Varnish/model sealing

Mantel

I've found over the years some things I own get worn down fairly fast, phones, mp3 players, and anything I happen to use alot. Now it's happening to my minitures (although I don't use them alot right now.) I can see spots of plastic shining through on pokey edges. I'll be getting a transport case to solve that part of the problem but I was thinking of putting a sealant layer to solve my problem for a good while, I tired some paint on acrylic matt varnish but it greyed the test miniture a little (too much for me) and was wondering what other people out there use to seal their mintures?

I've heard quite a few mixed reports about the GW purity seal spray so I haven't tried that yet.

quozl

A transport case on it's own won't be enough to protect them in my experience. Particularly with metal models. You need some varnish.

I use GW ard coat - brush it on, about a 3:1 varnish to water ratio. Then you can give it a really light spray of matt varnish.

The gloss ard coat is tougher than the matt stuff, and the matt stuff takes the shine off.

I usually don't actually use any matt to take the shine off - I like the glossy look, but I'm definitely in the minority there.

If your varnish greyed the model, you could well be using too much varnish. I did that the first times I experimented with GW's spray matt.

Also can happen if you don't shake the varnish enough.

Mantel

quozl wrote: »

A transport case on it's own won't be enough to protect them in my experience. Particularly with metal models. You need some varnish.

Still, it beats putting them all in a bag when moving them

quozl wrote: »

I use GW ard coat - brush it on, about a 3:1 varnish to water ratio. Then you can give it a really light spray of matt varnish.

The gloss ard coat is tougher than the matt stuff, and the matt stuff takes the shine off.

I'll give that a try, the gloss would give a nice hard wearing layer to the model.

quozl wrote: »

If your varnish greyed the model, you could well be using too much varnish. I did that the first times I experimented with GW's spray matt.

I think that might be the case, I didn't even bother diluting the varnish just slapped it on

irishthump

I use the GW purity seal spray, the matt finish one, Testors Dullcoat is also great if you can get it.

Just remember to use use very light coats, if the spray is put on too thick and clumps it loks dreadful.