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I'm trying to avoid using purity seals, or at least remove the chance of getting white freckles on a miniature when using it and I've never used an apply-by-brush matte varnish before so I'm very skeptical about it and how you apply it to give the same finish as a spray-sealed miniature.

vallejo varnishes are easy to work with they brush on well and spray even better through an airbrush. If you use any propellant based sealant such as purity seal your more likely to get the fogging you describe as the varnish is drying before hitting the model

I use Krylon Clear Cote.

Testors Dullcoat. I've sprayed this on 600 dollar scale models with hundreds of hours of paintwork and never had an issue. I use it through an airbrush and the spray can.

One small tip is use a gloss coat before your use decals, place decals, wait 24 hours then dullcoat. If you rush to seal the model, the gloss coat will "exhaust" and wrinkle your decals.

cookiesk8r wrote:
vallejo varnishes are easy to work with they brush on well and spray even better through an airbrush. If you use any propellant based sealant such as purity seal your more likely to get the fogging you describe as the varnish is drying before hitting the model

The varnish doesn't need any medium does it? I can just put it through an airbrush to spray?

Testors Dullcoat. I've sprayed this on 600 dollar scale models with hundreds of hours of paintwork and never had an issue. I use it through an airbrush and the spray can.

I'll have to look into these.


So far all I've been using is purity seal and while I can get good sealing on some models the inconsistency has me worried though because I have neither money or time to re do things and I absolutely despise having to use a glossy varnish afterward to fix it because it both starts to clog 3d details and gives an un-wanted shine.

I mix the vallejo varnishes 1:1 with their thinner although I'm keeping my eye out for a bulk alternative. I have not tried it neat but it looks to think to my eyes to be to viscous.

 Ifurita wrote:
I use Krylon Clear Cote.

+1 on this. Cheap but effective, but as with any sprays, spray a puf or two on another surface before using on your models.

cookiesk8r wrote:vallejo varnishes are easy to work with they brush on well and spray even better through an airbrush. If you use any propellant based sealant such as purity seal your more likely to get the fogging you describe as the varnish is drying before hitting the model

FYI - The AV matte varnish can still have issues when being sprayed on with an airbrush. The varnish can still dry slightly before contacting the model and produce the frosted look. Additionally, the AV matte varnish can produce a clouded look if put on too thick. I've had both of these issues happen to me when I first learning how to use them.

I've yet to have an application of Testors Dullcote go wrong. If you're even moderately careful, it'll give you great results and consistently, applied in any but the absolute worst conditions. As always, though, do some test sprays before committing with your models if you aren't perfectly confident in your application technique - most issues with aerosols are due to user error and it's better to be safe than sorry.

The same goes for brush-on/airbrushed products, of course, and I've actually found them to be less forgiving than spray cans. Granted, I've tried far fewer of them than sprays, but the only frosting issues I've ever had were with Liquitex matte varnish (others simply didn't give as smooth a finish as I wanted).

Can anybody airbrushing with varnish recommend an appropriate pressure to spray gloss/matte with? I'm currently running at about 18-20 ppi for paints and am wondering if this will do for the varnish as well.

As varnish is slightly thicker than most of my paints, I use a larger needle brush (either my hpcs or my patriot 105) and run it at about 30+ psi.

Also, it depends on how much you want to put out per trigger action....for example, if you are spraying something with a lot of undercuts, you may have to hit a specific area multiple times from different angels....in this, you would want less of a spray, so you don't get too much in the more exposed areas.

If you were doing a large vehicle with a simple external geometry then you could use a stronger spray as this would allow for you to cover more of the vehicle quickly and still maintain control.

Once you get past enough pressure to get the paint out (a function of paint viscosity + pressure + needle size) its all about control.

Like anything with an airbrush, you will have to try it to see how it works with your specific set up. So, try it, experiment, and see what works for you.

Oh, and ALWAYS try on a test model, just in case....best of luck!

Fogging with rattle can lacquer can also be caused by condensation.
The can is full of pressurised paint, upon exiting the can, the pressure is released and its cold, moisture from the air around it condenses and can mess with the paint being sprayed.

Can be combated by heating the can up before use, and not spraying in too hot an environment, so as to minimise the difference between the temp of the paint coming out and the air around it.
That said you would want to move the job to somewhere warmer post spraying for it to dry nicely.

To heat the can up, run it under the hot tap for a little while, shaking it a little as you do so. You want it to be warm, and stay warm even after being shaken. But not too hot to hold.

This will also up the pressure inside the can a little and can help with the low pressure problems also faced with rattle cans.

Always test on something srapable first too!