Testor's Dullcote VS. GW Purity Seal

[McDevious]

I'm looking for a matte sealer (my poor trolls fall over often enough and I'm tired of touching them up everytime). I have Purity Seal (never used it, not sure how glossy it is), but I heard that Testor's Dullcote gives a good matte finish. My local hobby store has some Dullcote, so it's not a problem for me to get some. Is one better than the other?

Also, is the Dullcote very toxic? The label kind of scared me. Do I need a sort of rebreather when I use it, or is it no more toxic than primer? (I prime in my garage with the g-door open)

[Ravnak]

Dullcote is FOUL stuff. Use it outside and you'll be fine, but dont use it undoors under any circumstance. Your garage with the door open should be fine, just dont hang about in there once you're done.

In terms of what dullcote does though, from what I could ever tell, it "Etches" the surface of a figure, to remove the shine. It does nothing to protect in my oppinion. It also "greys" metallics quite often. I would spray a glosscoat on and leave it to dry 2 days before you spray with dullcote.

Purity seal is a semi-gloss varnish. It is less durable than a full gloss, but not rediculously shiny. It looks nice. It often brightens up a paintjob by adding a small ammount of shine.


If you're rough with your figures, or want a VERY matt finish I'd go with the gloss + dullcoat.

If you want the interim, use purity seal. So long as you dont smash figures about, it will protect just fine.

[asoka]

I use Krylon Matte Finish and have had good effects with it. Haven't tried either of the two products you mentioned.

[McDevious]

I'm not normally rough, but I glued the figures onto the base after painting instead of before, so they fell over occasionally (definately gluing them on first next time). I'll try out the Purity Seal. Also, does 'ard Coat give a matte or gloss finish?

Who makes Krylon Matte Finish?

[Ravnak]

I'm not normally rough, but I glued the figures onto the base after painting instead of before, so they fell over occasionally (definately gluing them on first next time). I'll try out the Purity Seal. Also, does 'ard Coat give a matte or gloss finish?

Who makes Krylon Matte Finish?

Ard Coat is a gloss.

***DO NOT*** use bottled varnishes if you want a nice finish though. It takes a lot of time, and often some thinning to get a streak free finish.

I say this because "ard coat" in spray format was discontinued 3-4 years ago. If you've still got some, then congratulations.

[Crazedwarpig]

Krylon makes Krylon Matt finish, you can find it at most Hardware stores like Lowes and Homedepot but it is realitivly cheap and effective.

As for GW 'Ard coat, it is suppose to be a Gloss Varnish but I have never been that impressed with the way your minis look afterward, IMHO it dulls the colors esp metallics. It is available in a spray and in a pot like GW paints.

You can only find the 'ard coat in the spray online or from the few LGS that have a can hiding in the closet somewhere. Like Ravnak said it was discontinued a few years ago.

[asoka]

Who makes Krylon Matte Finish?

Krylon is the company. They make spray paints, etc, and they produce a Matte Finish.

It's generally carried at Michael's Craft store around here (Atlanta). Walmart, Ace Hardware, and a few others carry the Krylon line, but it might be questionable if they carry the Matte Finish specifically.

[artificer]

I would advise staying away from Krylon clear coats.

Myself and several others I know have all had problems with Krylon's satin and matte finishes 'clouding'. It isn't too noticeable on lighter colours, but on darks and black, it lends a very milky-greyish tone that is unpleasant.

We're not talking about spraying in high humidity either, but 20-30% mid-winter type humidity. Last year one of the guys ruined about 1000 pts worth of Black Templar with a Krylon top coat.

I've moved to Rustoleum Painter's Touch Gloss for an undercoat and DullCote for the finish.

And yes, DullCote is some horrible stuff. DON'T breath it.

[Crusader85]

As a former GW employee I will tell you straight up go with a different company, whether it be Krylon or DullCote. These sprays are better and cheaper. I perfer to use Krylon Satin, so far I haven't had any problems artificer was talking about ::cross fingers::.

[jullevi]

I have read way too many horror stories of figures getting ruined by GW Purity seal or other spray varnishes (make a google picture search with purity seal). Given that weather conditions here in north are rarely ideal for spraying, I have used Vallejo brush-on varnish for years. No problems yet so far, with the exception of one pot of Matt varnish that didn't dry matt at all - but I got a replacement pot for that one.

