Lacquer toughness with a realistic sheen. Gloss is the harder-wearing finish but it looks wrong on most scale subjects; flat looks right but scuffs. Semi-gloss lacquer is where a lot of serious modellers land — a genuinely durable film that still reads as a real painted surface rather than a toy. On armour, aircraft, RC bodies and anything that gets handled or transported to shows, it survives what a water-based clear won't.

Its most valuable use, though, is as a barrier coat. Lay semi-gloss lacquer over your acrylic base and it seals everything underneath, so you can weather aggressively with enamel washes, oils and white spirit — flowing them into recesses, wiping them back, reworking until it's right — without the solvents ever reaching your paint. It's the layer that makes confident weathering possible instead of nerve-wracking. The semi-gloss sheen is ideal for it too: slick enough for a wash to flow properly, without the mirror shine that fights the finish you're building.

• Lacquer durability with a realistic in-service sheen
• Barrier coat — weather with enamels and oils without risking your paint
• Seals decals into the finish permanently
• Slick enough for washes to flow and wipe back cleanly
• 170ml — sized for full builds and large subjects

Read this before you spray it.

• Never on clear parts. Lacquer crazes canopies, windscreens and visors. Use a water-based top coat there.
• Mist first, always. Two or three light dust coats a few minutes apart before any wet coat. A heavy first pass can soften acrylics underneath or lift decal edges; the mist coats seal them safely.
• Ventilation is not optional. Solvent lacquer — spray booth or outdoors, and wear a respirator.
• Test first over unfamiliar paints, especially craft acrylics and brushed enamels.

Tip: For a weathering barrier, give it a full 24 hours before you start with enamels or oils. Lacquer is touch-dry in an hour but keeps hardening, and a wash applied too early can still find its way through to the paint below — which defeats the entire purpose of the coat.

Which one do I need? Super Clear Semi-Gloss for durable realistic finishes and as a barrier coat before weathering. Super Clear Gloss (B-513) for show finishes, polished mirror results, and as the base under decals. Choose Mr. Top Coat Semi-Gloss (B-502) instead when clear parts, delicate paint or decals make lacquer too risky — milder and water-based, at the cost of hardness.

Specifications

Brand: Mr. Hobby (GSI Creos / Gunze Sangyo)
Item No.: B-516
Type: Solvent-based lacquer clear coat, aerosol
Finish: Semi-Gloss
Volume: 170ml
Suitable for: Painted plastic, metal, resin
Not suitable for: Clear parts — will craze
Use in: Spray booth or outdoors; respirator required