purity seal WTF?

[Miredorf]

Hey guys. I had read here several people complaining about the quality of GWs purity seal spray varnish, but a few days ago i could see its nefarious effects in person.

A friend of mine finished his grandmaster of the white wolf after many hours of work and eventhough i warned him not to use that varnish on the model, he didnt listen and went ahead anyway, since he had just bought the can 1 or 2 weeks ago.

Here are the pics of the model pre-varnish and how it ended after applying the purity seal on it.

BEFORE:

http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/.../Imagen002.jpg
http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/.../Imagen005.jpg
http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/.../Imagen008.jpg

AFTER (keep in mind he already fixed the red barding b4 taking this pics, it appears the worst part went into the barding).

http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/...MWWjodido1.jpg
http://i1065.photobucket.com/albums/...MWWjodido2.jpg

I wonder why this happens, could it be because eventhough he just bought the can, it could very well be a very old can stored long ago where he bought it?

[Emperors Teeth]

Although I can't vouch this information as 'scientific', in my experience, one condition that causes this frosting effect is the temperature of the environment where the model is sprayed. I damaged some Tac Marines when it was icey outside when I sprayed.

[AndrewGPaul]

It's not just "Purity Seal" that happens with. It happened to me with Humbrol's matt varnish spray and the Army Painter stuff too.

It could be old (does varnish go "off"?), it could just be a bad batch, it could be the weather conditions at the time, it could have reacted with the paint somehow. I've heard it's possible to fix the damage with brush-on matt varnish, but I can't say I've tried it myself.

[jack da greenskin]

Your friend is a great painter, that model is gorgeous.

And you should both avoid buying anything hobby-related (paints, tools, varnish brushes) from GW. It's some other companies stuff, repackaged and sold for 3x the price.

Also, for the remainder of that can, consider doing a test model before he sprays anything important.

[Hite]

The can may not have been shaken up enough. This is common if the varnish has not been use for a couple of weeks. I've done this several times with several different types of varnishes. When I spay anything I have an old test mini I spray first to make sure it is safe to spray. I always tell my customers to shake the can very well and when they think they have shaken it well shake it some more.

[6mmhero]

Purity seal is known for this problem a fair bit. In my experience it is down to atmospheric conditions of how the can was stored prior to spraying (If you are ever spraying anything white, always leave the can in warm not hot water for a few minutes before spraying and you will get a more consistant coat) and also when spraying. As another poster has pointed out, this occurs with all brands I have tried recently. I have now switched to Testors Dull coat, very good Matt Varnish that comes in small cans. It works out a little more than other brands but is good.

I know that sometimes if you spray a model that has gone "frosty/misty" with Gloss varnish and then Matt varnish the misting will disappear to a certain extent. Give it a go on a test model. It is not 100% but is a quick fix.

[Satan]

Shake can thoroughly, apply thin coats sparsely from the distance of 30 cm and above all don't do it outside in cold or humid air.

A second coat MIGHT remove some of the damage.

Also, don't use the GW matt varnish. Ever.

[Glyn]

i've had similar problems myself with various spray on varnishes truth be told the only dependable one i've found is the Vallejo one...but no matter what a good 30 seconds to a minute shaking the can is always a good idea

[Freakiq]

I actually find GW's matte varnish to be one of the better ones out there.

Like others have pointed out you need to make sure it's not too hot/cold or dry/humid when you spray and also be sure to apply as thin a layer as possible.

A garage or cellar really is the best place to spray it the humidity and temperature is optimal and wind is not a factor.

[Bigbot]

And you should both avoid buying anything hobby-related (paints, tools, varnish brushes) from GW. It's some other companies stuff, repackaged and sold for 3x the price.

Umm wait...what? Did I miss something here?

[Necronartum]

The advice on here is pretty sound.

I wrecked a Wraithlord using Purity Seal but have had no problems since. My 'pro' tip? Spray a large section of sprue with Chaos Black and allow to dry. Shake can thoroughly. Ensure weather is not particularly humid, windy or frosty (as the solvent will pick up water droplets from the atmosphere). Varnish the primed sprues and leave to dry. Check results. If you see any indication of frosting, pack your models away and wait for a another day. Will save you a lot of heartache in the long run.

Good hunting!

[Miredorf]

Shake can thoroughly, apply thin coats sparsely from the distance of 30 cm and above all don't do it outside in cold or humid air.

Hey guys, thanks for all the advice here. When he sprayed the model it was getting dark outside and very humid. We are in southern Spain, so temperature isnt a problem. Probably was 20ºC at the moment he sprayed, but for sure there was a lot of humidity at the moment.

I warned him not to use GW's purity seal from what ive read here other times and also to use a test model 1st. It appears he sprayed the test model and saw it was ok, but later after he screwed this model he went and checked again the test model and it was indeed ''frosted'' too.

He also used a gloss varnish spray on the test model that day, but this one for sure worked well. So ill take for granted that the quality (lack of) of the purity seal is related with the problem too.

[underhivetrader]

Hi all,

It's certainly a humidity issue, I have seen it many times before. I fact Games Workshop had to stop selling Purity Seal here in Oz as many a fine paint job was ruined due to the varnish picking up the moisture from our humid air. After some trial and error I am currently using Bondall Satin Clear Timber Varnish, not sure if its available in Spain but so far so good.

Thanks UHT.

[Trasvi]

Avoid doing anything in too hot weather also.
Some people told me to spray my models on a hot day. By this they meant England hot, ie about 5*C ( :P )
I sprayed them on an Australia hot day, about 40*C. Not the best idea. We don't get humid hot here, its dry hot.
20-25*C seems about the right temp.

[vyper]

Hi guys, Just thought I'd chime in here as I can't stand to see beautiful models ruined.

I recently started using Purity Seal to protect my Infinity models and ruined the first couple I Painted using it. I've found that the frosting happens when you make multiple passes on a model with the spray. I've found that the best way to spray is to shake the can well (1 minute) and spray from a good distance (30 seconds) as instructed. Only make ONE pass on the model with the spray without lingering. Let it dry for at least an hour, then make another pass if you need to spray the other side or it needs a second coat.

I seem to get the frosting when a second layer is applied before the first has dried.

For the record, I spray in a bathroom, at room temperature and with an extractor. During the summer, the window would be open.

Cheers,

Vyper

[yabbadabba]

I've used GWs Purity Seal since they released it and I have had this happen 3 times. In all three occasions there was an additional external factor to consider.

Always make a test spray before hand. Its worth the additional cost and wastage just to be careful.

[Vos]

The answer? Testors Dullcoat

Vos

[Senbei]

Umm wait...what? Did I miss something here?

Sounds like he's got GW paint confused with "Army Painter" stuff (which really is just another product with a new label on it and an extra '0' added to the price). It's true that GW does pay other people to make their paints for them but so, I imagine, do PP, Reaper, etc.

[Damien 1427]

It's true that GW does pay other people to make their paints for them but so, I imagine, do PP, Reaper, etc.

I was under the impression PP use the same manufacturer as GW do now, HMG. As far as I am aware, however, it's not the same stuff, just made in the same place.

[ModelCalamity]

this has nothing to do with GW varnish. it is a humidity problem. I have seen models come out like your picture with a can. and then use the same can in good environmental conditions and have a perfect matt finish. Any varnish will have this problem if the humidity is too high.

The frosting is basically water molecules attaching to the varnish in mid air. these disrupt the smooth drying process resulting in a frosted effect. If your frosting is not too bad you can apply a few layers of very thinned ard'coat from a pot. this should fill up the frost and after it is dry you can spray the mdoel with varnish again to get rid of the shininess.

good luck