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Airbrushing Varnish


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So I´m finally at the point in which I´ve done enough in my SW army in which I must decide how to varnish them. I am thinking about doing the usual Gloss Varnish > pigments, oils & decals > Testors Dullcote.

 

But I just wondered what you guys recommend best for the Gloss Varnish stage. I bought a cheap airbrush for Varnish and Priming so all options are on, Airbrush, Brush, Spray Can.

 

Thanks.

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Good question, mostly I spray some X-20A thinners through and once the worst has been cleared out I'll run a little Createx airbrush cleaner through (got when I purchased my Paasche a very long time ago) as the last thing.  But I use it very rarely and make the most of it each time so it often gets a strip down so I can clean with the x-20a.

If you check out my plogs you can see Humrol Gloss in action, it's very thin and goes through the airbrush easily, it's also good for just slapping on with a brush. I've found Vallejo stuff blocks my airbrush quite quickly. Although I use a 0.5 exclusively for base coating and varnishing now.

 

I've also found the humbrol slightly tougher and more resistant to the harsh white spirits for oil wash clean up

I recommend a gloss coat first before you apply anything else, as gloss has the strongest protection overall. The other varnishes are essentially to take away the shine from the gloss. I always use gloss first, then matt, then use satin on armour and metallics and gloss again on lenses. Anything such as blood and slime I add after the varnishing stage so as to avoid ruining the look of the effect and not have to mess around painting gloss onto each little droplet.

 

That's how I go about it anyway. :)

I HIGHLY recommend using a lacquer or enamel flat varnish on top of the gloss varnish. None of the acrylics I've used have ever given a really good result. I've been using Model Masters Flat Clear lacquer and it is so much better at not only knocking down the shine but staying clear. I could never get my Acrylic flat coats to stay clear and not haze. 

 

It is easier to get away with for the gloss coating but I still recommend going with an enamel or lacquer for the best results. 

 

Model Masters Lacquer gloss and Flat finishes are pretty great stuffs.

For flat coats, I have been using Winsor Newton UV Matt Varnish.  It's water based, so it;s pretty safe to run through the airbrush.  I have been trying to get it to frost, and have yet to pull it off.  No dilution, just run through the brush at 15-30psi.

For flat coats, I have been using Winsor Newton UV Matt Varnish.  It's water based, so it;s pretty safe to run through the airbrush.  I have been trying to get it to frost, and have yet to pull it off.  No dilution, just run through the brush at 15-30psi.

 

Not trying to single you out but that is misinformation that gets people confused about airbrushing. Enamels and Lacquer work just as good if not better in an airbrush than acrylics do. Lacquers and Enamels do not dry as fast as acrylics do and they are much easier to clean up with their solvent thinners. The problem with Lacquers and Enamels are they require ventilation because they produce hazardous fumes. 

@ Bloody Legionnaire

Don't solvent cleaners typically degrade the gaskets/O-rings in your airbrush faster than cleaning with cleaners designed for acrylic paints? This is what I have been led to believe, but you definitely sound like you have more experience than me. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter!

@ Bloody Legionnaire

 

Don't solvent cleaners typically degrade the gaskets/O-rings in your airbrush faster than cleaning with cleaners designed for acrylic paints? This is what I have been led to believe, but you definitely sound like you have more experience than me. I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter!I

In short... no. 

 

You'd have to be doing something like soaking your airbrush in lacquer thinner to cause anything to come into contact with any orings. If you're cleaning your airbrush properly the cleaners/thinners will never come into contact with the orings in the first place. 

Interesting that you mention it that way. I had watched a video guide from Kenny Boucher (sp) from TheLongWar, and he advised doing just that...soaking the airbrush (taken apart) every so often as you rotate through a cleaning cycle to maintain and clean it. Then he oils the mechanics of it afterwards. Sounds to me like I need to do more research and watch more cleaning/disassembly videos (I am an airbrush novice, I have only used mine twice, and cleaned twice, both just for base coating thus far). Thanks for the insight!

Guest uk_crow

This thread is really useful as I'm about to airbrush varnish my first batch of minis, but I do have some questions regarding vallejo varnish.

 

I was thinking of thinning 3:1 (Varnish:Thinner) and spraying at around 15 psi? Thoughts? Pretty keen to avoid a varnish airbrush meltdown.

This thread is really useful as I'm about to airbrush varnish my first batch of minis, but I do have some questions regarding vallejo varnish.

 

I was thinking of thinning 3:1 (Varnish:Thinner) and spraying at around 15 psi? Thoughts? Pretty keen to avoid a varnish airbrush meltdown.

Apparently most acrylic airbrush "varnish" is formulated in a way that it can be airbrushed straight from the bottle. I've not used Vallejo's but I have used Model Master gloss and flat acryl and always thinned mine. The more you thin it the thinner the coat is going to be and the less protection it'll have so you may have to add a couple subsequent layers to get the finish you desire. I don't think a 3:1 ratio is going to give you an "airbrush meltdown."

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