Vallejo Gloss Varnish

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

Hi all,

just a quick question, what do I use to thin the gloss and matt varnish so I can spray it, it says water on the label will that be ok and give good results?

Adrian

 

[Fenlander]

Vallejo does thin with water or any standard alcohol based thinners though sometimes I have had issues using Tamiya thinners but not every time. If in doubt, water works reasonably well. I would not thin the varnish too much though but make sure you shake the bottle far more than you may do with paint.

 

[tecdes]

Adrian use Vallejo thinners. It has acrylic in it so you will not lose so much gloss as with water.

Best to use un-thinned if possible. Thinning gloss will make it more like satin varnish. I use a .4 needle as I found the .2 gets clogged.

Warning strip your airbrush right down immediately after use & give it a thorough clean especially the needle end & nozzle.

If you do not expect BIG problems. Take note as this warning will be deleted in 2050.

Laurie

 

[backonthecase]

I use windscreen washer fluid, meths and surgical spirit with no issue, both for acrylic paint and varnish. As said above, if you have an airbrush that will handle it, only thin it minimally.

HTH

Stuart

 

[Vaughan]

I go along with Laurie and Stuart on this one thin as little as possible, with Vallejo thinners, and clean that airbrush as soon as.

Vaughan

 

[AVB99]

I only have a .3 needle. Will it work unthinned with that please?

Aidan

 

[tecdes]

Aidan :guilty:got it right.

Try it. But practice first. I would experiment with increasing the pressure for varnish.

Probably not so much it will not work but perhaps drying in the nozzle drying area. I tend with varnish to work as quickly as possible to avoid problems. Bit of retarder added may help.

In the end it is a matter of finding your own technique to suit the materials used & the airbrush. Found that not easy to begin with but I soon got a reasonable idea. After 2.5 years still surprising myself with what you can do with an airbrush. One difficulty with model making you are only using the airbrush intermittently & days go by or weeks where you may not use it so experience is long learned.

Laurie

 

[backonthecase]

Also keep a swab with thinners on it, as you increase the pressure, it increases the chances of the varnish drying on the tip. periodically wipe the tip with the swab....

Stuart

 

[Vaughan]

.3 and .5 will work Aidan I sometimes add a drop or two of vallejo thinners if I'm using the .3, but as Laurie said and in my experience too once you start spraying keep going as it does start to dry out in the cup. I haven't found increasing the pressure helps I normally run at between 15-20 psi with no problems, see what works for you, you just have to experiment.

Vaughan

 

[AVB99]

Laurie, Stuart and Vaughan. Many thanks for the tips. That's this evening's work planned.

Am most grateful.

Aidan

 

[AVB99]

Odd!

I have been practicing the Valllejo gloss on a couple of old wings and had polished these up a treat. I used the Vallejo Gloss Varnish after a very long shake (that's the varnish, not me!) and with airbrush pressure of 18. Sprayed on no bother but it's left a matt coat! Cannot understand it! Then, yes, as soon as I'd finished, the airbrush clogged so I quickly stripped it down and gave it a good cleam. But a matt finish?

Aidan

 

[tecdes]

Need a couple of coats Aidan at least depending on the gloss depth.

Make sure you are in a room with a reasonable temp & dryish atmosphere as dampness & low temperatures will drag the varnish down to matt.

Laurie

 

[AVB99]

Ah! Thanks Laurie!

Aidan

 

[AVB99]

I'm having problems with the gloss varnish. It's patchy on my test bits and I daren't risk it!

I'm wondering. The gloss paint finish, which I've polished, is great. Do I need to add a varnish, assuming the model will not be touched? Will it fade or tarnish?

Thanks as always

Aidan

 

[tecdes]

Aidan you will be lucky not to touch your finished model. They get dust on them & need cleaning from time to time.

Varnish (Here come the Klears) is about the only thing which will protect a model be it matt satin or gloss.

With a polished surface your problem is that the varnish may not look that polished as the bare surface & may have some minor imperfections.

Not sure if you can polish gloss varnish not tried it.

