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Example 1: When I try to wash SM shoulder pads, the wash colors the raised lip too, eliminating any contrast created with the shadowed crease, instead of just pooling in the lower area.

Example 2: When I try to brush some wash under the SM knee-pads to create a shadow in that little dip, it ends up spilling over onto the shin area and creating a hard, visible transition on the flat surface.

Overall, washes don't seem to be shading anything for me, they just make everything look splotchy and dirty. I even tried watering the nuln oil down a bit, but no dice. Am I doing something wrong, or are my expectations just too high when it comes to washes?

RE: 1, that's just how washes work, they flow into recesses, but there's still pigment in all the material, so if you apply them to raised areas they will slightly alter the colour there too. it sounds like maybe you are using a bit too much wash if you aren't getting any contrast between the pooling area and the raised edge though, or perhaps you aren't letting enough of it build up in the recess, it's hard to say without actually seeing the results.

RE: 2, The way you hold models when doing washes is very important to getting the wash to pool the right way, you need to work with gravity, but it's always going to be hard to wash in a recess without getting some of the area around it, many people won't use the wash as their final step and will repaint over the top of it, I personally wash the whole surface of every plate on my marines and then go over the top again in the same colour that was underneath (while avoiding areas where I want the darker washed colour to show as shadows), followed by a final lighter highlight.

You need to consider a few things when washing models.

1) volume. You might be using too much wash. Use a smaller brush, and try to target the area you want the wash to go to to shade.

2) surface tension. One excellent way to prevent this is to do as much painting and detail work as possible, then put down a light gloss varnish. This varnish will promote capillary action in the wash, drawing it down into the crevaces.

3) wash used. Some washes work better to apply over the whole surface. You might just splash it on everywhere and let it dry out, then hit the highlights where you want them. Thats what alot of people i know do for tabletop units.

I had similar issues so I put on a gloss coat of varnish and switched to oil washes. The gloss coat will make it gravitate to the recesses more and off of the high points. I find it also has less of a color filter effect as it will not change the shade of the base coat if it remains in places you don't want it. It an also be cleaned later with a Qtip and some mineral spirits (even days later) which is not as easy with a wash. I also found oil washes work out to be cheaper as a tube of oil paint and a jug of mineral spirit make dozens of pots worth of wash.

I still use washes to blend like colors together like a blue wash over a light and darker blue.

You also have to plan around re-highlighting raised areas to
get the best effect out of washes.

okay, I will give those techniques a try. for the gloss varnish, should I use a spray can or brush on or does it not matter?

I have always sprayed it but gloss varnish could be applied with brush as well.

You could also try getting some matt medium (look at Michaels, arts and crafts store or online) and mix it with the wash.
I usually mix about 2-3 parts wash to 1 part matt medium, then add a little water/flow improver-mix. It works great!

Matt medium is white, and while the mix looks pale it will dry transparent.
I simply cannot recommend this enough.