Discussion about Sealers. What do You Use?

[SDub]

I use like a 15:1 matte:satin liquitex finish applied with an airbrush. It's surprising how impactful even a tiny bit of gloss coat is when mixed with the matte stuff. I don't like straight matte for the aforementioned reasons, kind of kills the saturation. Here's an example of some minis who've received this mixture: http://imgur.com/a/QB59i

[Kheprera]

Very nice work, SDub. Interesting mix.

 

I have been using Polly Scale brush-on. (Yes, I still have some. Back heathens! Mine!)

 

I have ordered some Testors Dullcote as the cans I have are over 10 years old (they still have the black label) and there's no telling what condition they're gonna spray in.

 

I debated picking up a bottle of Testors Gloss brush-on. Has anyone used this? I actually prefer brush-on but want the matte finish of the Dullcote.

[knarthex]

Very nice work, SDub. Interesting mix.

 

I have been using Polly Scale brush-on. (Yes, I still have some. Back heathens! Mine!)

 

I have ordered some Testors Dullcote as the cans I have are over 10 years old (they still have the black label) and there's no telling what condition they're gonna spray in.

 

I debated picking up a bottle of Testors Gloss brush-on. Has anyone used this? I actually prefer brush-on but want the matte finish of the Dullcote.

You mean this stuff?

 

Bottle is still un opened....

 

George

[Kheprera]

Yup! I don't think mine is that old.

[vutpakdi]

 

I've been trying Liquitex Gloss Varnish and Matte Varnish through an airbrush, and would love to hear your experience with airbrushing it, especially with thinning. I've been spraying at about 20 psi, with just a little water to thin it, and that seems to work for gloss. The matte goes on with a bit of hazing over the gloss, and I've been thinking of just brushing it instead of spraying, as that seems to dull the colors less.

 

 

I run about 20 psi as well with just a little water for the Liquitex Gloss Varnish (maybe 3:1 or 4:1?).  I've found the Lascaux does a better job of making the gloss matte if I don't dilute it at all.

 

I started the varnish yellowing experiment when some people were recommending not using Dullcote due to yellowing.  I've had several minis on a window sill and several inside (all primed, white coat, and then a single layer of a matte varnish on each), and I have yet to see any noticeable yellowing.

 

Ron

[Sergeant_Crunch]

For metal, resin, restic, and non-vinyl based plastic figures I use Krylon matte acrylic sealer. I know, I'm a heathen.  It's not always the most consistent finish, but I can always get it at WalMart if I need more.  I use MSP brush on matte sealer for anything vinyl based (like Bones), no spray cans at all. If I want something shiny I'll apply gloss sealer to that spot, like canopy glass on CAV models.

 

And to be clear, I am in no way painting for competition or anything like that.  Mostly my painting is so I'm not playing with the Primer Horde in games.

[SGHawkins09]

I debated picking up a bottle of Testors Gloss brush-on. Has anyone used this? I actually prefer brush-on but want the matte finish of the Dullcote.

 

I tested the brush-on version of the Dullcote and had mixed results. If I really lightly brushed it on, it seemed to be fine, but any sort of pressure resulted in it taking the paint off which I have read could be due to the concentration of lacquer thinner in it. That combined with the fumes from it means it is headed to my dad for him to use on his model cars. I will be sticking with my Reaper or Vallejo brush-on followed by the Dullcote spray.

[Bathory]

I have a bottle of testors.

Honestly... I rarely seal anything. They all sit in a glass front display case. It's also a PIA to have to "correct" weather in New England for sealing. So I just go without. Even multiple year old minis still look fine.

I am the laziest hobbiest in the world fyi.

[CashWiley]

I also have a pot of GW 'Ardcote, that I bought not knowing it is nothing more than a clear gloss sealer. I have used this on gems or critter tongues, things I want shiny, but as it gets applied to my minis after Dullcote, I don't know how it would react to paint.

I used Ardcote on Zachary and then sprayed Dullcote over it. Definitely looks varnished, some thickness from the Ardcoat, and it's shinier than straight Dullcote. But since it's for a gaming mini I want to play with, it's not a deal-breaker.

