As it's now not available in it's original form, or should that be 'formula', I decided to try and find out if it's available in any form anywhere, so started to research on t'internet. It would appear that the formula was changed around 2008 due to it not somehow 'complying with EU requirements' (no surprise there!) although I gather that the original unchanged formula is still supplied to the USA. Then again, all sorts of undesirable chemical stuff is 'ok' in the USA that is either banned or frowned upon elsewhere in the world, their choice. Anyway, if you look around, there are several variants of what is basically just a floor polish but really excellent as a 'satin varnish' for modelling purposes, so a bit more research and I managed to find that what once was marketed as 'Klear' is now "Pledge Multisurface Polish", at least, in the UK. Having got hold of a bottle (and that wasn't easy!) I can say having tried it that it gives a nice clear satin finish, despite the liquid appearing 'milky' in the bottle, it dries fairly quickly and is clear with no tint, so that'll do for me. Getting hold of it is another matter, at least around where I live, since Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tesco don't stock it, and in fact after collaring one of the floor supervisors in the Large Tesco in Chesterfield, she helpfully looked on her stock lists and found it isn't a stock item, but suggested I look online. I got hold of a bottle via Ebay, and if you're looking for some, this is what the 'new' bottle looks like. Keith.
I'm "lucky" enough to have a bottle and a half of the original Klear, bought many years ago when it was available for £1 from the likes of Home Bargains! Although I have started re-using it very recently out of necessity, I don't personally know what all the fuss is about. It has an almost mythical reputation, but it's certainly not even as good as numerous other gloss varnishes out there in my humble opinion. It is quite good at making a floor shiny though! For me, it's only advantage was the quantity in a bottle for the standard shop price compared to the mark up for a tiny bottle/jar of modelling varnish. However, having seen how much bottles were selling for on ebay, it's not even a bargain now! Matt
I'm sure Lidl (W5) did a version, although I never found it in stock at the Dundee stores. However thier blue Window and Glass cleaner works great for cleaning airbrushes, and even thinning Acrylic paint. Paul
I was lucky in that I already had a couple of bottles when they stopped selling it but then chanced to go into an old fashioned hardware shop who were selling it off so I have 6 bottle of the original stuff put by which should see me out. Unlike Matt, I love the stuff and use it for treating areas ready for transfers in fact being lazy I used some gloss varnish instead of Klear for some transfers late last year and had no end of problems with them just sticking and not being able to nudge them into place. in the end I had to paint over them, apply some Klear and then place my transfers and was able to nudge them to where I wanted them. Like all things go with what works best for you in your given circumstances. I also mix it with Vallejo Matt Medium to give me a satin finish varnish. I have also used it with lots of success as a thinner for acrylic paint but only if you want a gloss finish. What I haven't tried yet is a mixture of colour, matt medium and Klear. I can see no reason why it wouldn't work but I haven't needed to try it. This brake van is 'varnished' with original Klear and Vallejo Matt Medium. One thing worth mentioning if you do use matt medium, squirt a little matt medium into your mixing cup (its quite thick stuff) then add a small amount of Klear and mix it in, keep adding more klear and mixing until it's to the consistency to spray (I always make my spray paint the consistency of milk). Other wise if you put too much Klear (or I suspect any other type of varnish that you wish to make more matt) it stays in little suspended blobs which I doubt would go through the air brush
Like rob i find it great for applying transfers. I think a lot of the hype comes from aircraft modelling. Its one of the very few (possibly only) varnishes that wont fog up clear plasti parts such as the canopy. Its also great as a glue to attach the clear parts. My wife has her own cleaning business so has access to trade suppliers who occasionally have it for sale in bulk.
I've seen a couple of youtube videos on the subject of the new version and they seem consistent that it works as well as the old Klear and the only thing they could see different to the original is it is a little cloudy but dries clear. Pete.
From experience that is what i have found too. its slightly milky in consistency with a brown tinge when wet but it dries really clear
