Brush on Varnish(Europe/Germany)

[harleyface]

Hello

Becoming really frustraited...
Really content with my painting but im destroying all my paintjobs when varnishing...
Its getting so frustraiting that im thinking about quitting....
Tried vajello spray gw spray army painter cheap toolstore spray....
Dont know what to do more...
Shaked well...read instructions and so on...

Now tried vajello brush on...also looks terrible..
Would like to give brush on varnish one more chance...
Can someone recommend a good brush on varnish thats easy available in Germany.
And maybe a link with a goot tutorial..
Now painting for 25 years and still suck with varnish..
Really a bit depressed right now..

Kind regards
Florian

[robh]

What is the problem?

Streaky finish? Whitening? Shine? Colour change? Bleeding?

[Silent Invader]

I use Revell gloss then matt. Others swear by (I think) Windsor & Newton acrylic.

[harleyface]

Hello

Would have no problem with a bit of shine.
In fact i even like it because looks a bit brighter.
Exept high gloss the finish is no problem.
Would like everithing from completly mat to semigloss.
My main problem is a greyish feel of the minis

Even with very thin coats.
Depending on the brand its going from just a bit of grey to real bad frosting(really bad frosting is normaly my fault in trying to fix somthing)

Even if its not frosted its just not smooth....

So hard to explain...

Have no idea where i can buy the windsor stuff....
Its really not so easy in germany...
Would like so much to try dullcoat but nowhere to get....
Kind regards
Florian

[robh]

Is the frosting the same all over the mini or is it worse inside cloth folds and other areas where varnish is slightly thicker?

[harleyface]

Thank you for your help

Its the same all over the mini.
Only difference is only that some colours are worse than others...
Black and Brown are the worst...

Right now im afraid of varnishing....
Im starting to sweat...and feel ill....it all makes no sense anymore...
Under these circumstances i think i even make more mistakes.....

[Mindenbrush]

Sounds like you have a humidity problem which makes the matt varnish 'frost'. Apply another thin coat of gloss varnish to get rid of the frosting which I believe is the talc added to the varnish to make it 'matt'.

I always gloss varnish, allow it to dry for a minimum 24 hours or more if possible, and then matt varnish.

I use Daler Rowney Soluble matt varnish - started using it when I was in Hamburg, give it a really long shake for about 10 minutes and then do a test sample to make sure it dries clear - keep shaking wilst the test is drying :-)

Apply a thin coat and I mean thin, allow it to dry again for at least 24 hours and then do a 2nd coat. Sometimes a 3rd coat or touch up is required for the awkward areas. Do not try to thin this varnish with thinners as it does not seem to work properly and it does not mix well with the Humbrol matt black that I use for priming.

Brush care after varnishing - I clean mine with white spirit/thinners and the dip it in a bottle of liquid plastic cement to really clean the brush, the liquid glue evaporates    

[robh]

Hmm......

First off I am assuming you are not using old varnish or a varnish that has been opened and closed many many times. And also that you do not have a problem with the figure prior to varnishing (ie not already rough and pitted surface.......that is a different issue)

First thing to say is that Matt varnish has a very short shelf life and should not be kept more than a month or so to use. Try to save all your varnishing for a single session and afterwards dispose of the un-used varnish. Buy new next time.

Frosting is generally a result of:
The matting particles in the varnish separating from the carrier liquid. OR
Humidity from the air trapped in the varnish (most common with spray varnish). OR
Partially dried varnish particles mixed with the varnish (again most common with spray varnish).

The first can be caused by old varnish or poorly mixed varnish and is cured by replacing the varnish or mixing better/longer before you use it. If oil/enamel based varnishes there are a few other tricks you can use.

Humidity is a climate thing and you have to know your own property/room to get an idea of when the air is dry. It is not about how hot the room is (although too hot is as bad as too damp). On humid days do not varnish.

Partially dried varnish is the result of using an aerosol that has not been cleared properly (the upside down spray after use) or where you spray in short bursts (usually because you need to move the figures around to varnish all sides and angles). The cure here is to batch varnish and do one side on all figures, clean the nozzle then do the next side of the figures and so on.


Anything here sound like an obvious cause for you? How far is the spray head from the figure when you varnish?

[Westfalia Chris]

What mindenbrush and robh said - maybe wait for a spell of dry weather before the next attempt. Also, if your local tap water is "hard" (i.e. has a high "Kalkanteil" / proportion of calcium), this might affect the clarity of the varnish, but I have never found it necessary to actually use Distilled Water as some people do.

As for varnishes, I used to use Marabu brush-on acrylic varnish, but when I couldn't get it for a while switched over to this brand, Hobby Line by Kreul:

https://www.c-kreul.de/Transparente-farblose-Lacke.750.0.html

You can get them at various outlets, I buy mine from a local Müller's Drogeriemarkt, but Idee Creativ also stocks them, I think.

I've been using the gloss and matte variety for a couple of years now. Very good yield, and it thins down very smoothly. The gloss gives a very nice shine if applied in multiple layers, while the matte has only a slight sheen. I cannot say how the satin variety is, since I haven't used it. The gloss has a good, hard surface - it is not cold proof, but I have used it for some outdoor purposes as well (decorated stones for the garden) and it withstood the weather for more than a year, so it should be good for indoor purposes like miniatures.

Nowadays, I use the gloss variety almost exclusively in one or two thin coats. Very much recommended, but I cannot vouch for eventual yellowing since it's only been a couple of years since I've started using it.

[harleyface]

Thank you for your help.

I already started to only use a spray one...
Only new can than throw away...
Tryed with every kind of whether....
Normaly in Munich is hot or it rains...
Even tried when raining...funny but the results when raining where the best..
Really really appreciate your help but it doesnt help...
Im just to stupid to use spray varnish...
The recommended brush varnish is at least available trough uk....
Isnt there anything i just can buy in a store or at least amazon de.......

THANK YOU ALL

[harleyface]

Hello Chris

Sounds like i give it a try
Idee is in munich.
Is it ok to write you a pm about usage...
It would be so much easier in german for me...
THANK YOU

[Westfalia Chris]

Hello Chris

Sounds like i give it a try
Idee is in munich.
Is it ok to write you a pm about usage...
It would be so much easier in german for me...
THANK YOU

Go ahead, kein Problem! 

[harleyface]

Thank you all

A special THANK YOU to Chris!!!!!!

[DELTADOG]

It seems I´m a bit late here with advice, but maybe it still helps. I´ve got the same problems over years. My Hobbyroom is in the cellar and i have to deal with a more moisture Air down there. I´ve tried nearby a dozen brands of Varnish, brush on and Spraycan and have found that one the best workign so far. Its a product that is mainly used in the Automotive Industry and while its Made in Germany its good available here.

http://www.belton.de/produkte/belton-spectral/

The Articlenumber for the Matt Coat is: Artnr: 324298.

I Apply the Matt Varnish on the Miniature while Summertime in my Garden if its dry outside. In the winter I do it in my cellar, but heat up the model with a hairdryer and put a Cardbox over the drying Model after I´ve spayed it. I´ve alway some Silica Gel Packs at hand I spared from Electronic Buys. That keep the moisture under control inside the Cardbox and gives perfect finishes. Once the silica Gel is soaked with moisture, I give it in the Oven around 50°C to reactivate it.

Greetz Delta

[rumacara]

I´ve also tried diferent varnish sprays with diferent results.
The best ones for me are the gloss and matt varnish from tamiya.
2 coats of gloss and 1 or 2 of matt.