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Just got me some Vallejo varnish from the Warstore. I couldn't find any confirmation on the Vallejo website but can I use my airbrush to apply the varnish? The website's FAQ makes a passing reference to using their polyurethane varnish in an airbrush, but I have the acrylic varnish shown on this page: http://www.acrylicosvallejo.com/en_US/model-paints/auxiliary-products/3
Or is that the same thing? I'm new to the whole Vallejo Experience.

ABsolutely you can... works good.

I use the liquitex varnish through an airbrush and it works fine. Just make sure you really clean out that airbrush really well after you're done, you don't want varnish drying inside your airbrush.

Yep it works great just make sure the pressure is set right otherwise it will splatter. A way to get around this is to water it down and apply several thin coats.

Guarder22 wrote:
Yep it works great just make sure the pressure is set right otherwise it will splatter. A way to get around this is to water it down and apply several thin coats.

QFT - Pressure is key with it. I also had the accident were I didnt clean as well as I should have. Spend the better part of the day with the nozzle in acetone.. It wasn't to bad on the brush, I just used a scrubbie brush to clean out the insides.. I find it dries faster, than I would like its hard to see sometimes when your spraying it on..

I use them in my airbrush and they're just fine, though for gloss I prefer future floor polish over vallejo's gloss varnish.

while I'm told they're meant to be sprayed on neat, I thin my vallejo varnishes a bit; maybe 1 part vallejo airbrush thinner to 5 parts varnish. I get better results with this then I do spraying it neat, but ymmv.

word of advice: when using matte, spray it on *very* sparingly. let each coat dry for a few minutes before you hit it again. it's super easy to overdue it and end up with a frosted look. this is less of an issue with satin and gloss.

Also, if you have different sized needles, try a slightly larger one, or thin it a bit.

Try it on a test model first (could just be a piece of spure with some of your army colors on it).

Best of luck!

Thanks to everyone for the answers!

I dilute my varnish with vallejo airbrush thinner and spray very cautiously at about 10-12 psi. Immediately after varnishing flush out the excess varnish and wash the cup with alcohol. Spray alcohol through and then remove needle. Carefully rub needle with alcohol and business end of airbrush. Lubricate needle (again carefully!) and re-insert into airbrush. Spray alcohol through again.

Note that varnish tends to collect and dry not just at the bottom-front of the cup but also at the bottom-rear where the needle enters from. If you're not thorough it will clog and may require servicing.