Satin aerosol varnish

[Simpo Two]

Gloss and matt are easy but satin not so. I just bought some Humbrol satin varnish from Amazon and found it to be totally matt. The advert says 'gloss', and the can doesn't say what it is. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002D36O8O/ref... Humbrol don't seem to have any idea what they're selling.

Can anyone recommend a good quality satin aerosol varnish for fine woodwork (model boat)?

[gruffgriff]

Halfords do both satin and matt clear. Matt isn't very matt but satin has a nice unifying sheen to it....I use for car interiors, upholstery, etc. I recommend but test first on your substrate.

[Simpo Two]

Thanks - this one? https://www.halfords.com/motoring/paints-and-body-...

Would it be any good on finely sanded wood though? It's really for cars over paint.

[dr_gn]

I’d have thought the wood grain needs sealing, or else whatever varnish you put on will soak in in places and it’ll be blotchy. Halfords satin is good, it’s just that you need to apply it to a non-porous surface.

[Simpo Two]

dr_gn said:

I’d have thought the wood grain needs sealing, or else whatever varnish you put on will soak in in places and it’ll be blotchy. Halfords satin is good, it’s just that you need to apply it to a non-porous surface.

That's true, I'd anticipate one coat to seal, then wet/dry, then the final coat. Gloss would be more demanding of course.

The hull is sealed now, just matt...!

[gruffgriff]

Yes, that's the one but as doc says, unless your surface is sealed it will get absorbed at varying rates along the fibres and look patchy. Safe as a top coat though.

[Simpo Two]

Actually, I've used satin aerosol varnish on wooden ship kits before without undue problems - it's fine grained wood and sanded to baby's bum-ness first. Ronseal made one which was was excellent but is long discontinued. Humbrol seem to have a problem with droplet size or pressure and can splatter.

In the end, as the Halfords product is rather out of reach unless they do mail order, I used good wax furniture polish on the matt finish. It works for the hull; obviously no use on the superstructure dues to the intricacy but we'll cross that bridge later!

[dr_gn]

I used to use Humbrol #49 Matt varnish for models, until one day it coated one with indelible white powder. Also ruined a paper ship model after giving it a second chance. I wouldn't ever buy a Humbrol product again - too inconsistent.

I now use Winsor & Newton Galeria matt or satin. 100% success rate so far. You can mix the matt and satin to give exactly the sheen you want. Ideally you'll need an airbrush though. Water soluble so clean-up is very easy.

[Simpo Two]

Erk, you said the A-word! Airbrush. 30 seconds to use, 30 days to wash up

[dr_gn]

Simpo Two said:

Erk, you said the A-word! Airbrush. 30 seconds to use, 30 days to wash up

Not really - I think a lot of the negativity comes from people who don't really know how to use them effectively. I use mine in the garage, so I'm always leaving it, doing some assembly, going back to spraying, then more assembly. Dunk some thinners in the pot, whizz it round with a paintbrush and spray out the excess. Then put a drop of thinners in and leave it until next time - which is often days later. And that's with acrylics which dry fast too. With Galeria I use a spot of detergent and water instead of thinners. I only 'deep clean' it after every build. Never had much of an issue.

For spraying varnish you could probably risk it with a £30 Amazon special (including a 'compressor'). At the end of the day though from what you've said, I'd try Halfords satin, with the caveat it might completely screw your model. That's the issue with varnishing - there are rarely any small issues; it either works, or it fks your model.

[Simpo Two]