grainy finish to model and varnishing issues

[thepureness]

I peeps.

I think I might know what my issue is, but thought i'll ask some help.

I'm building the Airfix BP Defiant at the moment, nearly finished it and was going so well up until today. I glossed it last night and left it overnight to dry and came bank to find these small raised lumps all over the kit, some in clusters and ones randomly on their own.

Paint looks smooth when I applied the gloss, but the gloss didn't seem to apply how I would like, and had to do 2 coats one after the other.

I seems to get this issue on most of my kits, sometimes i'm lucky and finish is good, but my past 4 kits have had this issue before, couple I've ignored and ended up with decals silvering even with plenty of solution and other times I've gotten away with it.

My theories are that the surface may seem smooth but actually isn't or my paint isn't dry enough for the varnish.

I've heard that micro mesh might solve my issue, or alternative gloss cote might work.

I use Tamiya Acrylics with Xtracrylix gloss and Matt varnishes, with the varnished thinned with water and paint with tamiya's own thinner.

[Black Knight]

You don't say how you're putting the varnish on.

Are you getting any micro-bubbles? or the surface might be repelling the varnish.

If its repelling the varnish try a bit of rough wipe over of the paint with a bit of denim cloth or painter's prep pad before varnishing. Maybe even a bit of a mild cleaning in case there is any finger print grease on the surface.

If you're brushing the varnish on you might be getting micro bubbles. As the varnish dries the bubbles harden. I was getting them with Klear. I had to flood a lot of Klear on and brush off the excess, rather than brush it on.

some thoughts on the matter.

[colin]

As above, varnishes seen to bubble quite bad when applied with a brush.Another thing is dust or flaws in the paint underneath, as I'm sure you would notice the bubbles when you were applying the varnish.Another thing to watch for is dust, try to cover the model as the varnish is drying,

Gloss has a nasty habit of showing up any blemishes in the finish, sometimes when you apply the matt varnish a lot of these seem to disappear of become less noticeable, no good if you after a gloss finish though.

Try going over the varnish when fully hardened with 1200 micromesh used wet and apply another coat to build up your gloss coat,use thin coats of varnish and build up the gloss,micromeshing between coats if you still have blemishes,don't try to get a gloss coat with one heavy coat.