John P. Langellier grew up in Tucson, Arizona and spent 12 years in the US Army. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in History from the University of San Diego, and his PhD in Military History from Kansas State University. John helped found the Autry Museum of the American West in California and has served as the director for the Wyoming State Museum. He is the author of numerous books and monographs that include: The War in Europe: From the Kasserine Pass to Berlin, 1942-1945 (1995, Greenhill); Fix Bayonets: The U.S. Infantry from the American Civil War to the Surrender of Japan (1999, Chelsea); Second Manassas 1862: Robert E Lee’s Greatest Victory (2002, Osprey); Union Infantrymen of the Civil War (2003, Osprey); Fighting for Uncle Sam: Buffalo Soldiers in the Frontier Army (2016, Schiffer). John has worked as a film consultant in addition to producing many documentaries.

Sealing the paint before decals and weathering a model is an important step in preventing damage the base coat. Ammo by Mig Jimenez has released a line of acrylic varnishes (finishes) that are easy to use and are nontoxic. Here is the description from their catalog:

Ammo by Mig Jimenez has released a new line of primers that are formulated to be applied in one layer or “One Shot” as the bottle says. Ammo says this is formulated with a high gripping power that is self-leveling. They come in larger 60 ml bottle. It can be sanded after drying for 24 hours, does not need thinning, is non-toxic and has a no drip cap. I must not be pouring it incorrectly, because I had a lot of drips, then it splattered when I closed the lid. I wish it came in eye-dropper style bottle like their paint does. I tested the black #2023 and the grey #2024.

This is Ammo by Mig Jimenez’s 2017 product catalog (or catalogue in British English since this is translated from Spanish to this). This publication is large, 132 pages of glossy, colorful pages. It starts with a one-page introduction directly from Mig Jimenez. He writes a paragraph that I really think sums up modeling progression:

Here is the description from Ammo’s website:

“The Synthetic Brush range made of high-quality fibers, offers great spring and color carrying capacity, making them an excellent option to paint medium and large areas of our models. The ideal brush for working with military vehicles, aircraft, groundwork, and all manner of scale models. Thanks to the fine point, smaller sizes are also suitable for detail painting.

They are solvent-resistant and can be used with any paint type including acrylics, enamels, and oils. These are heavy duty brushes at a very economic price, making them a great option for all types of painting and weathering techniques and tasks. Both round and flat shapes can be used to apply washes, filters, pigments, splashes, mud, and a wide range of weathering effects.”