[mrhuettel]

i usually use gw's purity seal as it provides a nice matte finish and a very thin top layer of protection. in the older days, i used the 'ard coat but i am very content with the purity seal - id adds a little by closing surfaces and giving them a more subtle way to reflect light. i'd go so far to say that my mins look better after spraying them with the seal.

[McDevious]

I have read way too many horror stories of figures getting ruined by GW Purity seal or other spray varnishes (make a google picture search with purity seal). Given that weather conditions here in north are rarely ideal for spraying, I have used Vallejo brush-on varnish for years. No problems yet so far, with the exception of one pot of Matt varnish that didn't dry matt at all - but I got a replacement pot for that one.

Heh, 70% of the pictures were actual space marine purity seals. Apparently weather is a factor, which sucks because I'm in Ontario.

My localest LGS has some 'ardcoat spray cans, but I don't want a gloss finish.

Is there an easy way to test how it'll come out without possibly ruining a figure? I'd like to try that Krylon stuff, but I'm also very paranoid.

[komodokeeper]

Heh,
Is there an easy way to test how it'll come out without possibly ruining a figure? I'd like to try that Krylon stuff, but I'm also very paranoid.

This is where cheap minis, or loose bins from the LGS come in handy. Just pull out a couple 'old' minis you have, or buy a few from your store's loose bin for less than a dollar and test the finishes over a very quick paint job. Doesn't have to be perfect. Plus, you can either paint them again or strip them for future tests.

on a side note,
I just got a brand new bottle of Krylon Matte Finish and it gave a fairly glossy finish. The others I've used had little to no gloss so I was really surprised.

[asoka]

Apparently weather is a factor, which sucks because I'm in Ontario.

Is there an easy way to test how it'll come out without possibly ruining a figure? I'd like to try that Krylon stuff, but I'm also very paranoid.

Weather is a factor with most sealants. I've heard a few horror stories with almost every sealant I can think of, and most revolve around spraying in high humidity conditions.

I've had I think 4 models (out of ALOT) turn cloudy with Krylon, so it definitely can happen. I tend to think it was an environmental effect rather than the fault of the spray itself.

To test, I'd suggest checking the clearance bins locally, buy a cheap blister and paint it up quickstyle. Then spray and see what happens. Krylon at least is about 3 or 4 dollars a can, so you're not risking much investment there. Not sure about the other brands.

[McDevious]

Come to think of it, my LGS has a bunch of Call of Cthulhu minis (not as part of any game, just the Chaosium minis line for fluff to go with the RPG, unless I've been lied to) for cheap. I could probably get a really good deal if I get a bunch of them. Should make for good test subjects. I'll be sure to check my sanity at the door.

2 additional questions:
A) Does the paint on a Dullcote, Krylon or Purity sealed mini come off as easily as a non-sealed one (Simply Green Degreaser bath)?

B) Do the sealants work the same on any mini? For example, if I have some old Heroclix or MWClix or D&D Minis loitering about, would they make good test subjects? I'm not sure what kind of paint is used on them.

[Nyarlathotep333]

Come to think of it, my LGS has a bunch of Call of Cthulhu minis (not as part of any game, just the Chaosium minis line for fluff to go with the RPG, unless I've been lied to) for cheap.

I'm envious! I'd love to have a local game store with cheap Cthulhu critters.

As for sealer, I've been using Armory Matte Spray Sealer (mainly cause it was the only thing available for a while and I bought several cans) and I haven't had any issues. I tend to seal minis when the weather is dry though.

One thing I've been thinking on trying is using the Future Floor Finish 'magic wash' mix without adding color as a base coat under the matte finish. I haven't tested it out yet but I've heard that the finish really helps protect the paint from chipping.

I may give the Krylon or DullCote a try at some point, though if the Dullcote is that nasty on the fumes I may have to pass - I usually use the garage (not well ventilated) for drying the minis in after spraying them.

[Valander]

Testors Dulcote is the only spray sealer I use. I usually do 2 coats, and don't have a problem. I'm not terribly rough on my figures, though. Some folks suggest a gloss/satin coat first followed by 2 coats of Dulcote, but for me that's overkill.

A really helpful tip to make sure it dries hard and clear: after spraying it on fairly liberally, hit your mini with a blow dryer on low heat setting for 2-3 minutes. That will "bake" the sealer on and also help prevent clouding if you're sealing in high humidity.

