Varnish and Dedcals.

[Guest]

Not sure if I have put this in the right place.


Before placing decals it would appear it is best to give a coat of gloss varnish. However if I don't want my aircraft to be glossy can I then apply matt varnish and still be able to see the decals clearly and not damage them. I would have thought the answer was yes but don't want to ruin the model.


PS sorry about heading just a typo.

[Robert1968]

Hi there


I've used a good method for my models over the years and after you have finished painting your model and paint has cured I use a flat medium brush and give a coat of Klear floor polish ( you can get from e bay or Amazon. Then once dry ( 12/24 hrs ) you can use your decals and any weathering washes.


Robert

[BarryW]

Hi Benhur


Yes, it is normal to do a gloss coat before applying decals. Some like to use the floor polish mentioned by Robert but others use gloss varnish from various brands. Personally I use Alclad Aqua Gloss but Humbrol Clear is also very good.


Once you have applied the decals over the cured varnish (I advise leaving it to cure 24 hours first) you can apply a further gloss coat to seal the decals before applying your weathering washes. After that you can apply a matt varnish (I use Vallejo Matt Varnish) to matt the model down. I find it usually takes two coats to get a good matt finish. What I tend to do between the matt coats is to apply my pigment weathering as pigment goes down better on the matt surface.

[Robert1968]

I agree with you barryband I've taken note of your extra way of varnishing. Will the varnish be able to be used with a/b or is it better brushed on ( thinking don't want to clog my a/b as I've heard varnishes can damage certain a/b interiors.


Once my brother in law fixes my compressor I want to get back to a/b


Cheers


Robert

[BarryW]

Hi Robert - I do indeed airbrush varnish but you are right, it is important not to let it dry in the a/b and do a thorough cleaning after use. I spray cleaner through it immediately I have finished spraying before I put the a/b down. If I have a long session then I will clean it in the middle of the job.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies folks. Just wanted to check before going ahead. I was going to use Humbrol gloss varnish spray which hopefully will be OK.