G’day folks. I’m hoping someone can shed some light on this for me. I’m having trouble with my flat coat after using white spirit or enamel thinner to remove excess enamel wash. My process is to gloss coat, add an enamel wash, remove excess wash with either Tamiya X20 or white spirit, then flat coat. The problem is that once the flat clear goes on, previously invisible marks left by wiping away the wash suddenly appear. They are quite visible under the flat coat. This has happened to me a couple of times now, once with X20 (I assumed the X20 was the problem) and now with white spirit. I’m using Gunze aqueous clear paints. Could the problem be incompatibility with the paint? If not, what am I doing wrong? Any advice would be gladly received. Thanks in advance.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Hi my friend @popeofchillitown! I think it is due to the flat coat that you have these issues. Not due the quality of the flat coat (Gunze are superb), but due to the nature of the flat coat, which absorbs the diluted with white spirit enamel wash. Maybe applying an acrylic gloss instead of flat coat would be better, then do the wash and seal everything with your flat coat.

Ok, although I don’t use those specific gloss/flat brand I’ve been using the same steps you describe above after the paint job on the kit is done.
Now I use mainly oils washes but occasionally I also go for an enamel- using MIG starship wash. However for its dilution and removal (using a makeup cotton pad) use Odourless thinner.
For gloss I always use acrylic products, but for the flat I go for lacquers. That said (so far) I never had an outcome as yours