I’m new to the hobby of scale modeling, but I’m learning really fast.
There is this issue I have with Vallejo’s polyurethane gloss varnish (new formula)
I put it in my airbrush, thin it down with some water, and spray. But it sprays these weird little patches on my model like water droplets. It doesn’t ‘smoothen’ out like when I spray anything else.
I use Vallejo’s polyurethane matte varnish (thinned with water) it sprays on perfectly!
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong…maybe I’m putting too much water? I don’t know. The finished product looks like little raised glossy bumps all over the model and it doesn’t spray uniform everywhere and looks awful. This is very disappointing, but I by the time I finish my new models I will have solved this problem (or you guys figured it out for me, haha).
[dto:] not a fan either. I would use their thinner and not water. If you only use acrylics try out MMP or even Tamiya clear flat. MM clear flat is good also.
Note that there is also a forum for Painting and Airbrushing within the FSM forums. Some real airbrush experts hang there, and are always willing to help.
As far as I know, Vallejo ‘varnishes’ are not meant for airbrushing, period.
polyurethane + water doesn’t equal a good feeling to me. (as PJ mentioned).
I don’t mean to throw stones at Vallejo, but in this case I’d second Sheep and suggest some other clear product for airbrushing.
I’ve had success with all the Alclad Clears (both solvent and water-based). I strongly dislike using Future floor polish and get tired of reading about it every 3 days. I have found airbrushing it to be a nightmare. I’d even recommend spraying that stuff before Vallejo clear varnishes. (PS, the clear varnishes brush on great and the brush mark disappear, again, as Sheep alluded to)
Hope you get this sorted out. Clear coat trouble can be very frustrating since it tends to come towards the end of a ‘build’.
This is a “generally speaking” response. Alclad products are intended to be airbrushed right out of the bottle. For clears, a medium to large tip works best unless you’re spraying small parts. You will want to experiment with pressure settings to find what works well for your airbrush at the temperature and humidity at your bench or booth.
Alclad’s website is a good source for more information.
I use Testors “Dullcote” in the rattle can for flat finishes and Future thinned a little with Distilled water for gloss finishes. Used Vallejo Satin and Matt with a little of their flow improver with no problems (5/1 Vallejo/Flow Improver).
You’ll find lots use their favorites. Just try and find what works for you.
i have both alclads acrylic gloss and Vallejo acrylic gloss. I get major orange peel with alclad when airbrushing according to the instructions. The Vallejo worked better.
You will get a lot of different opinions of what to use and in the end you will need to find out what works for you.
My two cents: I have not tried the Alclad line yet, but I will. I have heard good things about them. I HAVE used Alclads’ line of paints though, and in my experience, they require some thinning. If I don’t thin them I end up with grain to the finish. I suspect the clear may need it too. But, not having tried them, I can’t say. For Alclad paints I use Tamiya lacquer thinner and it works great. Probably any decent quaility lacquer thinner will work.
Testers gloss and flat works well. You can buy them in jars for airbrushing, and they DO require thinning. Again, I use Tamiya lacquer thinner for that. You can also buy both of their offering in rattle cans.
I have also tried Humbrols’ Clear Gloss. This stuff works really well straight from the bottle. It is super thin, almost like water. No thinning is required. It is an Acrylic based product. Also, it brushes on and self levels really well.
The one takeaway I‘d like to give you is this. ALWAYS, test your airbrush mixture on scrap plastic first, and not on the model. By doing this you can catch problems before ruining all your hard work. I buy a box of white plastic spoons for this. A box is a couple of bucks at most, and it lasts me months. I prefer white because it is easier to see how the paint is going on verses a darker colored plastic.
Lastly… don’t be afraid to thin. It is a must in most cases. I find that I can generally get by with 1 part thinner to 1 part paint. It’s a good starting point and it is usually just right for my airbrush.
I am interested to hear Steve’s take on this as well. Not to shunt Steve from responding, I just watched the video. You might want to check the 29:00, 50:00, and 59:00 minute mark. He boils down some of his findings at those time marks.
Like any paint that is sprayed, proper distance from the surface is VERY important. Too far will give you a grainy finish, too close produces runs if not careful. Gloss finishes are a whole different thing than spraying flats. With gloss finishes a wet coat will deliver the best finish.
I use Aqua Gloss and get a smooth even finish that are built up in several coats, usually 3-4 will do.
PJ-- The video Steve linked to and the issues that the author speaks of are about interactions with various setting solutions, and/or a final topcoat. The Alclad Aqua gloss performed pretty poorly next to Future, or even with no clear at all. All of them had issues but the Aqua Gloss had some serious defects when it was tested with the stronger setting solutions. I think that this is what Steve was reacting to.
Is the authors findings real world? Not sure. Obviously, you like it–and others here do too and apparently without problems. He alludes to the poor perfomance possibly linked to the underlying paint layer of AK Interactive Real Color. Probably, more testing should be done on his part, but his results do give me pause about the product.