"Coating BF miniatures... help!" Topic

Hey all,

I've been working on my Russian Heavy Mortar company for Saturday's game. I based my boys and gave a spray of Model Master Lacquer Overcoat. The can says that it is lusterless (flat). Lo and behold, there is a shine to the boys! Any ideas on what I can spray to make that shine go away?

Thanks in advance,

Marc

Testors Dullcote. Works on everything, but I would only use it over a sealant layer, not to seal any models.

You can use Krylon matte spray, it works as a sealant and a dull coat. I still usually spray them twice.

Dullcote is *dead* flat, and Glosscote is high-gloss polish. Anything else is not as flat as you may have been led to believe.

Artists flat lacquer. Does a great job.

Humbrol spray matt. A bit too matt for me – it kills any shine on contact as far as my experience goes.

I've found Dullcote to be less than dead flat (sorry, maybe it's a regional thing or weather effects the finish). I use Krylon Clear Flat which I find works much, much better.

Damon.

Krylon Clear Flat here too.

Model Master is Testors, correct? And Lusterless is matte?

There is a topic elsewhere on TMP at the moment that claims this is the same as Testors Dullcote which many of us swear by. So it sounds like you have the right stuff.

I can think of four scenarios where a flat spray results in a sheen:

1) Did you shake it enough? Flat coat is usually a regular (gloss) varnish but with a dulling agent added. If the dulling agent separates out and you don't shake it enough to mix the dulling agent back in, you are spraying gloss.

2) Did you apply a gloss coat first? Then maybe you didn't get enough dull coat on top and it's the original gloss coat you're seeing. Why didn't you get enough on top? Maybe you didn't shake it enough and it only sprayed propellant.

3) Did you spray it on too thick? If you build up a deep enough layer of flat coat, you may get a) a milky coating that may or may not clear up over time as it cures all the way through; or b) a flat coat with a slight sheen. If that's it, be thankful you didn't get #3a! You could try letting this thick coat fully cure then lightly spraying another matte layer; might help.

4) Maybe the can is bad. Shake really really really good and try on a test surface, not a model you care about.

Just out of curiosity, why is the title "Coating BF miniatures… help!"
What does BF have to do with it?

I wondered that as well. Amazed this topic is still in the Flames of War board given Bill's current mood.

Or do BF miniatures really need a different coating to everyone else's?

I have used both Dullcote and Krylon Crystal Clear Flat. Dullcote works great but we don't have a hobby store in the area anymore and I don't care to pay shipping. Krylon works good and is readily available everywhere (walmart), but be sure to do a protective coat of Future over your decals or the krylon may eat them (see my other post).

After much painful trial and error and testing of different brands I have come to the conclusion that spray matte varnishes are not as consistent as they need to be for people looking for that dead flat look.

Sometimes the model comes out great, sometimes there's a shiny finish.

I just ordered some of the vallejo stuff and am just gonna start painting it on myself. I guess that's what the pros do.

Hey guys,

OK it has been a looonnng week for me regarding my choice of words for the title of the thread. I humbly ask for forgiveness.

I am not so sure about Modelmasters being owned by Testors. I did shake the can quite well. Thick layer on the minis? I don't think so.

"I wondered that as well. Amazed this topic is still in the Flames of War board given Bill's current mood."

What is Bill's current mood?

"Or do BF miniatures really need a different coating to everyone else's?"

Derek, seriously, why do you read these threads? This week was supposed to be a vacation week for me, but it did not turn out that way. My choice of wording for teh title could have been better.

Krylon or Testors at this point seems to be the way to go…