Gloss Varnishes

[FrankJ]

Not sure if I'm in the correct area to be asking about varnishes. Waiting on a Tamiya Supermarine Spitfire Mk1 1:48 arriving in next day or two which will be my first plane build since joining BM. I have the appropriate paints arriving with it, unfortunately I forgot to add a gloss varnish with the order. I will be up town tomorrow and will pop into Wonderland Edinburgh.

 

I don't have much experience of model varnishes, I am a brush user, don't have a airbrush. I've been looking at ALCLAD 2 60ML AQUA GLOSS KLEAR KOTE VARNISH. I seen a review somewhere on BM but can't remember where. can anyone tell me how good Aclad2 is, from what I've read it seems best to gloss before adding the decals.

 

Do I add a matt varnish after decals and paintwork is finished?

[Chuck1945]

You may get more responses in this section https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/16-paint/

[Seawinder]

Alclad Aqua Gloss has a very good reputation and IMHO would be a good choice especially if you want to stick with acrylic paints. I've been using Mr. Color Clear Gloss, which is an acrylic lacquer, but I tend to use enamels and lacquers for my color coats. If you want a pure lacquer, Tamiya's spray clear gloss is good, although I usually decant and airbrush it.

 

Yes, you'll want a final flat coat at the end. In terms of what to use, that's a big can of worms. My current choice is Mr. Color Clear Flat, but there are any number of other options.

[FrankJ]

Just now, Seawinder said:

Alclad Aqua Gloss has a very good reputation and IMHO would be a good choice especially if you want to stick with acrylic paints. I've been using Mr. Color Clear Gloss, which is an acrylic lacquer, but I tend to use enamels and lacquers for my color coats. If you want a pure lacquer, Tamiya's spray clear gloss is good, although I usually decant and airbrush it.

 

Yes, you'll want a final flat coat at the end. In terms of what to use, that's a big can of worms. My current choice is Mr. Color Clear Flat, but there are any number of other options.

Thanks Seawinder, can I ask, do varnishes need thinned or a flow enhancer which I have before use?

Thanks

[Seawinder]

That depends on the product. It may or may not be thin enough out of the bottle. Mr. Color clear coats, for example, are quite thick and definitely need to be thinned. I don't know Aqua Gloss, but I think it may be spray-able without thinning. If you're going for a really glossy coat (not so vital for decals, but more so for a car body), you can do a "wet coat" by thinning the clear coat and applying with less pressure.

[FrankJ]

Thanks for the quick reply, I will be using a hand brush to apply it, I'll experiment on other plastic to get the right consistency.

[Seawinder]

If you're hand brushing, I think you'll have the best luck with Klear (or Future or Pledge or whatever it's presently called).

[Old Man]

I agree with Seawinder.

 

It is self-leveling, and pretty well eliminates brushmarks. It may puddle a little if you brush it on too thick.

 

If you are painting with water-base acrylics, cutting some into the paint imparts this self-leveling quality. It does not take much to get the effect, perhaps one to four. You may need two or three coats. It seems to make things tougher, and more resistant to wear from handling, too.

Edited August 25, 2020 by Old Man

[11bravo]

I’m a huge fan of Tamiya gloss (X-22?).  Could never get future to work well.   Tamiya’s stuff is the bomb. 

[Ray_W]

This should go in the paint section so you get everyone's input.

 

You really need the brush guy's recommendation. I airbrush and love Gunze products and Tamiya X-22 with Mr Color Levelling thinners but I would not use this with a brush. The solvent is too aggressive. I would be afraid of mechanical damage brushing.  I think for brush painting products like Future, which levels beautifully but is a PITA to airbrush, may be a good option or even the artist versions like W&N acrylic gloss. Again though, you need the brush guys. I'll put in @Troy Smith because Troy knows those who do a brilliant job with the hairy stick.

 

Ray

[SimonT]

Maybe @PlaStix could comment, fab brush painter and modeller.

[PlaStix]

Hi Frank. @Seawinder and @Old Man have already suggested what I would have suggested. Future or it's current replacement - Pledge Multi Surface Wax - is fantastic to apply with flat brushes before you apply any decals. There are even newer versions out there of Pledge Klear Multi Surface Wax so you might want to check it works okay on something other than your Spitfire first - just in case it doesn't work as you want it to. You can still get Pledge online at a number of major outlets. I have read that some polish that Lakeland do is also pretty good - but I don't know which it is and haven't tried any. Perhaps someone else on here has tried the latter.

Kind regards,

Stix