Clear parts..tint first, then apply Future?

[ronwojnar]

Working on the Moebius Dark knight Tumbler, and want to paint the windows with Tamiya X-15 Smoke. However, I want to try using Future Floor Wax/Polish to "smooth out" the distortion inherent in clear parts. So, do I apply Future/Smoke/Future? Or is it just Smoke/Future?

[EVApodman]

Future applies like water and I believe that any acrylic based paint would mix with it for a tint effect.

If the paints are enamel or lacquer then I would apply them first and then Future over the paint to get a shiny effect.

The main thing to remember is to apply tints in light coats. Like everything else in this hobby we tend to over do things.

[seam-filler]

Although the Tamiya smoke (or any of their clear colours) will mix with Future, it will inhibit it's self-levelling capability a tiny bit. I've had best results by applying the tint first. As EVAPodman says - it's easy to overdo tinting, so doing this first gives you the opportunity to strip & redo if you get it wrong.

But to be perfectly honest, the difference in results is virtually unnoticeable whichever way you do it.

[ronwojnar]

Thanks for the advice, all. I'll give it a go, and let you know what I end up with!

[ronwojnar]

I tried a a couple of variations. First up was mixing Tamiya Smoke and Future and airbrushing. I got nice coverage, but the tint was too light, for my taste. Also, the smoke tended to gum up at the bottom of a sealed mixing jar, leaving reapplication out of the question. Onto stripping with my trusty ScaleCoat II Wash Away Paint Remover.

Next, I tried Tamiya Smoke from the rattle can, followed by a dip in Future after allowing adequate cure time. I got the tint I was looking for, but I could never get all the excess off, in spite of a lot shaking and multiple attempts at wicking with paper towel. Again into the ScaleCoat II.

Finally, and while the rattle can Smoke was curing, I came across a YouTube video of a guy simply squirting Future directly onto a part, and catching the excess is a container. And behold, that worked perfectly. I got the tint I wanted, and the smoothness and clarity that the Future brings.

https://1drv.ms/u/s!ArM0NZqaftHAislQNKra1ON5Pbw8rA

Thanks again!

[seam-filler]

Thanks for relating the results of your experiments.