Future floor polish

zaphod · Post by **zaphod** » Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:25 pm

The reason I bring up Swanny's web site is that I think he has a section on airbrushing. Additionally, I have emailed him, and he is quite friendly and generous with sound advice.

Post by **TER-OR** » Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:21 pm

And a regular poster at www.modelingmadness.com

Someday I'll meet Swanny...

Stingray · Post by **Stingray** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:38 am

Is there something that can be added to Future to make it flat or at least matte? Th reason I ask is that someone recently mentioned in another thread something about giving a model a falt coat of Future.

-S

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:50 am

Stingray wrote:Is there something that can be added to Future to make it flat or at least matte? Th reason I ask is that someone recently mentioned in another thread something about giving a model a falt coat of Future.

-S

Tamiya makes a "flat base" that can be added to make it flat.

Stingray · Post by **Stingray** » Tue Nov 15, 2005 10:59 am

Thanks, I'll look for that next time I'm in the hobby shop.

-S

krako · Post by **krako** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:44 am

Newbie Future user with a question here...

Yesterday, I airbrushed Future onto a model part (PL Refit) and let it dry over night. It looked fantastic! This morning I put a couple of decals on top of it (again PL refit) and the Future began to look cloudy underneath both decals. I let it sit for about 30 minutes, thinking it might clear up by itself. When it didn't, I pulled off the decals, only to find that the decals had literally sunk into the future (leaving a ridge where the edge of the decals had been) and clouded the surface of the paint underneath. Is it a no-no to put decals on top of Future or is this a case of operator error? I stripped all of the Future off of the part with Windex, so it's sitting there ready for round two.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:52 am

krako wrote:Newbie Future user with a question here...

Yesterday, I airbrushed Future onto a model part (PL Refit) and let it dry over night. It looked fantastic! This morning I put a couple of decals on top of it (again PL refit) and the Future began to look cloudy underneath both decals. I let it sit for about 30 minutes, thinking it might clear up by itself. When it didn't, I pulled off the decals, only to find that the decals had literally sunk into the future (leaving a ridge where the edge of the decals had been) and clouded the surface of the paint underneath. Is it a no-no to put decals on top of Future or is this a case of operator error? I stripped all of the Future off of the part with Windex, so it's sitting there ready for round two.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

It's best to let Future cure about 48 hours before applying decals. The fogging will usually clear up, depending. I can get away with 24 hours here in hot, dry, high altitude Denver but most places the cure time is about 48 hours.

woozle · Post by **woozle** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 11:53 am

Future cleans up with amonia (windex) and if you used a decal-set for the decals or let water pool on the future, it might have acted like a solvent. If it stays discolored, the only answer is an amonia stripping and re-coat.

When you airbrush Future, it makes a very thin coat (thin enough to rub off easily) and it helps to do a couple coats. It seems that up-to 24 hours setting time per coat of future is best.

I've heard of putting decals on wet Future, to set them in place, though I would expect a brushed coat of future, to loosen the set future underneath.

Matt2893 · Post by **Matt2893** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:02 pm

OK, this is kinda off topic, but does involve future.

Can you use future to "fix" scratches on CD's that don't work well in your computer drive?

woozle · Post by **woozle** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:06 pm

I've done it. Beware of dust though.. that can make it worse.

The actual data on a CD is on the back side, under the lable. The shiny side is just a clear coating. I've also seen a CD sanded smooth and re-polished.

krako · Post by **krako** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 12:56 pm

Thanks for the advice, guys! I just re-coated with Future, so I guess I'll wait until Saturday to put on decals.

I'm hoping it's not something with the decal adhesive - that means I'll be doing this all again on Saturday. I'll take your word for it, though and let the part sit for 48 hours. Now, what to do until Saturday...

woozle · Post by **woozle** » Thu Dec 29, 2005 1:04 pm

A nice glossy Future surface should be okay, with no setting solution. Then after putting the decal on, use a light coat of decal solution, or plain white vinigar, to set it.. though a couple more coats of Future would do as well.

With future, you really don't need decal soutions, unless they're older decals or its a difficult surface.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 5:08 am

krako wrote:Thanks for the advice, guys! I just re-coated with Future, so I guess I'll wait until Saturday to put on decals.

I'm hoping it's not something with the decal adhesive - that means I'll be doing this all again on Saturday. I'll take your word for it, though and let the part sit for 48 hours. Now, what to do until Saturday...

Try an experiment first. Place a little decal in an area that won't be noticed, and wait for it to dry. If it looks ok, proceed. If it doesn't, at least you won't have to strip the model again.

big-dog · Post by **big-dog** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:46 am

Okay, after my move I pulled my almost full bottle of Future out of a box, and it's the colour of urine. Granted I've not used it in 1 year or so, but it was in a sealed box, so not subjected to UV light. If the stuff does this in the bottle in a closed box, what happens on a model? I've heard of yellowing problems, but this seems to seal that case. And it was never subjected to extremes of heat or cold, nor did I pee in the bottle.

