Matt Varnish Problem. What do you use?

[Prof.Witchheimer]

but you have to clear varnish before using Testors, I had some accidents with it.

[pixelgeek]

I'll also chime in on vallejo matte varnish, though it needs to be agitated really well when the time between applications extends for more than a day or two. I also find the vallejo matte medium works well too. Not exactly sure if there is a significant chemical or compositional difference between the two but I've used them interchangeably with no ill effect.

The matte medium is the component that is used in the paint and is mixed with the pigments. So its basically the same material that is used to build the paint.

I don't think that it is the same as matte varnish.

[Phil Robinson]

Thanks for the replies. Well I'm glad it's not just me who has had some problems!

I'm going to dig out some old painted minis and try a few different ones.
I'm having some difficulty finding Daler-Rowney Matt Soluble Varnish in the UK but I can get hold of Testors and Vallejo so I'll give them a try.
I'll see if I can track down Krylon as well.

Regards
AL

Don't know if you have a store nearby but Hobbycraft stock it

Phil

[theoldschool]

Pappa
I've started using the Winsor & Newton Galleria matt varnish. It is quite superb. Straight on over the figure, no gloss first and it dries to a dead flat finish.
It's an urban myth that you need to gloss first, most matt varnishes are just as tough as gloss,  the carrier is the same in both.
Pat

[Hammers]

It's an urban myth that you need to gloss first, most matt varnishes are just as tough as gloss,  the carrier is the same in both.
Pat

Interesting There's a lot of people claiming the opposite. My own experience is that you only get a true matt coat from waterbased acrylic mattcoats. These are however not as tough as enamel gloss coats.

[theoldschool]

Interesting There's a lot of people claiming the opposite. My own experience is that you only get a true matt coat from waterbased acrylic mattcoats. These are however not as tough as enamel gloss coats.

Generally varnishes use acrylic, Vallejo, Galleria etc, or polyurethene/enamel, Humbrol, Blackfriars etc,  as the carrier. Testors uses a lacquer hence the appalling smell.
Unless you intend to bounce the figures off a wall (in which case I recommend a yachting varnish) a good quality modern acrylic is as tough as enamel and I have yet to find a matt varnish that will give as flat a finish over gloss as it does when applied on its own. All matt varnishes will lose their flatness if handled too much as the matting agenct makes it susceptible to the natural grease found on fingers.
The other reason I prefer to use acrylic matt on its own is that gloss varnish has a tendency to affect colour tone, particularly browns which go  much darker. I have wondered if this is why some Foundry base colours appear to be ligher than one would expect as the Foundry style assumes a gloss followed by matt varnish.
Pat