Sealing/varnishing

[Ghool]

Dullcote works fin on metal. I have been using it for 25+ years, and the only issues were when I sprayed the mini in a high humidity environment.

You can get a 'frosting' effect, which requires starting over with a bath in the paint stripper of your choice...

 

From what I'm seeing in this thread, a lot of you are stripping your models as a result of 'frosting'.

I hate to tell you, but you've all wasted an enormous amount of time.

 

Frosting is quite easily fixed without resorting to stripping, or ruining your paint job. There are three main ways to fix frosting, and all result from water molecules getting trapped between the molecules of the sealer.

 

1.  You can wait. Up to two weeks or more will allow the trapped moisture to evaporate from the finish. The longer you wait, the clearer it will get. If you don't mind using, or staring at frosted models for a while, this is the easiest fix.

 

2.  Get some olive oil, and a cotton swab. Dip the swab into the oil, and rub the oil onto areas that are frosted. Wash gently with soap and water, and refinish.

 

3.  Refinish with a gloss, or semi-gloss coat. let dry, and refinish with your matte coat.

 

The first just requires a lot of patience. But really, all you're dealing with is trapped moisture, and it will evaporate. Just maybe not very quickly. The second is by far the easiest, quickest and most effective way of removing any frost without destroying your paint job. The third is the least effective, and might not always work.

 

So, no more stripping frosted models anymore. All right?

[knarthex]

Good to know!

 

Have not really had to worry anymore though, as I got a spray booth for airbrushing that vents outside, and the room I paint in never gets overly humid. I spray the Dullcote and primers in it as well....

[MikeD]

Dang.  I knew about the problem with most spray primers and Bones, but I didn't know that a final clear coat over the paint was a problem, too. 

[Caleb]

The best results I got were from diluted acrylic matte Vallejo varnish.  The brush on stuff from small bottles.  My pathfinder goblins have been through heck and back and none of them are missing any paint.

 

but again I dunno.  It depends I suppose.

 

I have spray sealed some bones and some of those have had terrible flaking afterword.  But it could have been a lot of things.

 

Larger bones just don't seem to need any sealer or varnish.

 

I probably won't bother with spray on sealer and maybe varnish a few select minis that will have heavy use.

 

I want to know what kind of GOD paint they used on Legendary encounters.

 

 

Those paint jobs just do not chip.

[Pingo]

The best results I got were from diluted acrylic matte Vallejo varnish.  The brush on stuff from small bottles.  My pathfinder goblins have been through heck and back and none of them are missing any paint.

 

but again I dunno.  It depends I suppose.

 

I have spray sealed some bones and some of those have had terrible flaking afterword.  But it could have been a lot of things.

 

Larger bones just don't seem to need any sealer or varnish.

 

I probably won't bother with spray on sealer and maybe varnish a few select minis that will have heavy use.

 

I want to know what kind of GOD paint they used on Legendary encounters.

 

Those paint jobs just do not chip.

I believe the "paints" used on plastic toys are less paint and  more colored plastics which are bonded to the surface at high heat and don't rub off because they are the same material as the toy itself.