Paint Over Varnish?

[mikiek]

Just finished airbrushing (Tamiya acrylic)  the hull of my current build - it's a VERY flat black. I'm already noticing dirt and dust build up, after just half a day .   Also, seeing hand prints, I Imagine from oils on skin. Lastly, there is already a small scratch making the gray primer underneath noticeably visible.

 

I want to get some protection on the hull quickly. I have some Valejo polyurathane varnish so that would be an option. My Murphy says there will be more scratches during the build. What I am wondering is if I go with the varnish, down the road can I touch it up with paint again? I think that is probably not a problem but would most likely have to do another coat of varnish after the paint?

 

I do also have some Tamiya flat clear paint. Would that be of any help? I like this idea as I am not ready to varnish the entire build yet. If a couple coats of clear paint would offer some protection it seems like this would be my best choice for a temporary solution.

 

What do you guys think?

[donrobinson]

That is the nature of the beast with any flat paint, a flat black being the worst. Flat paint does attract dust and dirt and does not hide smudges or finger prints, and is almost impossible to wipe any of this off without further damage to the paint. 

 I would without a doubt put a few coats of poly on to protect it. Any further minor damage is easily repaired with paint and a little more poly. This one of the few advantages of using flat paint is that it hides repairs and touch ups very well.

 Using a flat or satin poly will keep the sheen pretty much the same as you have now.

 

 

I have used this with real good results, it leaves a low lustre finish and gives good protection. It is also available in non-spray containers

[mikiek]

That's good feedback Don. Thanks. And you are not kidding about the vulnerability of the black. I feel like I should be wearing gloves when I pick it up.

 

I just wasn't sure if painting on top of varnish and then having to varnish over that was a good idea or not.

 

I will try it out on some scrap first. I went out of my way to mix the black extremely flat. I need to see what effect the varnish will have.