Having rigged the tail I turned my attention to the wings. To try to replicate the abrasion of the glossy finish to the silver dope on the leading edges & other likely areas I had a grand scheme to spray a matt clear coat feathering back into a satin one in appropriate places. I used Vallejo Acrylic matt & satin which after a good shake are ready to spray from the bottle.
Not the best idea I've had though. The matt dried with a distinctly cloudy white effect which not only altered the shade of the Alcald silver & coloured markings but it totally removed any hint of metallic in the finish ('Future' floor polish hadn't done this).
An utter wreck! I've not attached a photo as it doesn't really show the effect so well but rest assured it was very noticeable to the eye.
Having looked on the net - after the event
I find that it's not an uncommon occurrence with Vallejo matt varnish. The bottle was very well shaken & there was relatively low humidity when I sprayed (for what that's worth) so I had every reason to expect a good result - i.e. a matt finish without any 'white effect'.
The options were - banish the model to the shelf of shame or re-spray the wings including the painted roundels. I thought trying to strip the Vallejo first was worth a try as there was little to loose. White Spirit eventually softened the acrylic varnish & rubbing with a finger helped the job. I've done one wing so far & to my relief it's back to as it was prior to the varnish application albeit the various washes & pastel dusting have been removed but it's a minor & enjoyable job to do that again.
It won't be making this mistake again! There's plenty of others to make!
Regards
Russell
