Vallejo Acrylic Satin Varnish

[thomatkinson]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone had any advice about airbrushing with Vallejo Acrylic Satin Varnish?

Although it's now supposedly pre-thinned for airbrush use, it seems very thick. When I airbrush with it straight from the bottle, it barely even sprays from the tip of the airbrush.

The bottle suggests thinning with water if needed. More research led me to try thinning 50/50 with distilled water, but this gave an awful mottled/orange peel effect on the surface of my model and no amount of pressure changing or distance / speed alterations seemed to improve things.

I think tried reducing the amount of water, with the idea that perhaps the water was drying out too quickly. I got much better results thinning about 75/25 water/thinner and other similar variations, but still not great and each either too thin or too thick.

Can anyone suggest a better way? Or should I try a different product?

Thanks for your help!

Thom

[Housesparrow]

I would use Vallejo Thinner for thinning.

Ah.. so..

In order to get a SATIN finish, you probably want a perfect gloss coat beneath. Maybe the orange peel was there before using satin varnish? (what I think)

For my submarine models, I am alway happy with the result (see my sig links), but I always have a nice gloss coat before adding a satin finish to remove the toy look of the gloss coat, making the model look more real (or "more realistic" I should say), by adding satin and/or matte varnish.

[Housesparrow]

Admittedly, I've always found creating a gloss coat problematic. Difficult to get it look great with Humbrol Clear. I should probably experiment more. I bought some other stuff, but haven't tried it yet.

[Housesparrow]

When I spray on satin varnish, I try to spray on light coats with several passes.

[thomatkinson]

Thanks for the response!

I am spraying over the top of a gloss coat and there is no orange peel effect on that gloss coat - it all looks good until I put on the satin. I also use light passes with the airbrush. So I'm thinking it must be to do with the thinning with water...

So, I think I'll try using Vallejo thinner next as you suggest. Is there a particular thinner? If you have the time I'd really appreciate a link to the product you use.

[Yeoman1942]

I use Ultimate thinner and a couple of drops of W&N flow improver in all types of Vallejo varnish and it works a treat.

[Housesparrow]

It is called "Vallejo Airbrush Thinner"

60 ml. bottle = number 71.361

[thomatkinson]

Thanks both - that's a great help - I'll give it a try

[thomatkinson]

P.S. I forgot to ask - what ratio do you use to thin the varnish with the Vallejo Airbrush Thinner?

[Housesparrow]

I don't have years of experience with this, but I guess about three drops of thinner, to ten drops of varnish. Unsure of the exact ratio I must admit.