Vallejo Acrylic Resin Matte Varnish... Need Advice.

Tools, Techniques, and Reference Materials Painting and airbrushing
1

Over the last year or so, I have turned more and more to Vallejo products. I really like everything that I have used of theirs, so far, except for the product mentioned in the title.

For the life of me, I can’t get it to spray consistently from my single action Paasche airbrush. The airbrush work like a champ with everything else, but not the matte varnish.

I tried it a few nights ago for the first time with mixed results. It seemed to clog the airbrush really easily. I usually run my stuff through at 15 or 16 p.s.i. It sprays Model Air and thinned Model Color just fine, with the occasional cotton swab (bud) swipe to keep the tip clean. I tried the varnish straight out of the bottle and thinned with Vallejo thinning medium. I tried both with a .3 tip and a .5 tip. I tried both combinations at 15, 18, and 20 p.s.i., but still got intermittent spray, and an easily clogged tip. When I broke the airbrush down, there was a nice glob of the stuff on the portion of the needle where the fluid comes out.

Anybody have any experience with this stuff? The varnish that actually got on the model looks really good and I really would like to use it, but not with these kinds of problems.

2

I had to increase the psi to 30 to be able to spray it with my Paasche H (w/ 0.5 mm tip). I usually slightly thin it with distilled water (about 9:1) with a tiny bit of Flow-aid. I use my Paasche for only Vallejo primers and varnishes because they result in a dry tip very easily and because they are hard to clean. Otherwise, I’d have sold or ditched the Paasche.

The Vallejo matte varnish is not my favorite matte varnish, but I’ve bought 3 bottles, so I use it. One nice thing about it is it dries dead flat.

3

Sounds like you need to get Vallejo’s Airbrush Flow Improver. I use this in all vallejo’s model air and varnish. And the fast drying tip/clogging is just a thing of the past now.

Although they say a drop. But I put 2 to have that peace of mind.

4

Thanks, chaps.

Upon further research I think my primary problem is the thinner I used. I was using Vallejo Thinner Medium, which from what I can gather is meant for their brush type paints, like Model Air.

I orderd some Vallejo airbrush thinner as well as the flow aid.

As soon as I try it, I will post the results.

Thanks again.

5

Yes, use the airbrush thinner, not the thinner medium.