OK I hit a bit of a problem today.
I’m building one of Thunder Models 1/35 rail wagons. I wanted a ‘raw’ museum look. So I built it straight out of the box and today I gave it a clear coat. AK Matt.
I never gave it any thought, but the clear coat just beaded up. It has dried ok thank goodness. But just thought I would ask if anyone has done the same and how do you prime for clear coat?
Yes I could have washed it first. And watched as the PE fell off. 
thanks
I always wash the sprues before I start. Handling it adds oils from your skin, I know, but a little care is better than none. I have never sprayed clear on bare plastic. I assume you wanted to seal the brass against decolouration as you do not intend to paint it at all?
If anyone might have an answer on how best to keep an unpainted model pristine it would be @Artyom His metal work scratch built detailing is outstanding and he never hides the work.
I don’t wash my sprues first but I do take care with handling regardless of what the finish will look like.
The brass tarnished very easily if handled by sticky fingers!!!
The roof was in two pieces and the joint was obvious so I had to fill and sand it. The clear coat helped hide the dull sanded surface. In addition, small amounts of superglue poking out from some of the PE etc needed to be toned down.
I also intend to pin wash the ‘many’ bolt heads etc just to give them more ‘punch’. Hence the desire to give it the clear coat.
I have a ‘well known’ On30 layout, (1/48), that has featured a number of times in magazines. I built this wagon to gauge the size difference between 1/35 and 1/48 as I plan to now start again but in 1/35. Seeing the two scales side by side adds a better understanding of the jump from 1/48 to 1/35.
The AK Matt is an acrylic is it not? It is likely going to bead up on bare plastic, as it has nothing to bite into.
A very light dusting coat to give it some surface, let it dry, and then follow that up with a slightly heavier coat(s). The dusting coat will allow the subsequent coats to bite down on the surface.
Yes I’m aware of the light coats first. But as careful as I was I still got some beading.
The good news is that the AK is an excellent product. The beading leveled out and dried perfectly.
I guess the point of my post was to highlight the issues with a clear coat over bare plastic.
Oh dear A brain fart.
I said I was using AK clear coat. WRONG. It’s Mig Ammo’s Lucky Matt. OOPS. 
FWIW. The clear coat isn’t ‘biting’ very well to the plastic. I’m using Mig Ammo’s pin wash. Yes I checked, Mig Ammo. It has been over 24 hours and if I’m not REAL careful cleaning up the pin wash it starts to remove the clear coat.
I know this is not a ‘normal’ build but there’s always something to learn.
