always had excellent results from Dettol (the stuff in the classic bottle), although it does smell and is expensive...so good if you have some lying around the house...Dettol is good for metal, resin and plastic, but it can weaken super glue, so not good for stripping assembled mini's you want to still be assembled at the end of the strip...

[grimlock1]

A respray of varnish can quite often remove or significantly reduce frosting, but not always.

If you end up stripping the mini. I've always had excellent results from Dettol (the stuff in the classic bottle), although it does smell and is expensive...so good if you have some lying around the house...Dettol is good for metal, resin and plastic, but it can weaken super glue, so not good for stripping assembled mini's you want to still be assembled at the end of the strip...

It's a gundam kit if that has any bearing.

Yup - respray will probably fix it. Just make sure that it's warm and dry - heat shouldn't be a problem for most USAians, but humidity is what causes the frosting.

Low humidity will be in short supply for a while. :-(
Oddly enough, it's only one tree that frosted up.  I sprayed 4 trees, and I guess the wind shifted or something because the fifth tree frosted. Weird.

[worktroll]

Were the others drying in sunlight, and the fourth in shade? Or some other environmental factor?

And yes, my wife & family are well used to the importance of "good varnishing weather". "Is it good varnishing weather today?" "Today is a GREAT DAY for VARNISHING!"

[Weirdo]

My wife wants to retire to the Caribbean someday. If we actually pull it off, I'm pretty sure I'll end up needing a heavy-duty spray booth for indoor spraying, I don't think it *ever* dries out down there.

[Mohammed As`Zaman Bey]

  It's usually a humidity problem. Some recommend a gentle washing with a toothbrush to remove the excess matte material while others recommend a full removal and repaint. Matte finishes require little particles to break up the usual semi-gloss texture of the paint that is usually clear when properly cured. If gloss paint is like glass, then matte paint is like gravel, and too high humidity interferes with the curing process, which causes too much of the particles to collect on the surface. 

  When I first used clear matte paints in Hawaii, the finishes usually turned out bad, so I had to forego clear matte completely and rely on flat paints alone, usually enamels.

[grimlock1]

  It's usually a humidity problem. Some recommend a gentle washing with a toothbrush to remove the excess matte material while others recommend a full removal and repaint. Matte finishes require little particles to break up the usual semi-gloss texture of the paint that is usually clear when properly cured. If gloss paint is like glass, then matte paint is like gravel, and too high humidity interferes with the curing process, which causes too much of the particles to collect on the surface. 

  When I first used clear matte paints in Hawaii, the finishes usually turned out bad, so I had to forego clear matte completely and rely on flat paints alone, usually enamels.

A spray booth might be inching higher up on my priority list.