Varnish

[stormbreach]

Hello friends.  I had a question about spray varnish.  All of my painted minis currently reside in my glass display case but unfortunately this gets direct sun for a period of time every day.  I want to seal the minis to protect them from the sun as much as possible.  I know Citadel gloss sealer protects from UV but my FLGS doesn't have any and honestly I am wondering if there is anything cheaper.  I have a mix of materials for my minis, including metal (including actual lead lol), Bones plastic and GW plastic Warhammer mins.  I know gloss protects from chips and matte kills shine but I was wondering about UV protection.  Does Testors Dullcote help with UV because I can't seem to find that information anywhere.  I would honestly be okay with just dusting everything with Dullcote because I already have it and the only minis that will ever see use would be the GW minis.  Another important question on my mind is how does gloss from a brand like Krylon do on Bones?  I have used Krylon primer on Bones and it didn't go well but I wonder if anyone has used it on a finished Bones because it should be okay on top of the acrylic paint instead of directly on the Bones material... right?  It's the "should be" that worries me lol.  Any thoughts anyone has would be helpful, direct experience would be perfect.  Thanks a bunch everyone, whenever I google sealers and UV they tend to be articles about whether the sealer turns yellow when exposed to UV so it's not helping me.

[BardicDave]

I once used Krylon spray-on sealer on a bones mini. It was sticky for weeks, but did eventually set. That was my first and only try with Krylon. I resolved to only use Testor's Dullcote after that. I have no insight into the UV protection properties of either brand. Good luck!

[Auberon]

My experience was like BardicDave's, but worse (as in, they did eventually set but were sticky a really really long time).  I don't let Krylon near my Bones anymore.

[Inarah]

I use Krylon  Rustoleum Crystal clear acrylic spray sealer on painted figures and have not had problems with it getting sticky or going yellow in the last two decades of use.  I top that with a light coat of Dulcote. 

 

Varnish is for furniture. :) 

 

Edited March 11, 2021 by Inarah

[stormbreach]

So Dullcote is okay on Bones?  Any experience using a dedicated mini sealer like Citadel or Army Painter on Bones?

[stormbreach]

So to be clear @Inarah, Krylon Crystal is okay on Bones specifically or just on other figures?

[Inarah]

18 minutes ago, stormbreach said:

So to be clear @Inarah, Krylon Crystal is okay on Bones specifically or just on other figures?

 

Oops, made a mistake. The brand is Rustoleum. (I had Krylon in my head).  It is safe on painted Bones, metal, resin, and 3d printed figures so far. 

 

 

[ManvsMini]

Contrary to other posters, I've had no problems with any of Krylon's spray sealers on Bones minis. And none with Testors Dullcote spray. It's worth noting that I do prime my Bones with a brush-on primer though, leaving none of the bare material exposed.

 

There are UV-resistant finishes out there if you are terribly worried. Krylon has some in both matte and gloss. They are more expensive than their regular line (~$10 a can from a quick search). Other brands might have it labeled as "archival varnish" (Krylon has a product called this as well).

 

3 hours ago, Inarah said:

Varnish is for furniture. :) 

 

Via Merriam-Webster:

• varnish: a liquid preparation that when applied to a surface dries to form a hard lustrous typically transparent coating

And OED:

• varnish: resin dissolved in a liquid for applying on wood, metal, or other materials to form a hard, clear, shiny surface when dry.

You say sealer, I say varnish. To-may-to, to-mah-to, says I. Not as catchy of a song as the original, but let's call the whole thing off.

 

[golldan]

19 hours ago, stormbreach said:

So Dullcote is okay on Bones?  Any experience using a dedicated mini sealer like Citadel or Army Painter on Bones?

For what it is worth -- I have used the spray Testor's Dullcote and never had any issues. I have not used the brush on Dullcote.

[BardicDave]

3 hours ago, golldan said:

For what it is worth -- I have used the spray Testor's Dullcote and never had any issues. I have not used the brush on Dullcote.

 

I have used both brush-on and spray Dullcote on Bones and never had an issue. The brush-on needs to be thoroughly shaken, however. I've also used Reaper's brush on sealer and got good results.

 

EDIT: Also worth noting that I have used spray-on Dullcote on Bones in South-Western Ontario during the summer without issue. I know that results can vary depending on the climate, so it might be helpful for you to know that I've had good results in your neck of the woods.

Edited March 12, 2021 by BardicDave

[Rignes]

It is my opinion based on experience that spraying varnish on a painted bones mini is safe.  If there are a few coats of paint between the varnish and the plastic the varnish/sealer shouldn't ever come in contact with the plastic to react with it.   

 

One thing I do avoid is spray primer on bones.  That can be hit or miss.  Priming bones is optional but if you do don't use a spray can.  Stick with brush on or airbrush.

 

Varnishes I've used are Krylon, Rustoleum, and Dullcote. All without a problem on a painted figure.  However, with that said, if you want to err on the side of caution you can just brush on or airbrush on your sealer as well.  

 

I can't speak to UV protection.  The Vallejo stuff I picked up at Blick Art Supplies says it's UV resistant but not sure if that is just that it won't yellow in the sun or if it actually protects the paint underneath from fading in the sun.