Does Gloss varnish protect better than Matt, or not?

[m0nolith]

So the idea is you spray your minis first with a coat of gloss to give it a nice protective coat and then with Matt to bring that shine down.

But Iv been hearing here and there that the whole idea that Gloss protects better than Matt is just wrong information spread via the internet.

Some say that Matt protects the mini just as well as gloss.

Basically I would like to get to the bottom of this and figure out if I should keep spraying my minis first with Gloss or just hit them with 2 coats of Matt instead.

[Rik Lightstar]

Hi,

 

It's definitely true of the thicker grades of varnish that you'd use for more heavy duty purposes. I'm not sure how true it is of the kinds of varnish we'd use for models, and really, it's only there to protect against gentle scuffs and handling not heavy treatment/abuse.

 

Two coats of whatever varnish you feel is appropriate is likely to be a far better call than worrying about the level of protection.

 

Rik

[Chaplain Raeven]

I don't know where I read this, but I thought gloss protects better than matt because gloss has a way smoother surface than matt, which makes it less likely to collect oils from your skin and other stuff. 

 

The gloss/matt combo is great anyway, I personally believe that just two coats of matt tone down the colours too much. Or a couple of coats of Satin varnish.

[Arkhanist]

This is a contentious topic so I'll try to tread carefully; people have a method that works for them and stick to it. I'll use 'varnish' on its own as a generic term that covers all clear coatings.

 

Historically you would protect the miniature with an oil based varnish or lacquer - often one originally marketed for wood - as these are generally very tough, but usually only came in gloss. You would then varnish with a matt or satin acrylic coat to dull down the shine if you were after a matt or satin finish, but wouldn't rely on it as a protective layer particularly. Well handled models can gain a slightly glossy appearance; this can be credited to the matt 'wearing off' but is more likely to be skin oils.

 

As a rule of thumb, toughness from strongest to weakest goes something like lacquers, oil-based resin varnish, water based polyurethane varnish, clear acrylics. However, most to least toxic follows more or less the same order, and indeed drying time also. Modern water-based polyurethanes are becoming more commonly used as they are almost as tough or possibly tougher than oil based varnish, are much easier to apply than lacquers, less toxic to the environment (and the sprayer) and dry quite a bit quicker. Lacquers are very strong and dry quickly, but also flammable and can be subject to yellowing, as can some oil based varnishes. Acrylics and polyurethanes usually need an anti-uv agent to avoid damage from sunlight exposure over time.

 

For a given type of varnish from the same maker, the only difference between the matt and the gloss is the matt has a fine matting agent, such as talc, added to it. They are otherwise the same stuff. This adds a very slight roughness to the finish, and diffuses light reflections from the surface throughout the varnish, and prevents light from reflecting directly off the surface of the varnish. This is what leads to the diffuse matt effect. Gloss varnish allows for mostly uninterrupted reflection from the surface of the model, and the surface of the varnish itself, leading to the clearer, somewhat reflective effect. Satin has some matting agent, but less than a matt varnish. Some matt-labelled varnishes look more like satins in reality.

 

Two thin coats is stronger than one thin coat. One thick coat can lead to unwanted effects due to the time it takes to dry. Either type can get an 'orange peel' effect if it's too thick. Matt varnish can separate when drying in temperature or humidity extremes, leading to the dreaded frosted effect where you end up with a fairly solid layer of matting agent instead of remaining suspended in the varnish. The slightly rougher surface of a matt varnish is less suitable for applying transfers or washes.

 

In all cases, you want your paint fully dry before you start; varnish can interact poorly with damp paint. Fresh varnish over partially dry varnish can also go poorly, so always give the first coat time to dry which will depend upon the varnish.

 

So the generally accepted rule is two thin coats, with the final coat being the finish you want. Now, whether the first coat should be gloss, or your final finish, is the controversial bit.

 

If you're using the same type of varnish, such as gloss then matt polyurethane applied in the same way, then you will gain no strength benefit. It is simpler to do two coats of your final varnish, giving each time to dry. If the first layer is gloss, you need a thicker layer of matt to dull down the gloss layer than you would with a matt first coat.

 

However, some find the matting effect of two layers of matt varnish to be too matte, such is the diffusion, i.e. they get clearer colours with gloss followed by a matt. Two layers of matt gives two chances for frosting problems; gloss doesn't suffer from that. A gloss varnish coat before applying water transfers makes sense, then a final matt coat to dull it all down. Gloss first helps ensure the model is fully covered by both coats, as you can see the difference.

 

Personally, I have old metal dwarves from 20+ years ago that have two thin coats of matt acrylic (no hobby polyurethanes back then) that have suffered no damage, unlike their unvarnished counterparts, and acrylic varnish is the weakest type.

 

What varnish you use depends upon availability, habit, and method of application. Some swear by brush-on because of weather risks, those with airbrushes often prefer water-based so you don't smell up the place with solvents, and some go the spray can route because it's quick and easy if the weather is low-risk of causing issues. A number of people use different methods for different types!

