Clear Coat Questions

[Wulf Vengis]

What clear coats are people using?

Satin, dull, matte, other?

Where should i start with clear coats?

Edited March 11, 2021 by Wulf Vengis

[andes]

I use Vallejo Gloss topped with Vallejo Matte when dry, shot through an airbrush. If I'm particularly motivated, I'll then go back and hit metallics with a brushload of Vallejo Satin. If I didn't have the airbrush, I'd use rattlecan Testor's gloss and matte varnishes.

 

These ones:

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by andes

[Karhedron]

Halfords satin lacquer for durable protection. Once thoroughly dried, I top this off with a light spray of Testors dullcote for an unbeatable flat finish if appropriate. Both are in rattle cans.

Models which include lots of metallics such as my Sanguinary Guard just get the satin lacquer. I find too much matt kills the sheen of metallics otherwise.

This is how the satin lacquer comes out.

And here is one topped off the dullcote

[Grotsmasha]

I've just been using GW's can stuff, which is Satin, I'm happy with it.

[MithrilForge]

Either Testors Dulcote (my absolute first choice) or as Grotsmasha said, I have had acceptable results with  GW's Munitorium varnish.

 

Mithril

[Bung]

AK Ultra Matt, Gloss and Satin depending on painting step and end result.

I dont like the Vallejo stuff.

[Firedrake Cordova]

Personally, I'm using the Vallejo Polyurethane varnishes through an airbrush - they seem to work well for me. In terms of durability, they're great (a few years ago, I repainted the gear stick cap from my dad's car using Vallejo Model Air Chrome and Vallejo Gloss Varnish, as the chrome effect had come off - it hasn't developed any signs of wear yet).

 

If you want a comparison of the 3 types of varnish finish, Miniac did a good video on varnishes, with a comparison frame in it: https://youtu.be/dEQal1V-7Yk?t=231

Edited March 12, 2021 by Firedrake Cordova

[lhg033]

I've used the GW rattlecan and managed to mess up a load of models by (I assume) spraying on to thickly so they dried cloudy. Since then I'm brushing on Vallejo matte or Satin in a couple of thin, watered down coats. Not too much extra work for a few models at a time and has just become part of the process.

[Karhedron]

I've used the GW rattlecan and managed to mess up a load of models by (I assume) spraying on to thickly so they dried cloudy.

Ah, the dreaded "blooming" effect. Some varnishes seem more prone to this than others (humbrol cans have a bad reputation).

 

If you are spraying varnish, ensure you spray on warm, dry days to minimise the risk of blooming (in the UK this usually gives you about 3 days per year ). This is because blooming is caused when moisture in the air gets caught in the spray. Never spray varnish in cold or damp weather.

[NiceGuyAdi]

I’ve read around here that cloudy finishes from matte varnish can be helped by spraying a gloss coat first (and letting it dry). It has the benefit of being more durable too.

 

I’ve been finishing my miniatures with winsor and newton matte aerosol varnish. Does a nice job to my eye.

[WrathOfTheLion]

I've been using Munitorum Varnish from GW. I did mess up the first model I did with it, but that was my fault and not its. Sometimes if you use a matte varnish beforehand it looks cloudy from the interaction between them. This doesn't happen if I just use gloss varnish for the final layer over decals instead matte like I used to use.

 

Now that I know how it works and all, I've been happy with it. It works well enough.

 

For brush on varnish, which I use for decals, I have some vallejo varnish and the GW varnish. I don't like the vallejo one. I've had issues with it not being strong enough to handle microsol, and it doesn't work well at all on flat vehicle panels. The ardcoat is much better. I haven't tried any others, since I have one that works.

 

I have some vallejo airbrush varnishes that I haven't yet used, I'll try them out, but I'm thinking I might pick up some ak interactive ones.

Edited March 14, 2021 by WrathOfTheLion