Vallejo Matte Varnish turning Glossy with handling

[Splurch]

So I got back into painting over the last year and have been playing around with a number of matte varnishes to figure out what I want to finish my minis up with after a gloss coat. Vallejo seems to do a great job making a dead flat. The problem I am now encountering with a few test pieces is that with handling (and general rubbing with a cloth/finger/etc) that great flat look almost turns into gloss. I've been trying to move away from spray varnish as I've just had too many fogging issues in the past, even with thin coats/ideal circumstances, but I never had this problem with sprays. While I am putting the varnish on with a brush currently my plan was to eventually put it through an airbrush. Is there a trick to getting matte to stay matte on pieces indended to be handled? Anyone have another brush on brand suggestion that might be more durable? I've tried Vallejo, Reaper and Golden, all of which turn almost gloss with a lot of handling and Liquitex. The Liquitex matte isn't nearly as flat as the others but resists the handling into gloss effect much better.

 

[Dragonsreach]

1 Don't handle display minis.
2 Testors dullcoate over gloss varnish for gaming.

 

[Splurch]

I tried Testor's spray a few months ago but all I could ever get out of it was a satin that was more flat then gloss but still not even mistakable as matte. From what I read it isn't as good as it used to be before they changed the formula a few years ago and unless I got a bad can I have to agree.

 

[airhead]

sounds like you are putting it on too heavy.
One or two very light coats (think mist or fog, not wet coats) will give a dead flat finish.
You put this over a couple of coats of hard gloss coat (krylon krystal kleer) to protect a gaming mini.

When it starts getting glossy means that you are wearing through the flattening agents. Time to recoat to protect the mini.

 

[Trevor]

What Airhead said. Also, if you use a hair dryer on warm setting, that helps spray varnish dry matt, just be careful not to melt your mini!

 

[Splurch]

I'll give the spray another try but I tried both very light and very thick (wanted to see what it would take to fog up, which it surprisingly didn't) coatings and some in between, none were dead flat. Maybe I'm just being too critical of my definition of flat vs satin.

 

[Webmonkey]

(run your minis over with your car a couple times,.. they'll be plenty flat,...:vampire

But seriously,.. I've got sorta the same problem, my idea of flat is just that,.. FLAT,.. no shine at all. Testors is closest I've found so far.

 

[RuneBrush]

You're never going to maintain a matt finish if you're touching miniatures. Matt varnish by it's nature is "rough" so will collect finger grease and anything else on the hands of whomever is handling it, it's also quite fragile so will easily rub off.

I use Daler Rowney soluble varnish from an airbrush as my top coat, but not really found it much more durable than any others.

 

[airhead]

I'll give the spray another try but I tried both very light and very thick (wanted to see what it would take to fog up, which it surprisingly didn't) coatings and some in between, none were dead flat. Maybe I'm just being too critical of my definition of flat vs satin.

Another thing. Are you shaking the can well. I mean a good solid minute after the rattler breaks loose?
The flattening agents settle. If you don't have them mixed in well, you are shooting gloss varnish with clumps.

 

[Splurch]

Webmonkey, good to hear I'm not the only one with exact standards for flat, as this seems to be the case

As for shaking the can, I'm shaking it for several minutes to be sure. Doing the shake the ball circularly around the bottom of the can as well to to break up all the particles that may have settled as well. I did another test and it just isn't flat in my opinion. Its on the lower end of satin for sure but I wouldn't consider it flat. Seems like I need to lower my expectation for flat in regards to mini's that will be handled.

 

[Tiberius122]

HIya, I had same trouble as you, I let you how I sorted out for game minitures, as far as I do not have display ones:

1.First protective coat by brush - Umbrol mate/satin coat. (2 thin layers)
2. Second protective coat in order to "kill" the brightness - Spray 2 thin layers of Vallejo mate varnish.
3. I know It sounds so obvious, but always handle the mini from its base.

It should be ok.

cheers