To varnish or to oil or to not varnish my hull? Albatross

[Pukington]

Hey guys!

 

I've had a bit of a search on the forum and am a bit overwhelmed.  So please forgive me for asking a common question.

 

I've come to the point on my Albatross build that the instructions simple say "Varnish Hull". Brilliant. That's all it gives me.

 

I currently live in Australia and am seeking a good varnish for finishing the hull of my build:

 

http://imgur.com/0tCSVZX

 

What varnish do people suggest?  Do i thin down the coats?  I'm guessing sanding between coats obviously, but di i thin the varnish to begin with?  

 

I worked on a tall ship last summer and used a non synthetic oil varnish called Dek Solije, it's a two parter, part one is a matte undercoat, and part two a gloss overcoat.  It leaves wood looking gorgeous.  Unfortunately my cheap Destructo kit isn't a top deal of wood quality, but i'm still tempted to use it.  Here it is:

 

http://www.deksolje.com/index.php?langue=en&page=range-protect-varnish

 

I could probably borrow a bit

 

But if anyone else suggests some nice simple varnish i can purchase off the shelf then i'm happy to use that instead.

 

Thanks for any pointers, much appreciated!

[hornet]

GLOSS varnish or polyurethane is generally not recommended for finishing your model - too 'shiny' and unrealistic. Many modellers use tung oil or something similar. I use MATT or SATIN polyurethane diluted 50:50 with low odour turps and applied with an airbrush. In Australia Wattyl make an Interior Estapol - which is what I use. If you don't have access to an airbrush you can use the spray can variety. Interestingly Australia's biggest hardware chain - Bunnings - does not carry Wattyl products any more. Other hardware outlets do though. Hope this helps.

 

Steve

[Pukington]

Thanks. Typically Bunnings was what I was looking at. I've not been in Aus long so guess I need to branch out a bit!

 

I have an airbrush with a cheap compressor, I'm guessing it should be able to handle a 50/50 mix alright. I see Bunnings sell Watson Tung oil by the litre.

 

Where do you purchase your product?

[robnbill]

I airbrush using Tamiya matt clear coat.

[Pukington]

That's a good idea. I've an unused can of Mr Topcoat matte. I've found it to be pretty decent on plastic models. So is the general gist just to give the model a flat appearance. I just assumed a wooden model would require varnish or oil.

[hornet]

I get my Wattyl polyurethane at Home hardware. I think any brand of matt or satin would do the same job though. It's just that I have used Wattyl for years and change is bad

[bigcreekdad]

I've been trying gun oil....seems to look good

[mikiek]

I airbrush using Tamiya matt clear coat.

Bill - is that Tamiya clear paint or do they have a finish product? If not the paint, how do you dilute it for an airbrush?

[robnbill]

It was Tamiya. I also used the Tamiya thinner to thin the coating. My local hobby shop did not have the matt finish coating, but they did have a powder additive that would make it matte. It was just a bit of playing with it until I got the matt finish I liked.

 

I really like the Tamiya thinner. I actually just used it to thin white glue to soak rope for the coils. The thinner evaporated much quicker and (at least I think) gave me more control. The thinner gave the glue enough consistency that it allowed the glue to penetrate the rope evenly and when dried did not leave a heavy coating to distort the rope's finish.

[mikiek]

Bill - that's why my ears perked up when I saw you mentioned Tamiya clear coat. I've tried to stay exclusively with all their products and so far have had good results. Other than spray can, I wasn't aware they had any finishing products like a lacquer or clear coat. I've used their clear paint for sealing up masking tape, but that's it.

[robnbill]

You prompted me to go look. It had been awhile since I have needed to use it so I pulled my paint box out. I was incorrect in the matte. It is actually a liquid as well. Now that I am looking at it I remember being a bit concerned since the matte base was grey but after mixing with the clear coat and thinner, it worked beautifully. Here is a photo of what I used (other than the Tamiya thinner.

 

[mikiek]

Thanks Bill - that helps a lot. That will be the first thing I try come time to apply finish.

 

My apologies to the OP. I did not mean to hijack. But I did learn something here so thanks for the thread.

[Bob Cleek]

I have developed the habit of using "orange" shellac on all wood in a model, both as a primer or alone to depict bare wood.  It protects against moisture as well as just about anything.  "Orange" shellac will have a slight brownish tint, like a stain, and will darken, ultimately to a chocolate brown, with successive coats.  The first coat will be flat, but additional coats will built up a gloss finish if desired.  If the brown isn't to one's taste, there is also colorless "white" shellac. Shellac is dirt cheap, BTW, and thins with denatured alcohol. It can be wiped up, even after drying, or brushes cleaned, with alcohol. It can be buffed with an alcohol soaked rag and can be rubbed to a perfectly smooth finish with fine steel wool.  Shellac was what the master furniture makers of old used, and likely the guys who build the Admiralty models as well, so you can't go too far wrong with it.

Edited July 14, 2016 by Bob Cleek