Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I did a search on Purity Seal and found only one post, and it was four years ago, so instead of venting in that post and performing thread necromancy, just thought I'd post a second warning to buyers:

If you're thinking of sealing your minis, I wouldn't do it with GW's Purity Seal. Just ruined a marine of my own with it, after spending too much on it. I thought, going from GW Matte Varnish (which has always worked really well), to Purity Seal would be an easy tranisition. Purity Seal ruined the figure. It looks like I took the figure and drybrushed the entire thing with Fortress Grey. It looks terrible. Gonna have to soak it in Simple Green and start over.

Anyway, buyer beware: Purity Seal. Go with Testors (I've heard) - trying out a brand of Satin Polyurethane right now and seeing if that does the trick. If not, Testors it is.

Yeah, that stuff is for lenses and what-not. NOT doing an entire model....

That's what ard-coat is for. In the spray bottle. Matte finish is similar.

Don't strip your mini just yet, if you do a search, other people have had the same problems and they found a way to get the grey off. I think some people soaked it in water then used a soft bristle toothbrush. Look around a bit though, because some people have solved this problem.

Put a gloss/satin coat on it to 'unfog' the varnish. I've saved entire armies like this at this point.

Jokorey wrote:Put a gloss/satin coat on it to 'unfog' the varnish. I've saved entire armies like this at this point.

Really?

Interesting. I have some satin varnish. Gonna give this a try.

Edit: I dunno. I think this one may be a bit too foggy to save. We'll see when the satin varnish dries.

Purity Seal is a satin varnish n'est pas?

Use Future Floor Wax .... then pick up a can of Testors Dull Coat, that stuff is really reliable. The Future Floor Wax will take all the grey off but leave the mini a bit shiny, then (after it dries) use the dull coat to get it back to where it needs to be. I haven't had to do this yet, but a good friend of mine told me about it. I had suggested it to others, and they said it worked great.

I will second what Behind the Mask said. I have saved several models that way myself. Consider it a lesson learned, "Don't buy spray cans from GW!"

All purity seal brands suffer from this, not just GW. So telling people to not buy the product is slightly unfair, seeing as many suffer with the same issue as you have said, with a variety of brands. Personally i'm using the GW Purity seal, as its easy for me to get hold of, haven't had a problem yet with it.

Samus_aran115 wrote:Yeah, that stuff is for lenses and what-not. NOT doing an entire model....

That's what ard-coat is for. In the spray bottle. Matte finish is similar.

Do they do 'Ard-Coat sprays in the US? I have a couple of pots for gloss details, but they certainly don't seem to sell an 'Ard-Coat spray in GW or online, which is a pity as gloss varnishes are generally better at protecting miniatures. I've heard advice that minis which are gloss-coated and then given a satin or matte finish over have the best protection.

Most sprays will behave oddly if used in high humidity. Testors Dull-Cote is a hobby darling, just be aware it contains some toxic ingredients. Take any safety precautions mentioned on the can and probably best to use a dust-mask/plenty of ventilation/ventilator to avoid breathing in the fumes.