| JD Lee | 18 Mar 2014 7:13 a.m. PST |
I am getting ready to varnish my 15mm men and vehicles. Is it necessary to use gloss varnish first than apply flat varnish or can you just apply the flat and be done. What are benefits of using both? I am using mostly vallejo paints.
Thanks |
| Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 18 Mar 2014 7:17 a.m. PST |
Gloss protects your work, flat makes it look nice. I always refer to the gloss layer as a hard candy shell. |
| ming31 | 18 Mar 2014 7:23 a.m. PST |
I use future floor shine through the air brush then dullcote when done . Punkrabit says Hard candy shell. I say bullet proof . As a general rule gloss is a harder surface than flat and with gaming pieces it is better protection. Flat makes them look nicer but does not have the durability |
| Oddball | 18 Mar 2014 7:27 a.m. PST |
I usually use just a flat. Never had a great deal of trouble with chips on figures. 2 coats of dull coat seems to work fine for me. Personally, I don't like shiny figures. |
| Hitman | 18 Mar 2014 7:32 a.m. PST |
I use the clear matte spray paint from Walmart which protects the figures well but they have a gloss covering afterwards. I usually spray 2 coats on my figures. I then spray Testors dullcote over top of that 24 hours later and it takes the sheen off. These 2 steps protect and make the figures look nice afterwards just as Punkrabbit stated. |
| elsyrsyn | 18 Mar 2014 8:04 a.m. PST |
Also, putting on a gloss coat before applying washes and/or decals (then dull coating afterwards to kill the shine) is helpful. Doug |
| IWillNeverGrowUpGames | 18 Mar 2014 8:11 a.m. PST |
Matte alone (2 coats preferably) will do perfectly well. A gloss coat as "protection" is a bit of a myth really. The best reason to use a gloss coat first is to allow washes to flow across the mini better by giving it a smoother surface, and to allow decals to sit better. |
| Evil Bobs Miniature Painting | 18 Mar 2014 8:23 a.m. PST |
As Rorschach says: link Gloss does not protect any better than flat. |
| leidang | 18 Mar 2014 9:19 a.m. PST |
I only use testor's dullcote. I put about 3 coats on everything just to over do it. Never had a problem with any wear or chipping. |
Dr Mathias  | 18 Mar 2014 9:21 a.m. PST |
I've been doing a satin coat followed by two shots of Dullcote for years now, I'm pretty happy with that combo. As others have said, sometimes decals have a glossy look going and its a good idea to give the entire vehicle a gloss coat to even it out, then the flat. |
| John the OFM | 18 Mar 2014 11:02 a.m. PST |
As others have said, sometimes decals have a glossy look going and its a good idea to give the entire vehicle a gloss coat to even it out, then the flat. Yes, that's the only reason I do gloss than flat. I have learned to put a coat of Future on the decal to protect it before I apply any spray varnish. |
| Brian Smaller | 18 Mar 2014 12:41 p.m. PST |
The only time I use gloss is over decals before I matt spray. I am super careful with my miniatures and have very few chips. That is until I started Skirmish gaming. I noticed a few hat brims with paint missing on my Wild West stuff. Might have to give the gloss then matt spray a go. |
Garryowen  | 18 Mar 2014 4:16 p.m. PST |
What do I know, but I am surprised that gloss is not better protection than flat. Gloss is a smooth surface and flat is an irregular surface. An irregular surface, by it's very nature, is more easily disrupted than a smooth surface. I do not know if the following is still the case or not, but it used to be that in wall paint, the flat was not washable and the gloss was. Satin was in between. Tom |
| Marc the plastics fan | 19 Mar 2014 7:25 a.m. PST |
Flat wall paint (emulsion in the UK) is water based, gloss is oil based. So gloss tends to resist washing better. Evil Bob's link is good. |
| Luke Warm | 19 Mar 2014 9:07 a.m. PST |
I use car lacquer (which dries to a gloss finish) and then matt over that – usually Dullcoat.
Unlike hobby type gloss varnish car lacquer does offer better protection
and it has the added benefit of having an enhancing effect on colours. |
 piper909 | 19 Mar 2014 11:20 p.m. PST |
Doesn't dullcote/flat lacquer dull bits you want to be shiny, like metal armor? Fear of that is primarily why I have always stuck with Krylon ClearCote, even though this is glossier than I'd like. But I would rather have shiner figures that keep their paint than endlessly touch up chips or worn spots, and I wouldn't want my metallic colors to get dulled. |
| wingleader356 | 20 Mar 2014 4:22 p.m. PST |
maybe i don't game enough… but i've never had anything develop "worn spots" from being handled after a coat of flat varnish… belt sander yes, hands no |
| eptingmike | 24 Mar 2014 7:37 p.m. PST |
@piper,
after I Dullcote I touch-up any shiny bits with gloss(usually Future floor polish).
mike |
| grommet37 | 31 Mar 2014 2:46 p.m. PST |
This is a useful thread. I don't game WW2, but I always find great info on this forum. |
| Andy ONeill | 10 Apr 2014 8:35 a.m. PST |
The matting agent in matt varnish is usually talc.
Its not as tough as the varnish. Which also means you can potentially buy just the one pot of paint on gloss varnish and add talc to make matte varnish. |
