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Varnishing after weathering


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After weathering a coach or an engine why bother blasting it with matt varnish?

 

Surely the mix of finishes which weathering imparts from matt through varying degrees of eggshell to glossiness is a reflection of reality, which is killed by an all-encompassing blanket of matt varnish over the top.

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One point to remember if varnishing over chalk / pastel weathering is that more often than not the varnish will greatly reduce the intensity of the finish / effects created. Useful if you've gone a bit OT but not so if your first effort is spot on. One alternative I've tried with varying degrees of success is applying a dusting of artists pastel fixative spray before applying Dullcoat or Vallejo Matt varnish

 

Dan

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Because a lot of weathering powders fall away and enamels can chip . The varnish forms a protective barrier .

If using powders you can re touch and have an ever improving finish. As for the paint chipping a dust over with acrylic will no stop it. If brass blacken the model before painting. Will help paint to adhere an the chips will be less visible if they happen. Also handle with care.

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Very surprised to hear of enamel weathering chipping off in normal use - sounds to me as if either the surface prep is poor or the handling of the finished model is particularly rough. Powders are excellent media, but their low staying power can put some limits on their uses. Perhaps experiment using them in a limited capacity in areas which are never handled, such as the underframes? I always suggest powder-free medical gloves for handling models and have never had one back for touching up in all the years I've been taking commissions.

 

Just suggestions; you're obviously free to ignore the above and carry on coating your models in varnish :)

 

Edit: Wrong smiley....

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A long time ago before I did my own , I had 2 class 37s done by a well known Scottish shop. Both had to be completely re done (by somebody else ) because the finish was not sealed and just fell off in large areas . I agree about the powders , the varnish does dull them . A more experienced weathering guru off here told me it was to do with the propellant in the cans.

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One point to remember if varnishing over chalk / pastel weathering is that more often than not the varnish will greatly reduce the intensity of the finish / effects created. Useful if you've gone a bit OT but not so if your first effort is spot on. One alternative I've tried with varying degrees of success is applying a dusting of artists pastel fixative spray before applying Dullcoat or Vallejo Matt varnishI

I remember seeing Iain Rice use hairspray over a weathering powder finish on his wagons DVD i think

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I remember seeing Iain Rice use hairspray over a weathering powder finish on his wagons DVD i think

 

I've tried this myself, as a test (powders over an old Lima Mk1 coach) and...it works brilliantly. However you need to decant the hairspray into an airbrush to get a fine enough mist, otherwise it can go horribly wrong.

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