I dunked these in a quick-drying wood stain from Wilkinson's:
I couldn't really brush off the excess as my right arm was in a cast at the time!
I know some people blutak they're minis to an electric drill then spin them in a bucket after dipping to remove the excess.
Re the matt varnish I believe the secret is about 20 deg C ambient temp, low humidity & a very light coat.
Automatically Appended Next Post: I need to take better pictures.