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Hi forum,

I'm conscious that the topic of varnish has been done a billion times, so I'll try and keep my questions as specific as possible:

1. Is there any concensus about whether brush-on polyurethane varnish (eg Vallejo) or Testor's Dullcote (which I believe is lacquer-based) provides the hardest / strongest / most durable level of protection for minis? My kids handle my marines, and my sole priority is stopping inevitable drops resulting in chips / scratches etc.

2. Regarding PU varnishes, I'm getting conflicting advice across the internet about the layering schedule. Some places (for instance Vallejo site) talks about leaving 4-24hours between layers, other sites talk about doing a 2nd layer within 2 hours. The issue seems to be that once PU dries, subsequent layers will not bind to it (in order to create a harder coat) unless the original layer is sanded (which I don't feel is appropriate given the scale of minis). Has anyone found the optimal time between layers in order to create the hardest overall protection?

Thanks,
LM

“Is there any concensus”

I can tell you right now the answer is probably no!!

It sounds like you are looking for much more protection than the average mini painter. I’ve seen quite a few discussions around varnishes etc. and it’s usually a compromise between final appearance and durability.

I do think people in generally overstate the importance of a durable paint layer. A lot of models are more likely the snap before the paint wears off…

ANYWAY. A good resource on varnishes: goobertown hobbies. Only real place I’ve seen that’s actually tried to test this stuff:

https://youtu.be/WS4bOtXeKGI?si=4zCvmFNdZmtijxJK

https://youtu.be/QprguyGPE50?si=jKD6Y18aKIJbWA5Z

https://youtu.be/1hRYhns1h3Q?si=C7ZVQFZIw_VNXWZM



In my experience, anything lacquer-based should be your go-to for durability. Absolutely not going anywhere on most cases. Acrylic products barely compare.

shmvo wrote:



In my experience, anything lacquer-based should be your go-to for durability. Absolutely not going anywhere on most cases. Acrylic products barely compare.

Agreed.

its more complex than polyurethane vs lacquer. The sheen (flat vs matte vs satin vs semi-gloss vs gloss, etc.) also plays a role. Different sheen levels from the same manufacturer for the same color often use different ratios of binder to medium/pigment - the more glossy the surface, the more binder used. The binder plays a role in the amount of protective coating offered to the paint - a super glossy paint or clearcoat has a lot more binder and thus offers a lot more protection, whereas a very matte one does not as the relative lack of binder results in the clearcoat slowly rubbing off over time.

While I swear by Testors Dullcote, its not very good at providing long term clearcoat protection because its so flat and has so little binder in it.

The best way to protect your models is to put a very glossy UV-protective clearcoat down first and THEN use Dullcote over it in order to dull the sheen of the gloss. Dullcote itself is not UV protective (and may or may not yellow itself, which might prompt you to put a third layer down of a UV protective matte - I've yet to find one that can turn a gloss flat the way dullcote can, though I hear Mr. Super clear Flat UV might do the trick though it seems like its a solvent and may destroy your paint if its not of a certain formulation).

The only varnish I use right now is the revell matt varnish. It's not because of the price (it's incredibly expensive for how much you get) or the protection it provides (I paint in oils and those simply don't get chipped) but simply because it's the only product I've found that can actually matte my models. I don't know why but whenever I try out a new varnish it always turns out it's glossy.