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I have never used varnish on a model and was currous what uses and effects it has on a model.

all input will help!

Well, all varnishes I've ever used have just made the model shiny and unrealistic.

If you dont want the model to turn out shiney use a flat varnish or GWs ard coat, armoury also makes a clear matte spray that works really well.

The thing that works best for me (and what I know a lot of others do), is to first spray the model with a coat of gloss varnish, because it is supposed to give the best protection. Then you spray a coat of matte varnish on after the gloss varnish has dried, to kill the shine.

I always use protection.

Das Wort:
Die Lackierung

Cool thanks for all the imput!

I HIGHLY recommend any Matte Varnish. I use a product called Dullcote by Testors. Definitely makes the models finish infinitely better. Not only that, but it protects them as well.

EDIT: Here's a link for you, from the WarStore. It's the first item --> http://www.thewarstore.com/TestorsDullcote.html

I've used many varnishes in the last 18 years.

Far and away the best yet is Krylon Matte Varnish.
A slight satin effect it doesn't dull metallics like testors.
It goes on well and doesn't mist or yellow.
It dries quickly.
It is, compared to other varnishes good value.

Waaagh_Gonads wrote:I've used many varnishes in the last 18 years.

Far and away the best yet is Krylon Matte Varnish.
A slight satin effect it doesn't dull metallics like testors.
It goes on well and doesn't mist or yellow.
It dries quickly.
It is, compared to other varnishes good value.

I tried this yesterday... Went to 4 stores looking for it, finally found a Krylon that seemed similar at K-Mart but I don't think it was quite the same. I think I ended up with a similar product, but the test I did on a spare Genestealer was way too shiny... Althoguh, should I ever get back to painting Tyranids, it might look kinda cool on them, if I didn't mind having to re-do bases afterwards.

What about gw purity seal.. it's expensive but I use it...
Its a spray so is really easy and I havn't had any trouble with it so far

I rarely use matt varnish from GW, but I'm not sure if they're still making that. I use 'ardcoat gloss varnish on everything that should be shiney. Slime, lenses, stuff like that.

Ifind that krylon spray matte works the best. GW ard coat used to be called spray matte also. I would also like to point out that high gloss varnish does have it's uses, like highlighting black and white for a "hyper realism" feel. If you've ever tried to highlight black or white you know it's very difficult. I.uh Digress gloss varnish is also good for a "wet" or slimey feel you can even mix paint into it for a glazing effect
/rantuu

 Waaagh_Gonads wrote:
I've used many varnishes in the last 18 years.

Far and away the best yet is Krylon Matte Varnish.
A slight satin effect it doesn't dull metallics like testors.
It goes on well and doesn't mist or yellow.
It dries quickly.
It is, compared to other varnishes good value.

I was about to try this stuff until I found this thread on another site from 2011, two years after the quoted post:

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1544180

Long story short, they changed the formulation, and apparently it's not very good anymore. I've been experimenting with spraying the testors, and then going back over with 'Ardcoat and/ or Lahmian Medium. Ardcoat is great for really shiny metallics like gold, mithril, or silver (looks maybe even better than bare paint!). For iron, brass, copper, etc it looks a little too wet, so a mix of 'Ardcoat that and the Lahmian Medium, or even straight Medium (which still isn't as dull as the Testor's), looks pretty good.