when to apply varnish?

[kermit]

Hello, just a question out of curiosity because i am pretty new at modeling aircraft:

When do i apply a coat of varnish? (i was thinking satin gloss?) Just after the camouflage paintwork is on and before decalling and weathering? And then a final coat to seal it all?

Oh and when applying varnish, do you guys leave the masking tape on the canopy or spray it over as a whole?

Please forgive the newbie questions…

Kermit out

[chris_hall]

Hi Kermit,

normally, you apply varnish as one of the last things you do when making a model. Certainly after applying the decals, so that they have the same sort of finish (matt, satin, gloss or whatever) as the rest of the model. However, you should keep any glazing masked until after the varnish has been applied and it has dried. Matt and satin varnishes tend to cloud clear parts.

Sometimes, however, this is an effect you want. This Tamiya Quad tractor

has had the windscreen wiper arcs on the windscreen masked, and mattt varnish sprayed onto the rest of the windscreen. When the masking was removed, the swept areas of the windscreen remained clear, as they would on a dirty windscreen.

Cheers,

Chris.

[vetteman42]

Kermit I like to use future for my first clear coat. Before decaling you should use a clear gloss coat, it helps prevent silvering and its easier to move the decals around a bit, I always need to do that. Then if you are going to weather your build I would seal the decals again with the clear gloss coat go ahead and do your weathering and detailing, then use the semigloss coat. If you are going to use pastel chauk for weathering you will want to do that after the final clear coat. I would sugest leaving the masking on the canopy until after you use the semigloss because to me it makes the canopy look funny kind of a frosted look to it. Hope this helps you out.

[kermit]

Thanks Chris and Vetteman for answering a question that probably has been asked a 1000 times…[:I]

So i can bring it back to this:

1. Finish the model entirely and leave all masking tape on the canopy

2. Apply a coat of gloss varnish (btw. ummm… what is “future”?)

3. After drying, apply decals

4. Apply another coat of varnish to your liking (matt, semigloss or gloss)

5. Apply your weathering and take off the masking.

6. Earn a beer for finishing[:P]

That’s crystal clear to me! Thanks again.

Kermit out

[Hans_von_Hammer]

2. Apply a coat of gloss varnish (btw. ummm… what is “future”?)

It’s a floor polish that some modelers swear by, others swear at… I’m in the latter category…

1. Finish the model entirely and leave all masking tape on the canopy

2. Apply a coat of gloss varnish (btw. ummm… what is “future”?)

3. After drying, apply decals

4. Apply another coat of varnish to your liking (matt, semigloss or gloss)

5. Apply your weathering and take off the masking.

For number 5, I’d also shoot a clear flat over the final weathering to tie it in with the decals and paints… The exception to that being if you use pastels (artist’s chalk that’s ground into a powder and applied with a brush), since applying a clear coat to pastels will drastically change their appearance, even make them disappear…Always test your varnish on a scrap piece to see how it’s going to work, BTW… Some flat varnishes have a tendency to dry white or “foggy” when they get old… Personally, I use rattlecans of Testor’s Glosscoat/Dullcoat over acrylic finishes, and Tree House Studios acrylics over enamels… This method keeps the clear finish from attacking the undercoat…

[the_Baron]

Thanks Chris and Vetteman for answering a question that probably has been asked a 1000 times…[:I]

So i can bring it back to this:

1. Finish the model entirely and leave all masking tape on the canopy

2. Apply a coat of gloss varnish (btw. ummm… what is “future”?)

3. After drying, apply decals

4. Apply another coat of varnish to your liking (matt, semigloss or gloss)

5. Apply your weathering and take off the masking.

6. Earn a beer for finishing[:P]

That’s crystal clear to me! Thanks again.

Kermit out

“Future” is a liquid acrylic floor wax, made by the SC Johnson Co. Outside the US, it’s called Johnson’s Kleer, if I’m not mistaken. It can be brushed, airbrushed, cut with acrylic paints, thinned with water or isopropyl, makes a good undercoat for decals (because it dries to a smooth finish, minimizing the microscopic pockets that trap air under decals, which is what silvering is), is good for dipping clear styrene or clear resin parts, for the same reason (leaves a smooth surface that increases transparency, instead of scattering light, which is what makes clear parts look dull).

You’ll probably find a ton of posts here in FSM and elsewhere about Future’s uses, and probably as many who say they hate it and are willing to pay Tamiya and others a lot more money for products that do the same thing. Personally, I like it and haven’t had any problems using it. I use it, too, as a final gloss sealer for my toy soldiers.

[vetteman42]

Kermit Heres a picture of the bottle of Future I get it at Ace Hardware stores here in California, was about 7 bucks for 27oz bottle, and a bottle will last a very long time. I have never had any trouble with future but have had trouble with Tamiya clear orange peeling on me. If you ever use foil to finish a project the future is the only clear finish that will stick to the foil I have heard. Sorry Hans [:D]

[chris_hall]

Hi Kermit,

in the Netherlands, Future is called "Sols Plus" or “Vloer Plus” - both the same product - and you can buy it in hardware stores, or the cleaning products aisle of supermarkets. Until quite recently, it used to be called “Klir” .

It’s sold under the same names in Belgium, and if you do your shopping in Germany, you can find it in Aldi stores under the name of “Aldi Stodil”.

Cheers,

Chris.

[bondoman]

I recently figgered sumthing out. When I painted the interior color from the oustide onto a canopy as a first step, and then the exterior color, and then picked off the masks, there’s always a little line of interior showning all around the clear part. Because, dear friends, paint creeps under masks once! So do the clear first then the paint and all is cool. Unless of course you want a ratty sealant leeky thing like I needed for the SuperCat. Yes your mistakes can be spun into successes.

I also picked up because yes I’m dumb, the tip to recut your masks after painting, so as to make the paint part cleanly.

Bondoduma##