Difference between a sealer and varnish?

[Brother Ambroz]

Hello, I'm just starting out with weathering and am trying to find something to use to seal my models with the weathering color. I have armor clear matt sealer which has worked OK in the past but tends to be a bit thick and chunky. I just picked up the citadel munitorum varnish which I thought was the citadel sealer but now I'm scared to use it on my models without knowing what it does! 

[Major_Gilbear]

A varnish *is* a sealer. ;)

[Brother Ambroz]

Okay thank you, all I needed to know!

[Arkhanist]

Sealer and varnish are both pretty generic terms that cover a lot of things; as Major_gilbear says, varnish is a subset of sealers.

 

Assuming you mean armory clear matte sealer, that looks to be an acrylic semi-matte spray varnish, though not a particularly great one if online reviews are anything to go by. Citadel's old Purity Seal has been replaced with Munitorum Varnish, which is a similar acrylic polyurethane semi-matte varnish. The formula has changed, but the function is much the same.

 

They should do much the same job - protect the model, and the current paintjob - including from any subsequent work. Just do thin coat(s), and avoid using in high humidity or extreme heat/cold (reduces the risk of dreaded white fogging/misting when the matting agent separates from the varnish).

 

If you're doing overall weathering filters or washes, it can be worth doing a coat of gloss varnish beforehand; gloss does give a smoother surface compared to matt or acrylic paint (from the point of view of the filter), so it's easier to avoid unintended effects on flat parts, and blend it around before it dries, and you can finish with a matt or semi-matt varnish to give the final effect you want.

 

You don't say if you're planning on using weathering powders; all varnishes will diminish the appearance of powders to some extent. You can either put more powders on first in anticipation of the effect being reduced if you want the extra protection, or do powders with a setting agent after the final varnish layer for the rest of the model and accept you may lose some to wear and handling.

Edited January 18, 2018 by Arkhanist

[Brother Ambroz]

Wow thanks for that in depth info! Right now I'm planning on starting with vallejo chipping medium and going from there.