Varnish and cement are not what brings you into a model shop – but without them a model neither survives nor looks finished. Varnish unifies the sheen of every layer beneath it: paint, washes, oils and pigments each carry their own gloss, and until a varnish evens them out the model reads patchy however well it is painted. Cement decides whether a joint survives handling – and whether a part can still be nudged into place, or not.

What is in the category

Which varnish when

Gloss is not a final coat but an intermediate step: decals settle onto a smooth gloss surface without silvering and washes flow where they should. Matt is the standard finish for figures and vehicles alike. Satin suits surfaces with a slight sheen – leather, varnished wood, modern vehicles. Ultra matt leaves no sheen at all and takes 12 hours to cure.

The usual sequence is gloss varnish → decals → washes and oils → matt varnish. It sounds like a lot of layers, but each has a reason; without them the weathering either does not hold or cannot be blended.

Frequently asked questions

Why varnish both before and after weathering?
A varnish under an enamel layer separates it from the acrylic, so the effect can be blended or wiped off with white spirit without harming the paint. A varnish after weathering seals the work and unifies the sheen.

What is the difference between Quick and Extra Thin cement?
Set speed. Quick grabs almost instantly and holds hardest – for small parts and joints with little contact area. Extra Thin gives more time to adjust, which matters on longer seams.

Do these cements bond resin and metal?
No. They are plastic cements – they attack polystyrene chemically and weld it. Resin, metal and photo-etch need cyanoacrylate or epoxy.

What comes next?
The ground comes from a primer, paints from the AK 3rd Generation range, and thinning and cleaning from Thinners and Cleaners.