Saturday 28 April 2012

Not Glossing Over

I’m getting rather fed up with the whole varnishing process because it never seems to go quite right. At the start of this project I was using Humbrol Satin-cote and it always dried to a satisfying semi-gloss finish, which was just what I wanted. Then I noticed that the satin was turning more and more glossy as I used it until in the end, it was pretty much drying as full gloss.

This was not what I wanted so I eventually tracked down an artist’s acrylic satin varnish, which was too thin to use on its own, but was perfect as a topcoat to the glossy stuff, restoring the semi-gloss effect. Sorted I thought.

Then over a couple of nights this week, having finished all the Jagers, I ran through the two-coat process but - Doh!!! Suddenly even this varnish decided to dry all glossy. As a last resort I have now introduced a third coat of Testors Dullcote over the whole lot which has taken the edge off the gloss but it’s still not exactly what I wanted.

Any ideas?

By the way, the figure is PN.24 Jager Officer, quick marching

6 comments:

Paul said...

Hi Ian

having had the same problem, i now use a small tin of house hold varnish over a coat of enamel hobby varnish,

got that from an old Kevin Dallimore video, it works good and the figures are well protected

Paul

Stryker said...

Thanks for that Paul.

'Lee. said...

Hello Ian,

I've always had problems with varnish too. I also remember asking kevin Dallimore once during one of his demos what varnish he used and he said it was a DIY store varnish, his finish was excellent. I've settled on thinned coats of Valejio matt varnish now and it seems to work, but thats for a flat finish obviously. I've had so many troublesome varnish experiences over the years. Theres a thread on TMP forums on the issue of varnish problems, might be worth a read through Ian?

Cheers,
Lee.

Red_Cardinal said...

I use Vallejo acrylic satin spray. Comes in a 400ml aerosol can. Very good (as is the gloss).

Keith Flint said...

I use Windsor and Newton matt acrylic varnish. It never dries entirely matt and leaves a very classy satiny finish. I like it anyway! Maybe Windsor and Newton do a satin varnish you could try as well.

Best wishes, Keith.

Stryker said...

Thanks for that Keith. It's actually the Winsor & Newton Satin varnish that I've been using recently and it had been working fine but now is giving me problems. This may be more to do with not stirring it properly though. Perhaps the answer is to try the Matt version because a satiny finish is what I'm after.