 

There's so many variants of approach, each with their own adherents, and it's not like we have scientific studies over decades of use.

 

Varnish does make a significant difference to protection, and thin coats look better than thick. I think whether you gloss then matt/satin, or just matt, or two thin coats of the same stuff comes down to more important factors than toughness, not least how you like the final look of the model - and different combinations of varnishes can lead to different results and risks of a bad result. And of course you can apply different varnishes to different parts, i.e. it's common to use a brush on gloss varnish to bring back metals and gem shine.

 

I suspect a single coat is actually probably enough for models that aren't stored loose in a shoebox, but I still do two, cos why deviate from a system that works for me? Ultimately, do some test models and see which looks best to you, and is easiest to follow with varnishes you have; I'm not convinced there is one right method or combination that is 'best' for everyone.

[Major_Gilbear]

In addition to Arkhanist's very thorough post above, I would also like to mention a few other considerations that may have an effect on your choices of varnish:

 

1) Where you live

A lot of products are formulated for their target markets, and even if you but the same brand in different countries, it doesn't mean they are exactly the same. I learned this the hard way many years ago.

 

2) What sort of protection are you after

Scuffs, impacts/knocks, and oils from you skin are common, but some varnishes are more resistant to some of these things than others.

 

3) What paints did you paint your model with

Depending on what paints and/or inks you used, you don't want to use a varnish that may lift or reactivate the paints/inks.

 

Using two different varnishes does at least give you the advantage of being able to combine different properties should you wish to.

 

For example, you may have a very aggressive brush-on lacquer that gives you a lovely matte finish, but in brushing it on it strips the paint. Using a water-based PU varnish first, and then the lacquer afterwards still gives you the finish you want, but that first PU coat protects the paint from the later lacquer coat.

 

I'm of the brush-on PU gloss then spray-on lacquer method of doing things, and I have to say that I find the combined protection and finish very impressive.

[sbarnby71]

20+ years ago I varnished a whole squad of terminators with Humbrol Gloss Varnish, present day they have a yellowish tint to them, they have spent most of that 20 years wrapped in cotton wool in a box so almost zero exposure to sunlight. Newer gloss varnish may not suffer from this but most people I've spoken to over the years blame it on the gloss.

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

I feel like people only believe gloss is more protective because they forget that they're not comparing gloss vs. matte equally. Certain things will make gloss appear stronger, when in actuality, it may be just the same as an equivalent matte. After all, matte varnish is just gloss varnish with a matting agent in it.

 

- People spray "gloss then matte" and compare it to "just matte". Of course one thick gloss layer and one thin matte layer will be more protective than the single thin matte layer on its own. How many people do you think failed to even notice this mistake?

 

- People use a stronger gloss vs. a weaker matte. Certain formulas will be stronger than others. If you use a high quality, durable gloss and compare it to a cheap, low quality matte (especially sprayed on thinly), of course the better one will be stronger, right? What if you sprayed the same quality and thickness of matte? They'd probably be equally durable.

 

- People spray on more gloss in general, because they're trying to get "complete coverage". Glossiness is much more obvious than matte, especially in any sort of lighting where the gloss will catch that glare and shine. Thus, people notice they didn't spray "enough" varnish and lay on more gloss compared to matte where they might just put light coats on and call it a day when they see some matte surfaces. Of course a more complete and thicker coat will protect better than a thinner, incomplete one. Common sense, right?

 

- People perform "experiments" or scratch tests, but failed to realize their first mistake. I've seen someone say to me "gloss is better because I scratched both types and gloss didn't get scratched while matte did." Of course, I knew right away and was right when I suspected that he compared "gloss vs. matte" vs. "just matte" in his scratch test. Of course two layers of varnish will protect better than one layer against scratches? Duh?

 

- People claim "matte wears off faster because I can see it become less matte as it's worn off" and "my gloss varnish has never gone unshiny". They fail to realize that your own skin oils collecting on matte, or simply rubbing the matte layer/matting agent off the varnish does not mean complete erosion of the layer, they also fail to realize that turning matte shiny and turning gloss shiny via the same oils means you can't tell whether or not you've really done anything other than get finger oils on the model. And lastly, of course, the first mistake again, "the matte turned shiny, which meant it got worn away revealing the gloss underneath". He never bothered to try multiple layers of matte and see how fast the matte wears down on that one, but instead just claimed "matte wears away, revealing gloss" without testing if gloss itself will wear away as well or if matte will wear down to matte.

 

I'm not saying gloss is weaker than matte or not to use gloss, but if you want strength, you do more layers of varnish, period. Don't do one thin layer of matte and then complain it's not as protective as a thick layer of gloss and multiple layers of matte to kill the shine. Of course 10 > 1, it's common sense. Just put on more layers of matte and 99% of the time you'll get the same level of protection, unless you play 40K in a rock tumbler.