Modern Masters DP609-32 Dead Flat Varnish, 32-Ounce

This is a great Flat Varnish. The name is on point. It is DEAD FLAT. It is thick like a paint but water based so it can easily be thinned. Use only tiny amounts of water at a time to thin. Its milky white in color when wet but will dry to a flat clear finish. Instruction say, DO NOT SHAKE but it needs to be mixed before using so use a paint stick or whatever you have to mix. 2 or 3 coats work best but anything more you will begin to notice that there is a slight whitish tint. When i say slight i mean only barely the tiniest hint of white, Its still clear but you can tell that there is a coating on whatever it is your applying the varnish to. It can even be applied over a glossy paint to make it flat. I actually use this in my airbrush to add a flat, clear, protective coat on my model kits and it does an excellent job.

This does what it says. Its a little scary on application because its milky and doesn’t seem like it goes on as even as you think it should be but it all dries perfectly and levels out. This is two coats(small fine foam roller) with a light sand in between on raw wood and part wood veneer. No change in color after application and looks dead flat as advertised. Super happy with this product.

SEPT 2018 : 2+ years later and this dining table still looks perfect. This table had a coat of poly that was supposedly matte but ended up with a sheen. I added a couple coats of Dead Flat to remove the sheen (which it did!) and - 2 years later - zero damage, scratches, or water penetration! Let me be clear: we eat at this table at least twice/day, glasses of ice water are left to sweat on it, etc. We do not baby it, but it looks like we do. We also used this product on raw wood shelving to keep it looking like raw wood, while still being protected from water. Again, perfect condition 2 years later! Highly recommend! JULY 2016 : FINALLY...A TRUE, DEAD FLAT MATTE FINISH! Seriously people, you wouldn't think it would be that hard to find a true matte finish...yet it is. AND...this leaves no paint brush streaks, unlike polyurethane. I did a test strip on a scrap piece of wood that I had tried another "matte" finish poly (that, of course, ended up being shiny). I painted this Dead Flat on top of the poly coat and - wow! - it's dead flat. Water doesn't have a chance of penetrating now that I have both poly + this varnish on top.

Excellent product

This is not a pro review. This varnish is amazing. It is truly dead flat, and does not change the color of raw wood. The instructions said it was not for raw wood, but it worked. You can brush it or roll it on, and it does not show any texture. Raw wood takes at least two coats.

Excellent product that has absolutely no sheen and does not yellow even light colored DIY chalk paints. I have waxed over it for my preferred finish. I would give it 5 stars but I'll have to see how it holds up a few years from now. This is a great finish for chalk painters that gives more protection and is less labor intensive than wax alone but does not add shine of any other poly I have used. Odor is not too bad and best of all, water cleanup! Next time I will buy a larger can.

This is one of those products that half the people buying it are using it for purposes other than intended. Namely, it seems to do a tremendous job at filling the demand out there for a finish that you can't tell is even there. I have a very expensive reclaimed wood coffee table that soaks up liquid and stains like a sponge. I have young children that put sippy cups full of juice on it. I went searching for something that I could do to keep it from being a sponge for stains and moisture rings, but that would NOT darken it or change the color. I thought there was no such product. I that for sure that any finish would surely darken it and/or add a sheen to it. Not so with Modern Masters Dead Flat. This product does a great job of sealing raw wood without being undetectable that it's even there.

I have been refinishing furniture with Annie Sloan chalk paint for about 5 years. At first, I used their wax to finish, and seal my pieces. As beautiful as it was, I learned the hard way that it is not ideal for pieces you actually use. Wax absorbs stains, and offers little protection from scratches. I started using a matte polycrylic to try and achieve the same look, but with more durability. It was very durable, but even the matte was shiny to me, like a satin. Next I tried general finishes matte polyurethane. The furniture was still too shiny, and it yellowed in a few areas. So I searched the Internet far and wide, and found modern masters dead flat varnish here on amazon. Based on the reviews, and manufacturer's description, I decided to try this on my new project. It's a dining room table painted with a white chalk paint. I put the 1st coat of modern masters dead flat varnish on there today. It was amazing. It went on easily, and dried to a perfectly matte finish. The label recommends 2 coats, but it did not say if you should sand between coats. I really wanted this table to be perfect, so I emailed modern masters costumer service, and asked if it required sanding between coats like most sealers. Joe from Modern Masters calls me back and informs me that dead flat varnish is NOT a protective sealer or topcoat. It is ONLY intended to use over acrylic decorative glazes to take the sheen away. He said it is not intended to be used on chalk paint because it will yellow, or brown. He said since it is not a sealer, it will not hold up to regular use on my table. I asked if I should seal it with a protective topcoat, and then use this to take away the shine, and he said no, because it won't stick to anything that is a urethane base, and repeated himself again that it is only for use over a acrylic decorative glaze. I feel that if modern masters does not consider this product a protective sealer, they should take the name varnish off the label. Varnish is by definition a transparent protective finishing coat. I pointed out to him that I bought this on amazon, and the manufacturer description says non yellowing protective finish for durability and washability. He just repeated that it's not a sealer, or protective finish and will not hold up. So after talking to Joe Signs from modern masters, I feel I have no use for this product, and will have to seal this table with something else. I hate to leave a bad review because it is not the sellers fault. Modern masters is to blame for being misleading. There are a ton of reviews on here from customers who have used this to seal painted furniture like me, and even stained furniture. I am curious how your projects are holding up. I hope Joe was wrong, and that it provided some protection for your pieces.

Excellent varnish! Does not change the colour at all, used it in top of limewash paint (Bawerk), as I want to paint the doors and cabinet in the same wall colour. Here is a photo for comparisson with Rust-Oleum.. Dissapointing that is no longer available after I purchased one pot?