Question for those with more experience than I, do you use a varnish product? What kind?

I primarily use Vallejo paints and have seen their brush on varnish bottles, and wondered about picking up a Matte or Satin varnish.

I've used the brush on mostly for effect (gloss to make armor shine) or to fill small gaps. But to protect models, the spray cans of matte clear coat are easier to use if you can.

I use Vallejo bottles and I use Rust-Oleum matte in spray cans. I've been told Testors has a great spray called Dullcoat, but haven't found it locally.

I have mostely used Army Painter (meh) and Testors spray on varnishes. However I have started to thin down vallejo’s Acrylic varnishes and apply them with my airbrush. This gives me a lot more control, avoids issues with weather, spray can performance etc. They seem to work very well although I can’t really say I have tested them for durability. The Satin varnish I typically thin down and brush on to provide an armor shine for stormtroopers.

I always use a spray matte varnish as a finish to prevent little chips and wear. I keep some in a bottle around for the occasional piece I want to be shiny. And I've used it to create a flat surface that makes applying decals easier, but I don't decal for legion.

I use various matte spray can finishes. I find glossy is just too shiny for most miniatures and reflects light more than I like. I use 'ardcoat to make body armor shiny, and standout from cloth or leather. I don't do shiny for armor on vehicles.

Matt spray varnish for my gaming models and some gloss I paint on for special effects.

Thanks for all the recs and tops. I was hoping I could get away with a spray product I can get at the hardware store lol the Rust Oleum might be my best bet there

You can use hardware products for terrain, and occasionally priming, but it just doesn't really work for minis. Almost nothing hardware products are designed to be used on have the small detail that models do. Craft products can be a middle ground. But the reason that hobby products are expensive is that they are specialized and small market. There is expensive crap sold to the hobby market too, but generally you get what you pay for.

I Always do a coat of whatever gloss varnish I can find, at the moment it's GW's Ardcoat, for protection, followed by a coat of testor's dullcoat for a matt finish.

While Matt varnish looks better, in terms of protection it doesn't do much, gloss varnish is a lot harder and is a lot better in terms of protection, so for gaming pieces I Always do a coat of gloss for protection followed by matt for a matt finish.

5 hours ago, Mr Tough Guy said:

I Always do a coat of whatever gloss varnish I can find, at the moment it's GW's Ardcoat, for protection, followed by a coat of testor's dullcoat for a matt finish.

While Matt varnish looks better, in terms of protection it doesn't do much, gloss varnish is a lot harder and is a lot better in terms of protection, so for gaming pieces I Always do a coat of gloss for protection followed by matt for a matt finish.

Interesting! Thanks for the tip.

I used to paint on varnish or use the army painter rattlecan, or the citadel anti-shine varnish, but since using Alclad II Klear Kote I'll never go back! It's so thin and tough and goes on like a dream. I'm salivating just thinking about how great it is. 'Course, if you don't have an airbrush, then the rattlecan is the next best thing - just do THIN coats, don't let it pool and drip or flood details.

1 hour ago, stainsbury said:

I used to paint on varnish or use the army painter rattlecan, or the citadel anti-shine varnish, but since using Alclad II Klear Kote I'll never go back! It's so thin and tough and goes on like a dream. I'm salivating just thinking about how great it is. 'Course, if you don't have an airbrush, then the rattlecan is the next best thing - just do THIN coats, don't let it pool and drip or flood details.

yeah, no airbrush here, so it's the ol' rattle can for me

21 hours ago, manoftomorrow010 said:

yeah, no airbrush here, so it's the ol' rattle can for me

Consider a Neo Iwata- they're only £65 and airbrushing is a lot of fun.

2 hours ago, stainsbury said:

Consider a Neo Iwata- they're only £65 and airbrushing is a lot of fun.

thanks, but I prefer the brush

On 8/22/2018 at 6:21 AM, BigBadAndy said:

I have mostely used Army Painter (meh) and Testors spray on varnishes. However I have started to thin down vallejo’s Acrylic varnishes and apply them with my airbrush. This gives me a lot more control, avoids issues with weather, spray can performance etc. They seem to work very well although I can’t really say I have tested them for durability. The Satin varnish I typically thin down and brush on to provide an armor shine for stormtroopers.

May I ask what you use for thinning, and what is your thinning ratio (for airbrush)?

1 hour ago, Ubul said:

May I ask what you use for thinning, and what is your thinning ratio (for airbrush)?

I am using Vallejo airbrush thinner. I am still playing around but I find with the primer about a 2:1 ratio works well (two drops primer:one drop thinner). It’s reasonably forgiving but equal parts definitely makes it a little too thin. I have used the primer without thinning and while it works fine as a primer I get a few too many clogs in the airbrush. The thinner helps this a lot (although I still get an occasional clog).

EDIT: I got mine in a hobby store but it’s the same as this stuff.

Vallejo Airbrush Thinner 200ml Paint https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002X6DTHK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cNeHBbD07SV1F

I also airbrush my finishes with Vallejo varnishes (usually satin) and thinner at a 1:1 ratio. Have done for years.