Question regarding panel wash and clear coats

[ammers]

I've been reading in places that enamel thinner can damage plastic so you should be doing a gloss coat first to protect the plastic, followed by a final dull coat. How true is this? I don't like the idea of having to spray a whole part twice just to enamel wash the panel lines, nor do I have the patience. On my first HMM I did a wash with no extra coats. It looks great and I don't see any harm (yet?). Advice appreciated.

I'm using flat black Testors enamel and Testor's enamel thinner.

[Maethius]

I've never run into enamel thinner damage when panel lining... and I've done quite a bit of it. Further, trying to do panel lining atop a dull coat is MUCH harder than just exposed plastic. I use REALLY thinned down paint for my models; let the capillary action do its job and just be ready to wipe away with a lint-free cloth (I keep a drawer of old t-shirts for painting). Some folks use actual ink or acrylics, but I've never had success with either one.