Varnish dissolve

[karkka]

I tried to paint my first build. I use ammo by mig. I painted thin layers of three coats, the two layers of lucky gloss. I have let it dry for 3 days, but its still feels alittle sticky. I tried to put some decals but when I brush on micro sol on the decal the varnish seems to come of thats ruins the whole paint job. If not another final layer of satin will work.

And the decals seems to be alittle to big for the model if i check the instructions. Is that common?

 

[JR]

Going to bump this up as someone must have an idea .

 

[karkka]

I brushed on lucky gloss over the decals and on the area were the varnish have dissolve and like a matt surface. Its also wery easy to scratch of by fingernail. It seems to work. But the model have like a rough feel all over. Maybe brushing varnish is bad. I'm going to spray Vallejo satin varnish as final coat when all my decals and som panel wash is done. I dont know if the varnish is going to react to the lucky gloss, or the panel wash.

I want to know the correct routine for painting only acrylics.

Primer-Basecoats-acrylic or solvent varnish?-enamal or acrylic wash and all weathering stuff?- final varnish.

 

[Jakko]

Easiest way: don’t use varnish unless you need it to alter the finish (that is: if you have gloss paint but want matt, or vice versa). I hardly ever use varnish and never find myself wishing that I had, but when I do use varnish, I often find myself wishing I hadn’t needed to …

 

[JR]

Thanks Jakko for adding to this thread, didn't think anyone would answer to Robert question.

 

[karkka]

Thanks Jakko for adding to this thread, didn't think anyone would answer to Robert question.

Me either.

Ok. so thats why you use acrylic paints, and the enamal washes without varnish between. but if you have acrylic pain and enamal washes and everyting else in weathring what type of varnish to use as final to protect your model?

 

[Tim Marlow]

Sorry, Robert, missed this…..
Regarding varnish, it really depends what you are protecting it from Robert. If you are going to shelve it and just look without handling, then Jakko’s no varnish approach will work. If, on the other hand, the model is going to be regularly handled I would use an appropriate varnish for the subject.
As to the sticky finish issue you had, you say you gave it three coats of varnish. It may be that one of the underlying varnishes was touch dry, but not cured before you put the next coat on. This next coat would then seal the surface, preventing the underlying coat drying properly and the finish could stay tacky.

 

[Jim R]

Varnish is funny stuff, very different to paint in that there is no pigment. I would guess that the reason the varnish stayed sticky (mentioned in the first post) was that it was not stirred enough. So what you painted on was not a proper varnish but mostly carrier/solvent ?? - anyway it wasn't the mix intended. Micro Sol is generally OK on a properly dry paint or varnish but yours was not dry. Varnish does need to be stirred and stirred and then stirred some more.
Generally speaking you are safe alternating layers - acrylic paint then enamel varnish or enamel paint then an acrylic varnish. Not necessary in my opinion if each layer is allowed to cure completely. I tend to agree with Jakko when he says he limits his use of varnish. Varnish will help to blend decals into the surface and also will unify the model's finish, eg if you have done oil work as part of your weathering a varnish coat will blend that into the finish.
Bear in mind Robert, I'm just guessing

 

[Jim R]

As to the sticky finish issue you had, you say you gave it three coats of varnish. It may be that one of the underlying varnishes was touch dry, but not cured before you put the next coat on. This next coat would then seal the surface, preventing the underlying coat drying properly and the finish could stay tacky.

That makes a lot of sense.

 

[karkka]

Three thin coats of Ammo by mig sea blue paint with brush strokes....... Two thin coats of lucky gloss. Then decals more lucky gloss over decals. Anyway I´m going to complete this and then move to some tanks. It´s trail and errors.

 

[Tim Marlow]

That make a lot of sense.

It’s been known you know

 

[Tim Marlow]

Three thin coats of Ammo by mig sea blue paint with brush strokes....... Two thin coats of lucky gloss. Then decals more lucky gloss over decals. Anyway I´m going to complete this and then move to some tanks. It´s trail and errors.

Everything in this game is a learning curve Robert. Trial and error is often the best approach.

 

[karkka]

Yes, like trying to write you language correct :P trail.... trial.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Yes, like trying to write you language correct :P trail.... trial.

I wouldn’t worry about that….your spelling is probably miles better than mine

 

[karkka]

I put some more decal, but it ruined the decal as the micro sol dries. It seems to wrinkle and moving the decal. So I have to redo it with the other livery. Revell also put one of the decal wrong in the instruction. A Mismatch between one decal on the two different livery.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Hi Robert
Once you put micro sol on a decal don’t touch it until it has dried again. The micro sol softens and expands the decal so it can conform to the surface. As the decal dries it shrinks back to its original size, hugging the surface, and looks much more like it was painted on. Sometimes micro sol can stain acrylic gloss varnish. Don’t worry about that. If it does, a second coat of varnish once the sol is completely dry can eliminate the problem.

 

[karkka]

Yes i have discover that. But like I wrote the micro sol made the decal slide or move during drying. Maybe I put on to much. Anyway I have another try with the different livery. "Practice make perfect" I guess. And try to be calm when things go wrong.

 

[Tim Marlow]

I don’t have mine to hand Robert….was that the red one or the blue one that you used? I may well be wrong, but the effect you are describing sounds like you used the blue one. The blue one is used to help slide the decal into place. If you put too much of that on the decal could be floated away…..

The red one was the solution I was describing, so sorry if I’ve confused you.

I use these solutions as follows:
Soak the decal for a few seconds until it can be moved on the backing paper.
Wet the model surface with the blue solution and slide the decal into position.
Blot or wick off the excess liquid and let the decal dry.
Wet the decal surface with the red solution and let it settle the decal down on to the surface as described above.

 

[karkka]

I only have the Micro sol it's the red one. The first side I did worked better. So maybe I did something different. I did not clean the area before I put any decals.