 

Enough of my minis have chipped or been rubbed with simple Dullcote that I'm thinking I'll just stop sealing the display stuff. I do like how it evens out media inconsistency, liners and inks tend to be distractingly shiny.

[djizomdjinn]

Couldn't find Dullcote at my now-defunct LGS, so I ended up getting a small bottle of Model Masters matte lacquer instead. I think they're both Testors, so it should be fine?

 

I run it through my airbrush at about 20 psi or so, unthinned.

[Willen]

 

 

UV resistance is for fugitive media and grounds which can be damaged by UV radiation. Since so far as I know almost all minis paints are formulated from fairly stable pigments which do not fade (except for fluorescents), and since pewter is not like paper in terms of susceptibility to light, it is not hugely relevant to the hobby. Acrylic paints are not prone to yellowing.

 

 

Interesting tidbit here, would this be good for when, for example, you use red inks to increase the saturation of a red paintjob? Because THAT fades quite a bit; an UV coat would prevent it?

 

I need to find a good hard sealer coat I can use reliably. I have Rustoleum but I got hazing out of the can... I might try to discharge it into a pot and then use it through the airbrush, doing it with the primer worked great.

[Doug Sundseth]

A UV coat should reduce the rate of fading, but not eliminate it.

 

UV coatings are not impermeable to UV photons, they're optically thick. So you still get high energy photons that will cause fading, just not as many in a given time.

[Pingo]

 

 

UV resistance is for fugitive media and grounds which can be damaged by UV radiation. Since so far as I know almost all minis paints are formulated from fairly stable pigments which do not fade (except for fluorescents), and since pewter is not like paper in terms of susceptibility to light, it is not hugely relevant to the hobby. Acrylic paints are not prone to yellowing.

 

 

Interesting tidbit here, would this be good for when, for example, you use red inks to increase the saturation of a red paintjob? Because THAT fades quite a bit; an UV coat would prevent it?

 

I need to find a good hard sealer coat I can use reliably. I have Rustoleum but I got hazing out of the can... I might try to discharge it into a pot and then use it through the airbrush, doing it with the primer worked great.

 

 

 

A UV coat should reduce the rate of fading, but not eliminate it.

 

UV coatings are not impermeable to UV photons, they're optically thick. So you still get high energy photons that will cause fading, just not as many in a given time.

Yeah, this.

 

UV coating is not a panacaea.  It only slows fading down.

[Serenity]

 

 

 

UV resistance is for fugitive media and grounds which can be damaged by UV radiation. Since so far as I know almost all minis paints are formulated from fairly stable pigments which do not fade (except for fluorescents), and since pewter is not like paper in terms of susceptibility to light, it is not hugely relevant to the hobby. Acrylic paints are not prone to yellowing.

 

 

Interesting tidbit here, would this be good for when, for example, you use red inks to increase the saturation of a red paintjob? Because THAT fades quite a bit; an UV coat would prevent it?

 

I need to find a good hard sealer coat I can use reliably. I have Rustoleum but I got hazing out of the can... I might try to discharge it into a pot and then use it through the airbrush, doing it with the primer worked great.

 

 

 

A UV coat should reduce the rate of fading, but not eliminate it.

 

UV coatings are not impermeable to UV photons, they're optically thick. So you still get high energy photons that will cause fading, just not as many in a given time.

Yeah, this.

 

UV coating is not a panacaea.  It only slows fading down.

 

Since you guys are discussing it, does leaving painted figures in a dark case prevent fading?  I'm wondering if light is the only thing that causes fading.  From what I've seen of miniatures painted with hobby acrylics decades ago, they seem to be holding up fine after being stored in a box in a climate-controlled house, but I'm wondering if this is so for all paints and inks.

[Pingo]

It depends on what pigments are used in the paints or inks.

 

Most acrylic paints these days are made with near-permanent pigments which will not fade much over time. The chief exceptions in hobby painting are the fluorescents, which are ridiculously fugitive.

 

Inks tend to use dyes for the color which are brighter than pigments but considerably less permanent.

 

The other consideration would be the medium. Acrylic is pretty stable, but the oil in oil paint will yellow and darken over time and the changing index of refraction will make the colors more transparent. Nail polish (some people use it) gets yellowish and brittle over time. I think ink media are fairly stable; again, it's the dye based colors that are the biggest headache.