Post by **TER-OR** » Thu Jan 05, 2006 11:32 pm

Wow, I've never seen that.

I've seen it get a bit milky when old. I have never experienced Future yellowing with age, unlike lacquer clearcoats.

naoto · Post by **naoto** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 12:28 am

I did have a bottle seemingly turn smoke-color. Later I noticed while I transferring a quantity into a small mixing bottle that it was the clear plastic bottle that discolored, not the contents.

Kylwell · Post by **Kylwell** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 1:41 am

From what I know of the chemistry of Future, light actually helps it stay clear. Tends to bleach it.

Mr. Badwrench · Post by **Mr. Badwrench** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 4:59 am

big-dog wrote:...nor did I pee in the bottle.

Are you sure? How many beers did you have over New Years?

big-dog · Post by **big-dog** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 6:19 pm

I'll have to pour some out and see if the bottle may have turned, otherwise, for the price, it aint a lot to replace. Maybe the Canadian formula for the stuff is different.

Jonas Calhoun · Post by **Jonas Calhoun** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:55 pm

I've got a bottle that looks like it's yellowing with age, but I think it's just the bottle--not the contents. I'll check tonight...

Dan

nicholjm · Post by **nicholjm** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 9:43 am

Hey yall, I just used Future for the first time in my airbrush! It was actually only the second time I've ever used my airbrush. I overcoated my AT-AT with a coat of Future in preparation for a wash. I tried it on a test piece first - an old Ferrari car body, and it made that look nice and glossy. I learned that spraying a clearcoat can be tricky-because it's clear! It was really hard to tell where I had already sprayed. It's also really hard to tell when you've cleaned your airbrush enough. I used lots of Windex, but since Future is clear, I can't tell if it's clean!

Question: Does the glosscoat you put on your subject in preparation for a wash need to be glass-smooth, like a car body, for the wash to work best? Or can it be just a light, shiny overcoat, you know, anything but a flat finish? My coat has a medium sheen to it, but is not "wet-paint glossy".

Kekker · Post by **Kekker** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:52 am

I've had the same bottle of Future for the past decade and a half, and have used about half of it. One thing I've noticed over the past couple of years is that it can get a kind of phlegm-like substance building up in it. Not sure if it's a bacterial mat, or some kind of polymerization going on. Whatever it is is pretty slow. I take a long bamboo skewer and poke a gob, twirl and it wraps around it and comes out. Back to the clear Future.

Kev
(Sorry, couldn't resist the opportunity for the pun!)

Post by **TER-OR** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 10:55 pm

That's a slow polymerization going on. Future is acrylic, plain old acrylic, there shouldn't be anything for bacteria to digest in there.

And, for how glossy to be?
Depends on what you want to do. For the most crisp panel lines a nice fully gloss surface. This will let you wipe away excess.

For everything else, a semi-gloss surface is fine. Espescially for masking, where flat paint can retain some adhesive. For armor, I find a semi-gloss is fine, because I want to keep some grime and grit - but be able to wipe away excess quick.

nicholjm · Post by **nicholjm** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:56 am

This may be answered somewhere on this site already, but will an oil wash with Turpentoid as the thinner react badly with Future? I've read that it will, and I've read that it won't.

Post by **TER-OR** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:33 pm

Not in my experience, it won't.

One Sprue Loose · Post by **One Sprue Loose** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 4:44 pm

Is it safe to use a Lacquer flat coat over an application of Future on top of acrylics?

Post by **TER-OR** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 7:37 pm

If you go very lightly, yes.

I have found PolySclale's flat acrylic very good - but use light coats at high pressure. It gives a nice, dead flat.

One Sprue Loose · Post by **One Sprue Loose** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 8:20 pm

TER-OR wrote:If you go very lightly, yes.

I have found PolySclale's flat acrylic very good - but use light coats at high pressure. It gives a nice, dead flat.

I think I will use PolyS or one of the other acrylic flats then. I was hoping for a spray on acrylic from the can but it's not to be.

Post by **TER-OR** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 11:03 am

The Gunze flat acrylic is pretty good.
Poly Scale's flat acrylic airbrushes very well. It's a little tacky for a little while, but once dry it's very good. Just don't let it pool - like anything else, that's bad. Several thin airbrused coats are better than one thick one.

didihno · Post by **didihno** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:46 am

I just shot my first ever coat of Klear through my Iwata at 15psi.
It went on beautifully and dried within seconds.
Thing is its very hard to judge volume when spraying and I ended up flushing out a lot of the Klear from panel lines, probably leaving streaks.
Anyway I now have a Star Destroyer with a lovely gloss finish, which has to be corrected.
Only matt varnish I have is Humbrol in a little tin, and I've never used it on anything. Anyone got any experience with this stuff? How to thin it for airbrushing?

Tonight, if Liverpool win, I'm going to be in a good enough mood to do my first ever wash, over the Klear coat. So do I use the Acrylic or thin down some enamel for it?

I've read you can do either. I'm getting all sweaty palmed at the prospect of a nearly finished model! Now to build a base.....