Tamiya Paint Retarder - Lacquer (40mL) (87198)

I was skeptical that any additive could fix my brushwork, but this throttled the drying time just enough that the lacquer leveled out into a glassy coat. The 40mL bottle has lasted me through a dozen kits, and the finish is noticeably more lustrous than before.

My brush strokes finally lay down flat instead of leaving those annoying ridge lines behind. The slower drying time gives me a good minute or two to smooth things out, and the finish comes out glossy without any pinholes.

The finish on my last few models finally looks like it came out of an airbrush instead of a brush, and the slow-drying formula is the reason. A single drop mixed into the paint kept it workable just long enough to smooth out every bristle mark, leaving that lustrous sheen without any gloss coat.