[gaminguy]

Come to think of it, my LGS has a bunch of Call of Cthulhu minis (not as part of any game, just the Chaosium minis line for fluff to go with the RPG, unless I've been lied to) for cheap. I could probably get a really good deal if I get a bunch of them. Should make for good test subjects. I'll be sure to check my sanity at the door.

2 additional questions:
A) Does the paint on a Dullcote, Krylon or Purity sealed mini come off as easily as a non-sealed one (Simply Green Degreaser bath)?

B) Do the sealants work the same on any mini? For example, if I have some old Heroclix or MWClix or D&D Minis loitering about, would they make good test subjects? I'm not sure what kind of paint is used on them.

A) No, but it's pretty darn close.

I just started reconditioning my Skorne; the paint on Molik Karn had barely finished drying when I decided to go for it, I stripped Makeda in the very next batch and she was one of the very first Skorne models I painted (that model had seen a LOT of table time without a chip; two coats of Rustoleum Matte Varnish is pretty darn solid. Not that I'm rough on my models by any stretch.)

Outside of spending a little extra time picking paint out of the details it was the same process. That probably has as much to do with how I based Makeda as anything else (my basing technique has improved some).

B) You have to paint it like you would paint a good miniature first. The material won't matter; plastic, metal, wood, whatever. Put a good base coat on it first, your acrylic and varnish won't know the difference.

Just spraying varnish on a pre-painted HeroClix model...I doubt very much that those things are painted in acrylic. Just a guess, but I wouldn't spray a varnish on one and expect it predict how a 'normally' painted miniature will react.

[Iron Fist]

Here is my process:

Krylon gloss for strength then 2 light coats of testors dullcoat to kill the sheen.

[tedwin183]

I go one coat of 'ard coat, wait 2 days and then hit the model with dullcote. good, flat, durable results. Make sure you're using good primer as well.

[Vash1313]

I use 1 or 2 coats of testers gloss coat followed by 1 or 2 coats of dull coat. I find the gloss coat under coat combined with the dull coat makes it so my colors have a lot of luster and my metalics don't lose their shine either. I've tried a lot of different sealers over the years, and this has given me the best results. I like the testers stuff a lot because it covers well, but it goes on thin, and seems to dry down real well.

[saxondog]

I have over the years used lots of different brands of matte finishes, GW, Armoury, Krylon, and many others. I keep coming back to Testor's Dullcoat.
It is consistantly, can after can, a high quality product.
I'm pretty gentle with my models so I don't even bother with with the gloss coat stage.

SFK

[Amarel]

I wouldn't use Purity Seal (and I'm a big fan of many GW painting products). Dull Cote hasn't failed me yet (although it is expensive and tricky to get hold of in the UK). I spray it over a painted-on coat of Humbrol Gloss Cote (which is non-yellowing).

[Ravnak]

Dull Cote hasn't failed me yet (although it is expensive and tricky to get hold of in the UK)

"The Army Painter" brand varnish is just as good, in a nice big can. Its much more available in the uk.

[McDevious]

"The Army Painter" brand varnish is just as good, in a nice big can. Its much more available in the uk.

Glad to hear that. My LGS just got a huge shipment of Army Painter stuff, I saw a Matte Varnish spray and I was going to ask about it. I'll probably give it a shot.

[Vash1313]

I have over the years used lots of different brands of matte finishes, GW, Armoury, Krylon, and many others. I keep coming back to Testor's Dullcoat.
It is consistantly, can after can, a high quality product.
I'm pretty gentle with my models so I don't even bother with with the gloss coat stage.

SFK
I may be careful with my models but that doesn't mean everybody else is. Nothing makes my wince more than someone moving their model into base to base with mine and I can hear the metal contact on the model I just spent upteen hours wet blending.:eek:

[whitekong]

I may be careful with my models but that doesn't mean everybody else is. Nothing makes my wince more than someone moving their model into base to base with mine and I can hear the metal contact on the model I just spent upteen hours wet blending.:eek:
See there, perfect reason not to wet blend. I knew there was a reason I liked you.:D
On topic, dullcote is an excellent product. Smells really bad, works really good.

[TimVanBoening]

I used Krylon and it made my models grainy looking, totally pissed me off. I will NEVER use it again.

