Varnish Help Please!

[DAG058]

I plan on airbrushing Vallejo varnishes for the first time and I need a little help.

The last model I made I sprayed Klear on, then applied the decals. However there was still a little bit of silvering. So this time i was thinking about doing a gloss coat, then applying the decals. And finishing it with a layer of Matt varnish.

So, my questions are;

- Would you recommend just saving the hassle of proper varnish and stick to Klear? Or are the results worth it?

- Should I gloss the full model or just the areas where decals are going?

- What would you use to seal the decals in with, another layer of gloss, or Klear again?

- Previously when I sprayed Klear onto a canopy it left it with a frosted effect. This time I've left the canopy masking on from when I was painting. Should varnish straight over it or will it be hard to remove later?

Thanks in advance!

[plasmahal]

Hi,

If you are already using Klear, then it sounds like you may need to put more on as it should give you a nice gloss coat to decal over.

Here you can see the minimum gloss you need to get for the decals to not to silver.

[plasmahal]

Previously when I sprayed Klear onto a canopy it left it with a frosted effect. This time I've left the canopy masking on from when I was painting. Should varnish straight over it or will it be hard to remove later?

Best not to spray onto a bare canopy, by all means dip the part in Klear if there are scratches etc. Otherwise, leave it masked until the end of the build. It's really your paintwork that needs sealing.

Should I gloss the full model or just the areas where decals are going?

Horses for courses really. I seal the whole model some other just where the decal go. most will seal the whole model at the end.

- What would you use to seal the decals in with, another layer of gloss, or Klear again?

Again, personal preference here. I seal the whole model after decals but other may just do the areas around decals. Here it's about what you are doing with weathering. If you want some heavy weathering, you may want to leave the paint un-sealed and matt for the wethering to grip onto. If light weathering, doing so over a gloss coat gives the weathering less to hold onto. Plus, if the weathering doesn't turn out how you wanted, it's easier to correct on a gloss coat than the matt paint.

[wyverns4]

Hi Dag,

In answer to your questions;

- Would you recommend just saving the hassle of proper varnish and stick to Klear? Or are the results worth it?

Save the hassle. For a gloss coat I only use Klear and for a semi, or matt finish Klear with Tamiya's matting com pound or Windsor & Newton's matt varnish

- Should I gloss the full model or just the areas where decals are going?

I gloss the entire model as it produces a uniform finish and seals everything in. Also, sometimes varnishing can subtly, or not, alter the tone and hue of the paint finish and or weathering, which might not be quite what you want.

- What would you use to seal the decals in with, another layer of gloss, or Klear again?

Klear again, to seal them in. It makes them a lot more impervious to any further finishing/weathering that you might be inclined to do.

- Previously when I sprayed Klear onto a canopy it left it with a frosted effect. This time I've left the canopy masking on from when I was painting. Should varnish straight over it or will it be hard to remove later?

Do not spray onto canopies, dip! You might be able to save the sprayed canopy by dipping it in a bath of Klear, if possible, or in extremis painting it onto the canopy with a wide brush.

​Klear can also be used to attach etch bits in non-load bearing locations, (i.e. cockpits), save old decal sheets, is a panacea for all none, and unknown diseases and can even be used on your floors!

HTH!

Christian the Married and exiled to africa