discussion Need advice airbrushing 'VMS Gloss'

[Steven000]

Hi guys,
I was looking for an alternative varnish and bought some 'VMS GLOSS',

Just tried to seal in some decals but I'm having lots of problems spraying it!

I'm using an old H&S Hansa 381 (0.3mm) and it clogged up in a few seconds,
Also had a hard time cleaing it out from the airbrush...

Does anyone use this product?
Do I really need to buy a '0.4+ airbrush' or would a thinner get it to work through a 0.3mm nozzle?

What do you guys use?
- to clean it out?
- Airpressure?
- Nozzle size?

Many thanks for any help, cheers,
Steven

 

[Guest]

Steven I thin it and mix really well , and use a .4 needle. Normally give it 2 coats or more as required. When you clean out the ab make sure its really clean as varnish seems to have small white lumps which are the cause of blockages.HTH

 

[John]

I asked Chirs who owns VMS for you, he know's his stuff, his reply was


Varnish will go through 0.3 and even 0.2. Instant clogging usually means the tool has residual paint crust that is not affected when one simply runs airbrush cleaner through the tool. Airbrush must be cleaned proper. Please take it apart and perform a deep cleaning. Clean the nozzle using cleaning needle and swab inside lines of the tool so that paint residue is gone. Product requires no thinning.

Modelling stars are using it:

 

[Steven000]

Thanks for the respons JR and John, I'll will have a closer look at the airbrush. I didn't have any issues with varnish from Ammo and Vallejo, but the VMS varnish perhaps has a different chemical composition...
cheers, Steven

 

[Andy T]

The gloss is my least favourite varnish of theirs, but I love the satin & matt.

It will definitely go through a 0.3 airbrush though, and as John has said, a 0.2 as well. I've never had the need to thin it, and it works better if put on quite heavy (as per their instructions)

It's a water based acrylic so there are many suitable cleaners like Vallejo airbrush cleaner, AK perfect cleaner etc, and I believe VMS do their own but I haven't tried it.

I tend to varnish at a higher pressure than when painting. VMS is quite thick so needs the extra to pull it through the 'brush and atomise properly. Maybe 25 psi, although I tend to work by how the product is laying rather than a gauge. If it sounds like crackling bacon in a pan the product is either too thick or your pressure is too low. Your airbrush should be making a nice smooth sound.

 

[Steven000]

Thanks for the tips Andy, glad to know it should work with a 0.3 needle, will have to do some more testing and cleaning next time at the bench. Cheers, Steven

 

[David Lovell]

Hi Steven as Andy says as per their instructions ,I've always sprayed it with a .3 and have had no problems ,I will say though watch their video on Facebook looks bloody scary but it works .Dave

 

[Jim R]

You do need to be quite brave to put down a wet coat to the extent VMS advise. As Dave says it does work though.

 

[Steven000]

Thanks David and Jim for the intel, yes I've seen the video and it's quite a different technique indeed

 

[Steven000]

Couldn't get my old H&S to work, so I bought a Fengda (FE-183) with 0.5 needle... It does seem to spray now, but it's drying too fast on the model? In their video the surface stays wet, but I'm not getting that.

I'm trying to seal thick decals on a 1/32 plane with VMS gloss, I'm flooding the surface but it dries very fast to a matt/satin, and so the overspray of the next area seems to land on the dried flooded surface... if that makes any sense I'm not sure what is happening, perhaps I'm too gentle with the flooding? The flooding takes a lot of varnish tough, never emptied my airbrush-cup so fast!

Would the overspray be sandable?
Or did I just ruined the model?



Many thanks for any help, cheers

 

[Steven000]

Today it seemed to work more like in the video,
- I drained my air-compressor (the water-trap never gets wet but still had some water in the tank).
- Also lowered my air-pressure from about 27 PSI to 20 PSI (recommended 20-30 PSI).
I guess that 0.5 needle doesn't work that well with a high pressure?

It still dries too fast but it's a bit more manageable...
I find it very hard to avoid any over-spray on a rounded fuselage, the video only shows spraying it on a 'flat' surface.

practice makes perfect I guess...
cheers

 

[Andy T]

Sorry I can't be of much help Steven, sounds like you're getting there with it though.

I've only used their gloss once and wasn't very impressed so I moved back to my previous (lacquer) one. I love the satin version though. Strange how there can be so much difference.

The only advice I can give is to have a plan of how you are going to varnish it. I'd normally start from one wing tip, work inwards, go across the fuselage and then from the root outwards on the other side. It maximises the chance of always spraying onto a wet edge, rather than if you do a bit here, a bit there etc.

 

[Steven000]

Thanks for the advice Andy, I assume you use the VMS (satin) only as a final finish coat? Something I also noticed is that the flooding can seal very small rivet holes, which will have an effect on a pin wash... Don't know if you had such a problem yourself? cheers

 

[Jim R]

I'm like Andy. I don't like the VMS gloss varnish. I am a great supporter of VMS products generally but their glass is not user friendly.

 

[Andy T]

I assume you use the VMS (satin) only as a final finish coat?

Yes, I like the finish it gives. Not as stark as a full matt (or as much of a dust magnet!)

I can imagine flooding would bury some detail. I try to put it on wet, but not too heavy, for that reason.