"Matt varnish spray has wrecked my flags! Please help" Topic

Hello,
I applied an spray coat of Matt varnish spray to my lovely GMB flags and was horrified to find they now look like they have a heavy coat of dust on them.

What went wrong. Can anyone help.

Thanks Aaron

Probably humidity, a common problem with spray varnishes that results in the sparkle you have observed.

I have read olive oil will fix it, but have no direct experience of using it.

I believe if you re-spray with gloss varnish it may fix the problem.

Gonsalvo's solution has worked for me.

I had the same problem. The figures seem fine but there's a coating on part of the flags. I'll try brushing on a varnish to see what happens.

The one day was a little cold and humid the second day was low humidity and in the 60s. I used Rustoleum 2X Matt sealer.

Humidity or moisture on/in the flag surface is the most likely cause. Also, did you use a water based glue to glue the flags? was it thoroughly dry? Could have an impact.

If it is surface fog caused by humidity in the air,
a thin gloss coat of lacquer (must be lacquer, same solvent) might penetrate the surface and essentially let the water out, then you can try a reapply the flat coat.

It is the only way I have ever been able to fix this problem.

I have heard about people having this problem with the GMB flags. The problem is just on the flags and not on the figures, so I suspect that it is not the weather or the figure would be affected also. I spray coat the figure first then I glue the flag on. I don't coat the flags with anything and have been doing it this way for many, years and have no problem with any of the flags.

Could be people spray their flags before mounting them?

Doug is correct. The effect that you got has nothing to do with the humidity or anything else, it's the flag that is the problem.
I Matt coat my figures first and then glue the GMB flag onto the staff and then affix the figures to the bases. I NEVER spray any matt coating of any kind onto GMB flags. I wouldn't do it for gloss coating either. The flags really do just fine over time without any coating at all.

I had the same experience and learned to mount the flags after sealing the figs. (I actually seal the figs before basing them, fwiw.)

I have had figs get fogged and have recovered them by recoating with a lacquer gloss coat and a new coat of dull coat. You might try that and see if it helps the flag but I'm not sure it will.

I use Kamar varnish on GMB flags and it works fine, BUT acrylic coatings can make the ink run, so I also glue on the flags after spraying the figures, then hit the flags and all with Kamar varnish (I like a slightly gloss finish to my figures.

As commented above – you may be able to save them by Gloss Varnishing and then Matt varnishing over the top. As usual, test a piece first.

The same has happened to me and in the end, I repainted the figure.

Tony

dapfpanzerwagon.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/portuguese-cazadores-total-dissaster.htmlm

Why are you varnishing in them? I don't think they need it. Personally I'd replace the damaged ones and keep away from varnishing them. The flags themselves are hardly going to get handled in the way that figures do.

I've stopped sealing as well because I think it kills the highlights. I mount figures on 5/16" baltic birch bases so folks can grip the base sides and not the figures move the units. Thick bases also leave room to affix label identification on the rear base facing.

I feel your pain , I have had this happen too. If you have mounted your flags before you are varnishing the figures you will need to give them a sealer coat of gloss varnish before you put on the Matt. The paper/ material of the flag will otherwise soak up the Matt varnish like a sponge and end up with a very faded look. If you spray Matt varnish your figures on a sheet of paper or card, look at the sheet afterwards and you will always see a white residue. Sadly I don't think there is any way of reversing this once it has happened.

My GMB packaging states clearly that the ink is soluble.

Rustoleum 2x Matt Sealer and Krylon MaxCover Acrylic Crystal Clear have both left me with frosted figs if sprayed too thickly, even in dry and warm conditions, but both were correctable with a shot of gloss.

My last 2 cans of Testors Dulcote were disappointing. Not what it used to be even in the US now!

@laptot Is that a metric conversion or couldn't you find 1/4 inch bases. I did read someone once say you could mount your figures on a brink and somebody would still touch the figures.

GMB makes a great product. Not sure a varnish is necessary but to each his own.

Ok, lots of replies and I thank you all.
I have already re-coated them with a gloss coat and it has given some life back into the flag, so now I'll just live with it and say the worn out look is from battle damage.

this recently happened to me…ended up after lots of "remedies" almost repainting the flag…next time, seal then apply the flags.

My blue GMB flags turned purple when I sprayed with Testors Dullcoat. Never again!

davbenbakm I use scrap material from sheets of floor underlayment that I use in my remodeling business. I cut my bases on a table saw and miter saw. You can find this stuff at the big homerepair stores. One side is covered in green +'s to mark where staples go. Much cheaper than buying laser-cut. Then again I have the workshop to crank these out.

Try a thin coat of plastic cement over the flag or a coat of clear nail varnish.

Painted over the flags with Vallejo matt sealer. reduced the white coating a bit but it's still there. Will leave these flags unsealed in the future.