varnishing

[Shinigami]

hello all,

after reading the primer thread i got a bit anxious about varnishing my jsut finished crew,

i bought a tiny can of testors dullcoat in my flgs as i heard it was the best, wich was reasured by the storekeeper...

anyone got experiences and tips to work with it?

i dont want to ruin my figs!

[LoboStele]

Make sure you either spray your pieces in a well-ventilated and NOT humid or hot area. Or, if you have to spray outside during the summer heat/humidity, put your pieces on a flat piece of cardboard or something. Spray them, and then take them right back inside the air conditioning. The humidity will cause the clear coat to get all hazy.

Be careful about over spraying too. Just like with most paint, you can always add more, but taking some off if you put on too much can be very tricky.

[derv]

Dullcote won't give you very much protection. I would recommend using a gloss varnish first and then a thin coat or two of Dullcote over the top. It takes away the shine so well you won't even be able to tell it's a varnished model.

[Catyrpelius]

When useing Testors Dull coat, make sure you shake the can alot. Shake it for what you think is long enough, and then shake it some more.

For protecting my models I prefer Krylon Crystal Clear Flat, it works well and is very inexpensive, and provides excelant protection.

[Extro]

Given the relatively small number of models involved in Malifaux I've just been painting the primer on by hand, using Vallejo matte varnish.

I can say however that Testors Dullcoat and Krylon Matte spray have both worked great for me in the past. Definitely shake the bajeezus out of them before use, though.

And as someone who has ruined models in the past, I would always recommend testing the spray on something disposable to see if its working right or if it frosts up.

[ChaosLenny]

Stay away from Armory...it's horrible, I had to send Doctor McMourning to the Pine Sol & Acetone baths:(

it'll frost your miniatures and mute some of your colors. I've used two cans in controlled conditions both with horrible results.

Testors Dullcoat is pretty nifty, and I've always had good luck with Citadel Matte

[Magius]

What I've found works very well and is quite durable (it doesn't stand up to being dropped 4' and embedding itself in wood, or being thrown against concrete like a skipping stone, but that's about all I've had do more than a minor chip on a sharp edge) is this:

I prime using Krylon Black Primer (white if it's a Spirit or Nightmare creature), paint the model as usual with Anita's Acrylic paints, seal with Testor's Glosscote (Laquer), Krylon High-Gloss Sealer (Acrylic), Testor's Dullcote (Laquer), and Krylon Matte Sealer (Acrylic). The high gloss layers mean that the paint job is very well protected, the matte layers ensure that the model doesn't look like it's been sealed, and the alternating Laquer and Acrylic layers add that much more protection to it (as none of the layers mix with each other, not being able to mix with the other layers).

It's definitely more expensive than standard, but I haven't had a single serious chip happen since I've started using it. If you're interested, this particular technique (if not the particular brands used in it) is called Bullet Coating (IIRC).

Magius out.

[Shinigami]

hmm,

i think ill try with a simple gloss varnish and then the dullcoat,

but iam not sure they have any of those brands here in my flgs in belgium,

it imported a batch of dullcoat on demand of the public, so ill see what kind of gloss they recommand and give that a try, tomorows

wish me luck and thx for all the advice!

[tenabrae]

The army painter anti-shine matt varnish is pretty good too.

[Brandubh]

Don't know if they have it where you are at or not:

Minwax 'Helmsman' spar urethane in Clear Satin finish.

It even has an sdjustable spray pattern

It takes a while to dry all the way but it has been outstanding for me so far.

-Patrick

[Berman]

The biggest thing you can do for yourself is check on weather.com you local conditions. Under details they will give you the current humidity %. Don't spray if your over 55%. The Testors seems capable of spraying that high. Some of the other brands will have some issues over 50%. So if your trying a new can I'd hold out for 45% humidity before spraying.

This helps to take the guess work out when your not sure hwo humid it "feels".