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can anyoen reccommend a good matt varbish that is failry cheap and available in the UK?

I am about to start on a Tomb Stalker and want to user the necron trasnfers to get an effect like this (found this image in the gallery so i can't claim any credit)



I'm assuming that i will need to use some matt varnish over the transfers to avoid the nasty shine they tend to have.






Also, any advice on how to do an effective but simple base would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance

Theres a process that you should follow when applying transfers.

First you should put down a layer of gloss varnish (I use GW 'ard coat) where the transfers will go.

At this point you can either put down some decal set solution (I use vallejo decal fix) which helps the decal stick a lot better.

Now apply the decal and once it has taken place apply some decal softener (I use vallejo decal medium). This helps the decal settle down onto any uneven surfaces.

No once the decal has dried off put some matt varnish (I use vallejo matt varnish) on to get rid of any shine from the decal and gloss varnish.

You could just skip the fancy decal fix and do the gloss varnish then matt varnish which will work fine on flat surfaces. Also, the shine that you talk about comes from micro air bubbles trapped between the rough surface of the model and the decal. Applying a coat of gloss varnish gives a nice smooth surface for the decal to sit on which takes the shine away.

The section they will go on is pretty smooth. so i'm guessing i should be able to get away with gloss varnish, decal, then matt varnish.

where do you get your vallejo varnish from (i love the vallejo paints)? I can't find a store in the UK that stocks the stuff and Ebay seems to want £4 per pot.

not sure where your looking, but theres these 3 on ebay in differnt sizes and multiple places on google that are selling it with a quick search.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vallejo-Matt-Varnish-17ml-Pot-Acrylic-Game-Colour-Model-Color-Wargame-Paint-/261042833280?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item3cc75d8780

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vallejo-Liquid-Acrylic-Varnish-Matt-55ml-/190614601625?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item2c6183ff99#ht_500wt_810

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vallejo-Liquid-Acrylic-Varnish-Matt-500ml-Big-Bottle-/190605859922?pt=UK_Toys_Wargames_RL&hash=item2c60fe9c52#ht_566wt_810

or spray form

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vallejo-ACRYLIC-MATT-Spray-VARNISH-/400298166307?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item5d33a14823#ht_1055wt_810

Best matvarnishes are

Testor and Tamiya dullcotes.

But since they are really expensive, I tend to spray first layer
with gloss varnish for the extra protection, and light dusting coat of matt finish

Has anyone tried the new GW Medium? (GW site says it is good for securing transfers with a "smooth matt finish")

stick to micro sol and micro set for that

Skippy wrote:stick to micro sol and micro set for that

^^ This

LunaHound wrote:Best matvarnishes are

Testor and Tamiya dullcotes.

But since they are really expensive, I tend to spray first layer
with gloss varnish for the extra protection, and light dusting coat of matt finish

Never used Tamiya, but Testors Dullcote has been my tried and true flat/matte "varnish" for 20+ years. I've used it extensively on model aircraft, and now on my 40k minis.

As for transfers, as many folks have said here, and as I've done for years in aircraft modeling, start with a gloss coat (I use Testors Glosscote), let it dry, apply transfers, let them dry, then spray with the matte/flat varnish, and you're good to go. Typically, if you've done it right, you shouldn't be able to distinguish the transfer from the paintjob.

i have tried spraying before over transfers and they just went all cloudy (i was spraying the GW Purity Seal).

Does that normally happen or was that just me?

No idea, but I hate GW transfer ( i bet so does heavy metal team, since you can see the films on most of their photos )

I have tried both microsol and the other sol
it doesnt work, and it smells like cheap vinegar.

I dont normally use the transfers either. But i think on the Tomb Stalker they can look pretty good.

Mine will be in the colour of the rest of my army (Copper/bronze) so i am thinking using the new green transfers so they will stand out better than the gold ones.

Dont get me wrong, I love the idea of decals, I can never paint like what they have on decals.

But the transparent films always show up no matter what decal product i use -_-

Cutting off the majority of the clear film and using a glossed surface with micro set and sol will give you seamless results. It just takes time and attention to detail.

Some are harder than others tho, crimson fist decals on marine shoulder pads are the worst I've done.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Praxiss wrote:i have tried spraying before over transfers and they just went all cloudy (i was spraying the GW Purity Seal).

Does that normally happen or was that just me?

I think you get cloudy results if its too humid out? Using very light, multiple passes should help. Theres been quite a few people with that problem so a forum search should pull up threads with more info for you.

