Varnishing resin and metal. Necessary?

[Halfpint100]

I am about to start painting some old metal cadians and some resin cyclops demo charges. I have heard from people and online that varnishing is necessary to stop them scratching. Is this the case?

 

If so what varnishes are good to use? I was going to use army painter gloss first, then army painter matt as the final top coat. Good idea or are there better alternatives?

 

Hope B&C can help me with this.  

[Imren]

• If they are already painted, then dip the metal miniatures in acetone and strip them clean (Acetone is a very good stripper but works only with metal minis).
• Pin them on corks so that you don't need to touch them while painting.
• If you have handled them with your bare hands after the acetone stripping, such as when pinning, then give them a good bath in warm water and dish-washing detergent.
• Prime with Vallejo polyurethane primer (for best results, use an airbrush) and wait 24 hours for the primer to cure and level evenly.
• Do your paintjob, don't touch the model, handle them with the cork.
• If the models are intended for gaming and not exhibitions, then give them a coat of 1:1 thinned gloss varnish followed by 1:1 thinned satin or matt varnish

 

The above method is the best way for good paintjobs for any model regardless of palstic, resin or metal, it gives the best adhesion and paint protection. Obviously you would use brake fluid, simple green or the purple equivalent fluid the yanks have for minis not made of metal.

[Arkhanist]

Gaming models should be varnished; metal and resin too. I certainly have an old bunch of metal minis without varnish that were stored in padded cases, and they have degrees of paint loss on points of swords, elbows, backpacks, that sort of thing. Since I started varnishing, no damage from general use/storage. (except long drops onto hard floors!)

 

It's a common myth that you need to do a layer of gloss varnish first as it's 'harder'. Gloss and matt varnish from the same manufacturer range are the same stuff, except one has a small percentage of matting agent to scatter the light and prevent hard reflections. There are different overall types of varnish though, that will affect the smell, hardness and potential toxicity. Most GW modellers use water-based acrylic or polyurethane based varnishes as they're less toxic to spray.

 

There are some circumstances where you want a gloss coat; it is slightly smoother than matt. So it's common to do one before weathering washes and pigments to protect the underlying paint layers, as gloss allows better flow. Before applying decals is another reason where an intermediate smooth gloss finish is good. But if you're just finishing the model off, just use the final effect you're after.

 

That said - two thin coats are always better than one thick coat (as Duncan often says). Too much varnish (of any type) in one coat can lead to an 'orange peel' effect. So for example for a matt finish, do one thin coat of matt (or gloss, if you really want) let it fully dry, then a 2nd thin layer of matt. A 3rd thin layer if you're expecting more than usual handling.

If you then want any shiny parts such as fresh blood or lenses, you can then apply a small amount of gloss varnish by brush to those areas to bring back the shine.

 

I've personally never had problems with Army Painter Anti Shine Matt Varnish, but like any matt clear spray, you can potentially get a separation of the matting agent and solvent, which gives a cloudy or milky effect - which you obviously don't want. To minimise the risk of this:

 

. Let the last paint layer dry for at least a day.
. Avoid extreme conditions (hot, cold, humidity).
. Spray indoors if you can (such as a garage).
. Warm the spray can in container of warm tap water so it's at room temperature by the time you stop shaking it. (If it feels cold it's not right)

- follow the instructions (Army painter is no greater than 20cm distance, for example)

. Ideally, spray a test piece first.

 

Testor's dullcote is reportedly very, very good (and quite expensive!) but I've not personally tried it as it was really hard to get in the UK for a long time. I mostly use vallejo premium matt varnish through an airbrush these days.

Edited August 31, 2017 by Arkhanist

[Stoic Raptor]

Obviously you would use brake fluid, simple green or the purple equivalent fluid the yanks have for minis not made of metal.

 

All the rest is fantastic advice, but I would't recommend brake fluid for non-metal minis (honestly it's a bad choice for any minis, IMO).  Just because it comes in a plastic bottle doesn't mean it won't dissolve or soften certain plastics or resins.  After all, if it does such a great job on acrylic paint... 

 

Seriously, there are choices that are just as effective, and still safer for the user and the models.  Why people use flammable or corrosive solvents is beyond me.  We're not talking enamels on pewter here.

[Halfpint100]

Thanks guys! Looks like i need to get some varnish for my metal minis then