I use Testors Dullcote and have absolutely none of the problems the second poster said. I also think he's terribly mistaken for saying it "etches" the matte finish into the models. (I was going to say "full of crap", but I figure the mods wouldn't like that, so I won't say it.) That's like saying gloss coat has microscopic sanders and makes models shiny. That makes absolutely no sense. Dullcote is a matte finish, nothing more.

I use it indoors and unless I stick it under my nose, I don't smell any fumes. It is the brush on type of sealer, and I like it. It does make your metals look dull because -SURPRISE- it's a matte sealer. If you want your metals to be shiny, use Glosscote on those areas.

I prefer brush on because I can control where it goes, whereas spray sealers kind of go everywhere. Use what you feel is right, though.

[Ravnak]

I use Testors Dullcote and have absolutely none of the problems the second poster said. I also think he's terribly mistaken for saying it "etches" the matte finish into the models. (I was going to say "full of crap", but I figure the mods wouldn't like that, so I won't say it.) That's like saying gloss coat has microscopic sanders and makes models shiny. That makes absolutely no sense. Dullcote is a matte finish, nothing more.

Dullcoat is a polymer disolved in a VoC (volatile organic compound). From memory, testors use a mix of LPG (liquid petrolium gas), toluene and alcohol (likely ethanol).

It gives a THIN veneer of the polymer, but its most noticable trait is that it will dissolve your top layer of paint till the VoCs evaporate off. Gloss varnish works by giving a smooth finish, which reflects light. One of dullcoats main features is to etch thousands of tiny chemically caused imperfections into the surface of the gloss, dispersing light patterns, and removing the shine.

Also, I dont take particularly kindly to someone saying im full of crap...


I use it indoors and unless I stick it under my nose, I don't smell any fumes. It is the brush on type of sealer, and I like it. It does make your metals look dull because -SURPRISE- it's a matte sealer. If you want your metals to be shiny, use Glosscote on those areas.


See the list of chemicals mentioned above. Dullcote is nasty. The EU banned its previous formula for being hazardous. Its not actually got much better. (This is in no way a slight on the product - nasty chemicals normally do a fantastic job of things, you just dont want them in your lungs).

In terms of metal dulling, most people wouldn't want to gloss the metal parts of figures afterwards, it looks strange.




Re - Army painter: Much like dullcote it does little to protect your figures. Varnish them with something heavyer first (I normally use citadel brand purity seal, sprayed down with army painter varnish after 24 hours (to prevent clouding).

[TimVanBoening]

Dullcoat is a polymer disolved in a VoC (volatile organic compound). From memory, testors use a mix of LPG (liquid petrolium gas), toluene and alcohol (likely ethanol).

It gives a THIN veneer of the polymer, but its most noticable trait is that it will dissolve your top layer of paint till the VoCs evaporate off. Gloss varnish works by giving a smooth finish, which reflects light. One of dullcoats main features is to etch thousands of tiny chemically caused imperfections into the surface of the gloss, dispersing light patterns, and removing the shine.

Also, I dont take particularly kindly to someone saying im full of crap...



See the list of chemicals mentioned above. Dullcote is nasty. The EU banned its previous formula for being hazardous. Its not actually got much better. (This is in no way a slight on the product - nasty chemicals normally do a fantastic job of things, you just dont want them in your lungs).

In terms of metal dulling, most people wouldn't want to gloss the metal parts of figures afterwards, it looks strange.


I did not know that. You are not full of crap. My apologies, I'll be quiet about that now.

I still don't smell noxious fumes when I use my Dullcote. When I use lacquer thinner or even Castrol Superclean, I smell those. My nose still works, maybe I just got a special batch that doesn't smell too overwhelming. Even the Testors lacquer thinner to clean my brush isn't overwhelming. I wonder if it is the same recipe in the UK as here in America. Mine is also a few years old (the price tag on the side says $1.99), so maybe it's lost it's noxious fumes.

[lawyerpants]

My friens used GW sealer and it wreaked his Ariyanna and Holt. covered it in a groos goop that ruined the detail.

I pearsonally use Dullcote andfind that that exra layer of "stuff" on my minis helps prevent chipping enough that i don't bother with sealer.

[DemonCalibre]

I just testors dullcote/gloss coat.

Two coats of gloss, one coat of dull cote, The Dull Coat can matte your models pretty harshly, so go easy on it, it's great for removing the shine from washes though.

