Vallejo Gloss Varnish

[AVB99]

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

Laurie I AM using gloss paint. Maybe I'm expecting too much. I'm expecting the gloss finish after the varnish, to be glossier than the original gloss paint and it isn't. It's the same - it's just like a protective coating. You refer to decals and yes, the coat is very smooth, but it was before the varnish, with the gloss black paint finish. This, being a car, needs a glossier finsih, at lease in my mind. As you say it's peculier. This is my black spot!

Regards

Aidan

 

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

I read on other forums that a lot of people use actual car laquer, be careful though I tried it a while back and it ate my decals, course a coat of something on them first would have saved em

Adrian

 

[backonthecase]

Car lacquer (cellulose) might work, but you'd need to be VERY light with the coats and as said, try to coat any decals with something beforehand. It's mean stuff but top quality finish if used correctly.

Stuart

 

[tecdes]

Laurie I AM using gloss paint. Aidan

Realize that Aidan. Just stating that you may be better off with the original gloss rather than trying to enhance with varnish.

 

[backonthecase]

Laurie I don't think the all caps was a SHOUT haha!

You make a good point though - might be worth trying decals on top of glossed but not varnished paint. Although I coat in Klear but that's probably more habit than necessity.

Worth a shot...

Stuart

 

[AVB99]

Thank you Laurie - one final question (I hope) please. In your opinion, should I be able to get a better gloss with gloss varnish on top of gloss paint, than by just using a gloss paint on its own?

Thanks as always

Aidan

PS Was it my CAPS being referred to? Not intended to cause upset Laurie - it was my way of stressing the word - I should have used Italics. My apologies if I have offended.

 

[tecdes]

Caps not a problem I only get angry when people hit me on the nose. My wife has a fantastic right hook she is also good in the clinches ! Wot a dear she protects me well.

The answer is I do not know Aidan. Best thing is to do a test on an odd piece of plastic. I am always testing bits & pieces to see results it is the best way of seeing if they come up to your expectation or not. Interested to hear the result as well.

Laurie

 

[Fenlander]

I do not think it makes any difference, in fact it may be worse over a gloss paint. If you look at how the professionals work, they always rub down/polish the colour coat before adding the final gloss lacquer so, in modelling I think the same would apply.

 

[backonthecase]

Good point Graham. When dealing with surfacing/refurbing car paint, the pros "flat back" all the paint with fine grit paper then lacquer over that, to prevent orange peel effect. To a similar extent, us modellers' gloss paint might be preventing the clear coat from keying sufficiently to provide the effect needed.

HTH

Stuart

 

[AVB99]

I'm grateful to all of you for your suggestions etc. Laurie is right though - I need to experiment. I've prepared six surfaces and have applied Vallejo grey primer. After 24 hours I shall apply coats of black matt and black gloss. Then after another 24 hours I shall begin applying gloss varnish to some and not to others so I can do a comparison. Will report back.

Aidan

 

[tecdes]

Coo blimey Aidan that is very scientific !

Interested to see the results there.

Photo perhaps if it shows.

Laurie

 

[tecdes]

Just add Aidan it would be interesting to try as Graham & Stuart have mentioned wet & dry a gloss paint sample before putting on the varnish.

Laurie

 

[AVB99]

I've done some tests on varnishing. On peice of plastic was covered with matt black paint, the other with gloss black paint. After 24 hours I sprayed Klear onto both. The matt coat became slightly less matt, while the gloss coat became quite matt. After another 24 hours I gave a second coat of Klear. The matt painted coat is now glossy and the glossy painted coat is alos glossy but not as glossy as the matt painted plastic.

So it looks like Graham was right. Only problem is that I have painted all the pieces of the Model T Ford with black gloss. I just assumed that a gloss finished model would be given gloss paint. (Why do they sell gloss paint?)

So I'm not going to varnish my Model T. Too risky. Will assemble it while wearing gloves.

Aidan

 

[tecdes]

Worth trying the Vallejo Gloss Varnish Aidan.

Laurie

 

[AVB99]

Next on my list Laurie.

Aidan

 

[AVB99]

Part 2 of my test is complete. This time I had two identiical surfaces on which was two layers of Black matt paint and two layers of Black gloss paint.

This time I sprayed Vallejo gloss varnish and what a differnce, compared to Klear. As I said in a recent post, the gloss paint upon which I sprayed Klear did become glossy but when I sparyed on the the Valleojo gloss (again two coats) the gloss is a little glossier than the same test with Klear.

But what is spectacular is the gloss effect when Vallejo gloss is sprayed upon Matt black. High gloss indeed and the finish feels so smooth, much smoother than the Klear. So I've learned my lesson. never again use gloss paint! I'll be using matt paint and Vallejo gloss when next I build a gloss finished model.

 

[tecdes]

Part 2 of my test is complete. This time I had two identiical surfaces on which was two layers of Black matt paint and two layers of Black gloss paint. This time I sprayed Vallejo gloss varnish and what a differnce, compared to Klear. As I said in a recent post, the gloss paint upon which I sprayed Klear did become glossy but when I sparyed on the the Valleojo gloss (again two coats) the gloss is a little glossier than the same test with Klear.

But what is spectacular is the gloss effect when Vallejo gloss is sprayed upon Matt black. High gloss indeed and the finish feels so smooth, much smoother than the Klear. So I've learned my lesson. never again use gloss paint! I'll be using matt paint and Vallejo gloss when next I build a gloss finished model.

Thank for that Aidan that is good stuff. Thanks for your time that is most innteresting like probably you I would have thought gloss varnish on Gloss paint would have been superior.

Laurie

 

[Fenlander]

Great stuff Aidan and, as laurie has said, thanks for taking the time to actually test the theory and post the results, this will be of great use to a lot of people.

 

[AVB99]

Laurie and Graham - thank you. I took pictures but they don't show the diffference in gloss finishes. I need to learn how to take photos so that detail, such as that, can be seen.

Aidan