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Hey folks, I know the answer to this is probably subjective, but I was wondering if there was a 'go-to' varnish? I'm essentially looking for something that leaves the underlying paint looking as natural as possible. One that looks as close as possible like an unvarnished mini.

What do you folks do to protect your minis?

Varnish spray works to make the model stay looking generally the same, just dont apply too much or it looks a little misty, its a mat finish though so metalics might need a little touching up after as they will lose their shine slightly sometimes.

Ard coat will do the same but its gloss so your models will catch the light a little more, only used this on my necrons so far so wasnt an issue as they are supposed to be shiny anyway.

Best thing to do is get some old minis and due a few tests. I tend to use a craft clear matte found in the craft sections of most stores that is about 5 bucks a can but works great. It also strips off well with the paint if I have to remove the paint off the model. I know some use a Krylon clear. Others go for the GW clear. There is no set in stone which is the best in my opinion. All have their ups and downs. Either ay I use a gloss ('ard coat) on top of my lens and gems to help them stand out.

Edit: also as i was saying about test models. Always test the paint before you use it. I had a can almost ruin a Transformer custom I was working on because some A-hole switch the nozzle with a black paint nozzle.

 Eggs wrote:
Hey folks, I know the answer to this is probably subjective, but I was wondering if there was a 'go-to' varnish? I'm essentially looking for something that leaves the underlying paint looking as natural as possible. One that looks as close as possible like an unvarnished mini.

What do you folks do to protect your minis?

It depends on what I want to do with the miniature as I paint and what I will do with it when I am done. I'm not much of a gamer and most of what I paint is done just because I like the model so I am often not worried about the model being handled too much. If the mini will get an oil wash than it always gets a gloss varnish in preparation for the wash and then a matte varnish to seal the oil. For both of those applications, I use Liquitex brand varnishes in the airbrush. For a model that is mainly metallic in color (i.e.- Grey Knights) I just use satin varnish because it doesn't kill the luster of the metallic paint like matte or ultra matte varnish does. I also am a fan of Testors Dullcoat and most stuff gets a blast of that to finish it off. I use a LOT of varnish because I do a majority of my painting with an airbrush and I like to be able to "save" my work as I progress... varnish makes it easier to fix mistakes.

I like a good minwax polyshades polyurethane dip, followed by a 6,000 rpm 10 second power drill spin dry, a day to ferment, then a touch of dull coat spray.

For my gaming models I use a coating of rustoleum matte clear coat spray, which although it says matte has a very slight gloss to it. After that dries I follow up with a light dusting of testors dull cote to bring that gloss down. The dull cote really makes them look natural and the rustoleum provides good protection.

 Cave_Dweller wrote:
For my gaming models I use a coating of rustoleum matte clear coat spray, which although it says matte has a very slight gloss to it. After that dries I follow up with a light dusting of testors dull cote to bring that gloss down. The dull cote really makes them look natural and the rustoleum provides good protection.

+1 Except I use Rustoleum clear gloss and then use Testors dullcoat matte varnish. I have found this combination to be pretty good without any frosting or changing the appearance significantly.