Also, Dullcote is NOXIOUS as hell, Don't breath it, unless you want a splitting headache, to feel wonky a little while. I bought a Respirator for it, and haven't regretted it all, but again I second that stuff is nasty, so be careful with it.

[Ravnak]

I still don't smell noxious fumes when I use my Dullcote.

It is probably a lot nicer to work with from a pot. The spray version throws all the nasty into the air in a jet, which lets it all float about.

I've had an accidental lungfull of it once, I can only describe it as a "painful menthol sensation" followed by some heavy coughing.

[DragonWolf]

I go one coat of 'ard coat, wait 2 days and then hit the model with dullcote. good, flat, durable results. Make sure you're using good primer as well.
Is waiting two days really necessary? The most I've waited between gloss and dull was overnight. On average I've wait a couple of hours. Surely the gloss layer dries in 2-3 hours???

[Ravnak]

Is waiting two days really necessary? The most I've waited between gloss and dull was overnight. On average I've wait a couple of hours. Surely the gloss layer dries in 2-3 hours???

I'll chime in again :P

If the gloss is still tacky, it can go cloudy when you hit it with the next coat. Its advisable to be sure you've let it dry enough. People pick 2 days because its a certainty after 48 hours.

[JTY]

I could wax lyrical at great length about varnishes, but I won't, I'll save it and make a proper topic of it one day.

In short, matte spray paint offers no protection, it just gives a nice finish,

GW Purity Seal was good once, then got replaced and was so bad that it beggared belief. Today it is a decent quality satin varnish (credit where it's due, it is).

Can't comment on Testors, can't get it in the EU and have never used it.

Army Painter matte spray is very good though, but use it with care and take the time to test it first.
That is good advice for whatever varnish you use though.

As for paint on varnish, I always use a paint on gloss, followed by a paint on matte, and finally a spray of matte to seal the bases.
Paint on varnish is not for the faint hearted or lazy, but it is and always has been the best.

[Gentlesamurai]

I"ve been using Testors for years and have had good results. I do a coat of GlossCote and then 1 or 2 coats of DullCote.

[TimVanBoening]

It is probably a lot nicer to work with from a pot. The spray version throws all the nasty into the air in a jet, which lets it all float about.

I've had an accidental lungfull of it once, I can only describe it as a "painful menthol sensation" followed by some heavy coughing.

Ewwwwwww. That does not sound too good.

[McDevious]

I could wax lyrical at great length about varnishes, but I won't, I'll save it and make a proper topic of it one day.

In short, matte spray paint offers no protection, it just gives a nice finish,

GW Purity Seal was good once, then got replaced and was so bad that it beggared belief. Today it is a decent quality satin varnish (credit where it's due, it is).

Can't comment on Testors, can't get it in the EU and have never used it.

Army Painter matte spray is very good though, but use it with care and take the time to test it first.
That is good advice for whatever varnish you use though.

As for paint on varnish, I always use a paint on gloss, followed by a paint on matte, and finally a spray of matte to seal the bases.
Paint on varnish is not for the faint hearted or lazy, but it is and always has been the best.

You should make a proper topic of it sooner :D

So if I use only Purity Seal or Army Painter, I shouldn't expect very good protection?

Also, if I try the Dullcote, does the smell eventually go away? (and how long does it take?)

[megatron0]

Gw's purity seal has never done me no harm, it 'smooths' over your models i feel i have peice of mind when i put them in my case they wont come out chipped.
But like all good varnishes test them before you whallop them onto your minis.
It strange when people say their whole army is ruined from a spray as surely you would notice it after the spray hit the first model? but its never happened to me so im not to sure.

[Ravnak]

Gw's purity seal has never done me no harm, it 'smooths' over your models i feel i have peice of mind when i put them in my case they wont come out chipped.
But like all good varnishes test them before you whallop them onto your minis.
It strange when people say their whole army is ruined from a spray as surely you would notice it after the spray hit the first model? but its never happened to me so im not to sure.

I've had a "Generic future scifi game superhuman transport tank", and a "generic future scifi game cloven hoofed HQ model" ruined by spray varnish over the years.

I've never been so foolish to just let rip over a whole army.

Interesting fact I discovered a while ago though:

If you get light clouding from your varnish, let it dry for an hour, then use a wash of a matching colour, most of the "frosting" vanishes.

I had a little fogging on my carnivean and managed to rid myself of it with a brown wash and a light blue wash, on respective areas.