Laurie

 

[AVB99]

Thanks for replying Laurie. I have to admit that I'm getting frustrated with this varnising. This is my Model T Ford kit. I put it to oneside some months ago because I could not get the paint job right. Then having got the paint job right I'm anxious not to ruin it and have to strip it all down and start again. I'm still working on test plastic. I have Klear but I cannot get on with it. It either pools, or it leaves brush strokes - my lack of skills obviously.

So I have to use Vallejo which was your recommendation I think. How far from the work should the airbrush be? You think light coats at about 15-20 psi or heavy coats? I know you said that I'd have to apply more than one coat. depending upon the required gloss level. Are we talking 2-3 coats or more? I have to say that I was surprised when I sprayed on one coat of Vallejo varnish and it turned my lovely black gloss paint into matt. Seems to defeat the purpose. If you can be bothered to reply (again!) many thanks.

Aidan

 

[backonthecase]

Aidan coincidentally I have spent the afternoon with Vallejo Matt (I'll get to the gloss bit, give me a moment )

Right, I have a Badger 100 with the "FINE" head assembly (no idea what measurement) and I have just used vallejo matt varnish straight out the bottle no thinners.. With the air button DOWN on the airbrush, the pressure is at 20psi and I can vouch for this working very well with no immediate clogging or pooling! Just need to be careful not to increase the paint flow too much.

Right - gloss. I only use Klear and Tamiya Gloss. Klear is easier to deal with. Put the required amount of klear into the airbrush cup then add a couple of DROPS of thinner, whether it be a branded one, windscreen fluid, or surgival spirit/alcohol. Then mix and spray on. I am not tempted to deal with klear as a one coat solution - i always apply 2-3 coats with a good few hours in between. Apart from my own cack handedness and overdoing it, I have not experienced many issues doing it this way

Apologies for the war & peace response, but since I've just been dealing with varnish for a few hours, I thought i'd take the time to reply properly - i know how frustratying it is. Always remember - the MOdel T will always be there, you have plenty test pieces, cereal boxes, coke bottles, milk cartons. patience and it will be fine!

Hope this helps.

Stuart

 

[AVB99]

Thank you Stuart for the hints and the encouragement. You are right of course! Just one query please. You suggest that thw Klear will take any thinner. That surprises me, given that a solvent is ammonia. I have alchohol which I use for cleaning prior to priming so I'll give that a go! Thanks again!

Aidan

 

[tecdes]

Thanks for replying Laurie. I have to admit that I'm getting frustrated with this varnising. This is my Model T Ford kit. I put it to oneside some months ago because I could not get the paint job right. Then having got the paint job right I'm anxious not to ruin it and have to strip it all down and start again. I'm still working on test plastic. I have Klear but I cannot get on with it. It either pools, or it leaves brush strokes - my lack of skills obviously. So I have to use Vallejo which was your recommendation I think. How far from the work should the airbrush be? You think light coats at about 15-20 psi or heavy coats? I know you said that I'd have to apply more than one coat. depending upon the required gloss level. Are we talking 2-3 coats or more? I have to say that I was surprised when I sprayed on one coat of Vallejo varnish and it turned my lovely black gloss paint into matt. Seems to defeat the purpose. If you can be bothered to reply (again!) many thanks.

Aidan

No bother whatsoever Aidan.

Light coats are best as otherwise you will get the runs never pleasant !

Vallejo is very understanding it will tolerate a bit of over "doneness" but best not to test the theory. Best thing is to test on a random piece with a number of coats this will give you a clue as to if Vallejo gloss is the thing for you & gives the required gloss. If you need high gloss I wonder if you are better off with gloss paint. Experiment & find out. Be interesting to find you results. Must say your results are peculiar as I have found 2 coats gives a reasonable for decals.

My motto if you are not sure test it.

Laurie

 

[backonthecase]

Thank you Stuart for the hints and the encouragement. You are right of course! Just one query please. You suggest that thw Klear will take any thinner. That surprises me, given that a solvent is ammonia. I have alchohol which I use for cleaning prior to priming so I'll give that a go! Thanks again!Aidan

Hi Aidan, I shall clarify, I should have said originally.

For Klear, as well as acrylic paints and varnishes I have successfully used Surgical spirit, windscreen fluid (concentrated) and meths all with good results.

For oil and enamel paint I use Tesco white spirit and I have no reason to change! The cheaper the better!