I love Testor's Dullcote but lately I've started airbrushing Liquitex Matte Medium, but it produces really good results thinned and brush applied.

LunaHound wrote:No idea, but I hate GW transfer ( i bet so does heavy metal team, since you can see the films on most of their photos )

I have tried both microsol and the other sol
it doesnt work, and it smells like cheap vinegar.

U are doin' it wrong, probably. I find it works fine.


You need to do several applications of the Microsol to really snug them down though. The decals on these took several hours to do. Conversely, the skull kneepads were freehanded in about 20 minutes.

Edit: As for the OP's question; Windsor & Newton Galleria Acrylic Matt Varnish. Thin 50-50 with 50-50 water and flow improver, and airbrush it on. Lovely matt finish, doesn't frost or dust up too much. For the gloss for decalling, I airbrush on Vallejo Gloss varnish, thinned about the same.

ENSURE THE VARNISH IS FULLY CURED BEFORE DECALLING.

That's really, really important, otherwise the decal adhesive and setting solutions will attack the varnish and you can get discolouration (slight bleaching) of the surface, which on some colours can be very obvious.

I'm sure there are better/cheaper options available for those with an airbrush, but if you want an aerosol spray, nothing beats Testors Dullcote, in my experience.

spectreoneone wrote:Testors Dullcote has been my tried and true flat/matte "varnish" for 20+ years. I've used it extensively on model aircraft, and now on my 40k minis.

Same here. Ive been modeling for about that same amount of time, and Testors has never let me down.

testors dullcoat is incredibly hard to get in the uk. Its basically not an option here.

Atenociti's Workshop carry Testors Dullcote. First place I looked. Not hard to get hold of, but it's a rattlecan.

Incidentally, you probably don't want to matt a metallic model - a satin or semi-gloss finish is more likely to be what you want, with gloss for chrome or polished finishes.

winterdyne wrote:Atenociti's Workshop carry Testors Dullcote. First place I looked. Not hard to get hold of, but it's a rattlecan.

Incidentally, you probably don't want to matt a metallic model - a satin or semi-gloss finish is more likely to be what you want, with gloss for chrome or polished finishes.

When its in stock. Hes the only place I've seen to stock it in the uk and its often out of stock with a long delay between getting more.

Ok, first of all, there are a lot of guides to putting on decals;
I would say follow them.

Most of them include: gloss coat first, some kind of decal setter, a softner, then either a gloss coat again, (some skip this part) followed by a final matte coat.

My matte coat of choice is Testors Model Master Acryl: Flat/Clear Acrylic.

I airbrush it on, but you can paint it on.
I love the fact is seems to not alter my model shading in any way.

Again, test on scrap first, what ever you end up doing....

Pretty certain Boyes' stock it too. I think I may have seen it in Modelzone too.

winterdyne wrote:
Incidentally, you probably don't want to matt a metallic model - a satin or semi-gloss finish is more likely to be what you want, with gloss for chrome or polished finishes.

Wow, good point. I didn't think of that. Would it make a huge difference if I only varnish over the decal rather than the entire model i wonder...



EDIT: sayign that it wont make a lot of difference as, in thepic atteh top, the decals were attached to a strip of matt black paint down the side of the model.

Generally I'd gloss to finish anything on a metallic surface. If you really want the decal to look like a matt-paint effect on the metal, you need to break out the matt varnish and a detail brush and go over the design by hand. Time consuming, but not as difficult as it sounds - as long as you stay 'inside the lines',

thats' why i'm thinking of puting the decals on a patch or stripe of black. First off ti will make them stand out more, but it also means the background doesn't have to be metallic and i can just matt varnish that black patch and the decal.

not sure if i will go all along the body as in the pic. i liek the idea of the darker patches on the head. i think it makes it look a bti more streamlined and mean....btu maybe that's just me.

I am using Army Painter Anti Shine Spray Varnish. It is certainly available in the UK, but I am not sure if this could be considered to be a cheap option (no idea how much Testor's Dullcoat costs, since we do not have it here anyways...)

winterdyne wrote:Pretty certain Boyes' stock it too. I think I may have seen it in Modelzone too.

modelzone dont (at least at the moment) and boyes dont seem to even sell online.

f1hobbys do sell it now so it does seem like its getting easier to find over here, just hope its reliable stock.

the only hobby store i have locally is ModelZone & GW (in Derby).

I think there's a Hobby Craft in Nottingham somewhere.

Maelstrom Games ship spray cans within the UK.