[megatron0]

I've had a "Generic future scifi game superhuman transport tank", and a "generic future scifi game cloven hoofed HQ model" ruined by spray varnish over the years.

I've never been so foolish to just let rip over a whole army.

Interesting fact I discovered a while ago though:

If you get light clouding from your varnish, let it dry for an hour, then use a wash of a matching colour, most of the "frosting" vanishes.

I had a little fogging on my carnivean and managed to rid myself of it with a brown wash and a light blue wash, on respective areas.

Yeah i could imagine a single model doing down the drain its my worst nightmare! especially as i am of low budget so i cherish all models that i own :) there was a picture of a mule from the old forums which was ruined by bad varnish.
Its good to know about the washing tip, you jsut made me a happy man knowing that if it happens there are wash to 'reverse' it :)

[Talonvor]

When one seals a model, Do you do it before or after basing it?

[Ravnak]

Yeah i could imagine a single model doing down the drain its my worst nightmare! especially as i am of low budget so i cherish all models that i own :)

If worst comes to worst, dettol (england) or simple green (us) will strip paint without causing any damage.

Paintstripper also works, providing the figure is metal (and that you remove the base).

You can allways restart :)

[Oilslick]

The GW stuff clouded the mess out of my test figure for it, also the first warrior model I painted (the paint wasn't wet as I had finished it months before hand). I have used testors ever since with out every having an issue.

[Amarel]

When one seals a model, Do you do it before or after basing it?
I base, gloss varnish the figure, dullcote the whole lot (but then I don't do particularly good bases, so they don't really need protecting :)).

Ravnak: I'll try the Army Painter version as soon as my current stash of Dull Cote runs out - cheers :).

[TheAceintOne]

Crafts Etc! Clear Acrylic Matte Coating works great without taking away from the miniature.

[devoncodain]

All I do is get a gloss acrylic clear coat spray that on good than take a matte acrylic clear coat and go over that to kill the shine. When you see a shiny spot on the mini it is time to apply another coat of matte coat. I just use what i can find that is not to expensive.

[smcwatt]

McD,

Try Armoury's "Clear Matte Sealer". I'm suspecting by your description of the big shipment of Army Painter you might be in Ottawa, so I believe Fandom can get it in.

SMc.

[Stoneymammal]

i use Krylon flat black smooth finish(paint not primer)for my primer,wash moddles first,then prime.never had any chipping problems,did with hobbie primers thought.never needed to seal

[moogaloo]

I've used Testors before and it was very good as a matte varnish but did nothing at all for protecting the mini.
Then one day all my cans of testors stopped working and gave a very satin/gloss finish - no idea why - very frustrating.

I've since taken to using Vallejo's Matte Varnish and i would say its on a par with Testors - the cans are much bigger too so it works out better, and the fumes are no where near as nasty.

I would also recommend painting / spraying a good layer of gloss varnish on underneath as this will help protect where matt varnishes never do.

And on the unfortunate humidity problem making varnishes go all misty on your minis, blowing it with a hair dryer completely fixes this - i managed to spray about 15 minis that took me forever to paint (including the Infinity Cutter (http://www.moogaloo.com/artificer/pocu.php) that won me a painting competition!) and they all got cloudy - was so gutted, but then blew a hot hair dryer over them for a few mons each and it completely went away.

[Angelust]

Hm, interesting tips.

I usually use Dullcote, but I'll try the gloss and matte trick and see how it works out on a solo.

[Aliase]

I have been reading several posts across the forum about what brands of sealer their are. Do people think that Testor's Dullcote really changes the look of metals on their models? My deathjack has alot of gold and silver on him and I don't want to dull them down too much.

[DemonCalibre]

I don't think I have a problem with gold metals, but Steel Covered Metals, do dull pretty hardcore.

[Aliase]

If you do the gloss undercoat does this help the metals keep their shine?

[paradox]

Always used Dull Cote. Like the results.

[Broken_shards]

a lot of the time when people have problems its due to external conditions or to the user not agitating the spray can enough before use or trying to spray too heavy a coat on at once, if its humid, too cold or too hot it can all affect the way that the laquer bonds to the painted surface, another way of clearing the frosting i found at work was to give it another quick blast of sealant and then dry it with a heatsource (hairdryer etc, i used a hand dryer :) ) this only works if you are using thin layers though.