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Hi all,

I have a gloss varnish that I want to put through an air brush, but wanted to know 1) if anyone has experience doing this and if the results come out OK? And 2) if there are any special cleaning needs or recommendations to ensure that I don't ruin the airbrush?

The gloss varnish I have is Atelier Traditional Gloss Varnish.

Thanks.

People spray glosscoats all the time through airbrushes. I don't know about the brand you mentioned but as long as its thin enough to spray easily and you clean the airbrush out after you've used it there should be no issues putting it through an airbrush.

Yeah you can spray gloss varnish through an airbrush, you just need to know the correct thinner and cleaner for the particular varnish. Acrylics, alcohol based acrylics, lacquers, enamels.... you need to match the correct thinner to the varnish you're using otherwise you'll end up with a goopy mess in your airbrush.

Make sure you clean the airbrush thoroughly afterwards. Because you can't see the varnish like you can the pigment of a paint you have to be extra vigilant and clean it thoroughly even if it looks clean. I usually follow my normal cleaning procedure but repeat it twice to make sure it's good and clean.

I swear by Winsor & Newton's Galleria acrylic varnishes. Thinned about 4:1 varnish to Vallejo Airbrush thinner. Go on lovely.

Humbrol clear - a 'replacement' for the legendary Klear - goes through a 0,3 without even thinning it. When cleaning, I just spray lots of water. Maybe backflush a few times for several seconds in the process.