Cotes and Varnishes confusion

[El_Coronel]

Hi all, very new to modelling and painting with an airbrush. I've been reading around so apologies if this has been posted before but I'm just confused with all the products.

What are the differences/uses for (all from Humbrol products, but I assume other brands are the same?) Gloss Cote, Matt Cote, Satin Cote, and then Clear Matt Varnish (and presumably the equivilant other varnishes). So far I had been spraying my models with the clear matt varnish before decals, applying them and then sealing with more varnish. 

 

But now I'm reading I should use gloss first before decals and then varnish? I'm just confused with all the products and what order I should be doing things in. I'm making planes so I don't want them glossy, that's why I stayed away from them.

And finally I'm reading that Humbrol products aren't that great for this? 

 

🤔 Lost a bit - thanks!

 

 

[peebeep]

It's a veritable minefield and I would think very confusing for new or returning modellers. I know plenty of old hands that have a job keeping up. It's a matter of trying out different products for yourself and finding out what works best for you and I would suggest having a look through the different threads here to get some pointers. Over the years a lot of modellers have got into the habit of gloss coating before decalling, this is because it reduces the possibility of trapping air between the decal and the surface of the model, which leads to silvering. It's also not a bad idea to apply any weathering treatments over a gloss surface, because it makes it easier to remove excess (in the case of washes), or simply to remove anything that didn't go as well as you might like. Once you've done decals and weathering you can then apply a top coat of the required sheen, weather it be gloss, satin or matt.

[El_Coronel]

I see. Thank you Paul, I'll give experimenting a go. I've got plenty of scrap plastic bits from my failed planes! Lol