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So I'm half way wondering and half way looking for ideas about what people in the community to seal their models after their done painting them. Do you like the shiny look? The flat? Do you something special to protect your models from chipping (the notorious metals)? Anyone have any good products that seal but don't leave a sheen/shine on the finished work or likewise don't leave that muted look that flats leave?

For me, I've been hitting my models with Testor's Semi gloss. I wish the sheen was a little less glossy, but I definitely didn't like what the Testor's Dullcote did to my models. Glosscote was right out. That didn't do a lot to protect my hybrids or metals, so I heard that alot of minature modellers used Minwax. I tried that, but found it to be superglossy, so after the Minwax I went over with Semigloss. My vehicles I didn't like even semi glossy so I hit them with Dullcote. So Dullcoted vehicles and Semiglossed soldiers (Dark Angel army, greenies with a smattering of preTyrannic, black Deathwing).

Your thoughts, advice, experiences?

I use the GW Matt seal. Heard terrible things about it, but it works fine as long as you shake long enough (really, shake for a minute, otherwise you'll get a 'sugercoat').

It's too expensive tho, so i'll be watching this thread (:

I use Future, Liquitex Paint on matte varnish, I'm trying future and flat base, Dullcote or Lusterluss Flat.
In the past I used a GW matte sealer I was very happy with, armory matte which is touchy, it frosted the hell out of the last model I sprayed and then I tried it in perfect conditions and it frosted the item I sprayed so that out for now, I've used krylon matte and satin even the matte wasn't very flat, I used valspar satin for another project and sealed my dice god with it, shiny and a little orange peel with it.
So...I try stuff a lot.
I hit the model in between layers with the Liquitex from an AB, final with Testors. I had intentions of doing future then dullcote, but I have never had a chipping problem so I'm experimenting with it to try to get a dead flat varnish and using it to gloss gems.

For some of my models, especially tanks, I first put in a layer of Krylon Gloss which gives the best protection and then another layer of Testor's Dullcote to take away the shine.

Future acrylic floor polish through an airbrush followed up by Vallejo Model Air matte or satin varnish.

I'm using the Army Painter sealer lately. No trouble so far, but I will say don't panic when you first spray it on and it looks very shiny... it dulls down in about 24 hours.

Elmer's glue.

Bat Manuel wrote:Elmer's glue.

LIES!!! Srsly?? Elmer's Glue?

I am a Testor's guy myself. Gloss cote first for protection, dullcote to take the shine off.

GW's 'Ardcoat. The brush-on version. I've had enough spray varnish disasters over the years that I've given up on them for good. If I want to kill the shine, I brush over it with GW Matt Varnish.

Testor's Dullcote. Looks great, even if you overindulge. I don't use 'Ardcoat unless I want something glossy (marine lenses, etc.).

MightyGodzilla wrote:

Bat Manuel wrote:Elmer's glue.

LIES!!! Srsly?? Elmer's Glue?

no.

Army painter matte varnish.

I don't like shiny models so I use a matte. Also, I don't use GW because, as a rule with GW hobby materials, you can always find a better product for less money.

I've used GW purity seal before which works ok-ish. Spray in dry environments and it's fine, but if there's moisture in the air it tends to fog up like no tomorrow.

I mainly use Mr.Super Clear, and that works very well. Sprays on nice and thinly plus it dries quickly.

I don't. Never have.

Too many sealers either alter the colours, kill the highlights, and even most matte sealers have a slight gloss to them.

If you're using a spray basecoat, using reasonable quality acrylics to paint them, and looking after your models the sealer isn't really necessary.

I bought the GW matte seal, but I'm scared to use it (frost, dampening highlights, etc). I was having problems with a few metal models having paint rub off of their fine points and edges whenever I'd handle them...but I just repainted a little thicker and no problems since. I guess I'm inclined to agree with insaniak: it's not necessary.

Vallejo matte spray


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Eggroll wrote:For some of my models, especially tanks, I first put in a layer of Krylon Gloss which gives the best protection and then another layer of Testor's Dullcote to take away the shine.

This is a myth. Gloss does not protect more than dull.

It's still really useful, because it lets you see where you missed, so I STILL gloss+matte sometimes, but don't believe the fiction about it protecting better.

2 coats of Vallejo Polyurethane Gloss Varnish for protection, followed by 1 coat of Vallejo Polyurethane Matte Varnish to take of the shine.

Cheers,


IK-Painter

Clear satin polyurethane. Followed with Krylon Matte Finish, just to dim down what little shine their may be.

Use Krylon Crystal Clear. Cheap, works great. They have matte, gloss, semi-gloss, whatever you need. Non-yellowing, don't need much more than a light mist in general and really pops colors IMO.

Rented Tritium wrote:Vallejo matte spray


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Eggroll wrote:For some of my models, especially tanks, I first put in a layer of Krylon Gloss which gives the best protection and then another layer of Testor's Dullcote to take away the shine.

This is a myth. Gloss does not protect more than dull.

It's still really useful, because it lets you see where you missed, so I STILL gloss+matte sometimes, but don't believe the fiction about it protecting better.

It's not a myth. The chemical composition of gloss, at least the enamel gloss that I use has a higher concentration of resin which provides more protection from wear and tear. This is common knowledge not only in the miniatures painting community but the art community as well.

I've just recently started using Army Painters anti-shine and it works great for me

I don't seal my models. Is this heresy?

Krylon Flat finish. $4 a can, I can get it at Freddie's, all that good stuff. Seems to work fine, you have to spray on a fair amount but I think it's worth it.

nectarprime wrote:I don't seal my models. Is this heresy?

Not really. All paint is suspended in a polymer that dries into basically a hard shell. But if you use different colors and layers there are space in this protection. Think paper mâché without the mâché. The varnish is simply one solid layer of a polymer that dries uniformly without a color. It's not impenetrable, just harder to penetrate.

Note: I'm not trying to be scientifically accurate just throw an illustration down.

insaniak wrote:I don't. Never have.

Too many sealers either alter the colours, kill the highlights, and even most matte sealers have a slight gloss to them.

If you're using a spray basecoat, using reasonable quality acrylics to paint them, and looking after your models the sealer isn't really necessary.

It funny that you mention that Insaniak. I remember an interview with the 'EavyMetal team in a WD about five-six years back. The painter being interviewed said the exact same thing you did citing the same reasons. I don't have a problem with color alteration myself, but I do notice some of my highlighting getting muted or erased altogether. On some of my plastics I just leave the seal off. But because of chipping I always seal up my metals or hybrids.

I do however think that it (to protect against chipping) would be feasable to Prime>Seal>Paint>Highlight and if the seal was good enough (like Minwax) it might make the model resistant to chipping. I don't know though, and I've never tried it. Handle with care though seems to be the best option.

I've never sealed my models before and I'm about to start. I've heard so many stories on here about frosting that I'm going to just brush it on.

Do you need thinners to clean your brushes with acrylic sealers?

I feel like that question answers itself but...
You clean your brushes with what you use to thin the paint which is *almost* always what's it's based in. IE water based acrylics are washed by water, alcohol based acrylics with alcohol, spirits based paints with thinner.
So...acrylic water based varnishes are washed out of brushes by water, or brush soap and water.

Thanks I've only started painting seriously and I've never used varnishes before, I'm a total nub.

I use GW Purity Seal but will try to use something else when the current can runs out. I hear cool stuff about dullcote.