Final matt varnishing WW2 aircraft

[Guest]

What do you all suggest for the coat of varnish?

I used to just seal them with Kleer years ago but obviously that leaves the kits a bit too shiny.

I'll still probably be giving the kit a coat of clear for the decals sake but would prefer a more realistic finish for my kits.

thanks in advance

Wayne

[Guest]

Normal cheap hairspray works well, it holds any weathering pigments fast and just a single coat will give a dull finish.

I've noticed the more expensive hairspray doesn't work as well for some reason.

I've tried hair spray as a surface preparer for decals and it seems to work quite well, also you can use it in between weathering effects for figures and vehicles.

[yak face]

Depends on whether youre hand painting or airbrushing wayne. If youre using an airbrush then vallejo matt is great , or another less obvious option for airbrushing or hand painting is the Windsor and newton Galeria matt varnish. This stuff is available from Hobbycraft or most art shops and is fantastic to use , being quite thin and brushing easily or with a bit of thinning with water , sprays lovely too. It takes a little bit longer to fully dry than the vallejo (about 24 hr) but is better value , a big bottle only costing about £6 for 125 ml. Ive used it on the last couple of models and it gives a lovely dead matt finish. cheers tony

[Guest]

I'm open to either airbrushing or hand painting. whichever gives me the best finish i suppose.

I only do 1/72 scale so i wont be using enormous amounts.

That Windsor and Newton stuff sounds like a good option. What would you think it with?

[Guest]

Normal cheap hairspray works well, it holds any weathering pigments fast and just a single coat will give a dull finish. I've noticed the more expensive hairspray doesn't work as well for some reason.

I've tried hair spray as a surface preparer for decals and it seems to work quite well, also you can use it in between weathering effects for figures and vehicles.

Have you looked at ingredients to try and find what the cheap hairspray ha that the expensive one hasnt that makes it work?

[Guest]

The little chemicle additives in the expensive stuff (i.e. so you can brush it out easily and so it doesn't damage the hair and obviously perfumes etc) tend to diminish the effects when used as a simple surface laquer ... the cheapstuff doesn't have these extras and so works a treat.

[Guest]

Also would the satin finish be better as i've just read elswehere that the matt finish is a little too matt. not sure what they was expecting LOL

[yak face]

I'm open to either airbrushing or hand painting. whichever gives me the best finish i suppose.I only do 1/72 scale so i wont be using enormous amounts.

That Windsor and Newton stuff sounds like a good option. What would you think it with?

Thats the beauty of it wayne , you can do either. They do gloss too , so a satin finish could be obtained by mixing the two. Have a look at the sopwith triplane i did a bit back, that was brush painted with the matt varnish and i got great results, cheers tony

[stona]

Also would the satin finish be better as i've just read elswehere that the matt finish is a little too matt. not sure what they was expecting LOL

This is very subjective. British aircraft should have had a smooth matt finish. Looking at photographs many do not have an absolutely flat finish. It may not be quite satin and certainly not glossy, I've used Vallejo Matt mixed with a little gloss (actually Klear) to replicate this.

German aircraft were supposed to have a similar finish but particularly fighter units messed around with theirs for example by polishing,far more than the RAF were allowed to do,much to the exasperation of the RLM (Reich Air Ministry) inspectors.

The USAAF non specular finishes were pretty much matt but there were plenty of waxed and polished fighters about.

There is no substitute for a good reference otherwise err towards a matt finish.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Don't forget that you can mix matt and gloss paints of a similar type to get exactly the degree of finish you require. Just make sure you mix enough for the entire job though!

[Guest]

Normal cheap hairspray works well, it holds any weathering pigments fast and just a single coat will give a dull finish. I've noticed the more expensive hairspray doesn't work as well for some reason.

Colin,

Can you please point us towards a particular brand of hairspray? I've had a quick experiment with a very old tin I had in my toolbox (bought for securing bicycle/motorcycle handlebar grips), and it has produced a satisfyingly smooth, but glossy finish.

Thanks

Tony

[Guest]

sainsburys basics hairspray also the cheapo stuff in the brown can (can't remember the brand) from be-wise are two that seem to be more of a matt finish.

[Guest]

Thats the beauty of it wayne , you can do either. They do gloss too , so a satin finish could be obtained by mixing the two. Have a look at the sopwith triplane i did a bit back, that was brush painted with the matt varnish and i got great results, cheers tony

that convinced me to try it. i bought some via ebay and have just applied the first coat by brush to a 1/72 spitfire im using as an experiment base, i had my first go at weathering on it but im not too happy. need more practice.

[Guest]

If you live in an area where it is humid.. beware of using hairspray..... youll have a mess on your hands...