Clear finish problems - bleeding ink

[lpaulin]

I have run into the following problem. I am currently working on the finishing touches of my AMT USS Reliant. I was spraying a clear finish (Testor's MM Clear Gloss) on the model when I noticed that it was causing some bleeding on the window details that I had previously applied with a black fine tip Sharpie.

The ink had been applied several days earlier, and I was quite careful to not apply a heavy coat of Clear. So now I have two questions: ONE, what can I use to take off the clear finish and the black ink that is now horribly sealed in without damaging the white paint underneath (Testor's MM Enamel); and TWO, what can I do differently next time around? Like many, I do not have a steady enough hand to paint windows on and was using a Sharpie as an alternative. (Is there another brand of pen that someone has had better results with?)

I have seen some discussions about Windex or rubbing alcohol as a gloss finish remover. I am not sure if this is the answer in my situation.

Lauren

[TER-OR]

You sprayed a lacquer clear coat over the ink?

Bad modeler, bad! No greeblie for you!

If you use the lacquer topcoat, go very light - if applied over acrylic it may damage the paint (I speak from experience). I use acrylics almost exclusively now - my house is less stinky, and the Future/ Polyscale flat coat is so much faster than solvent-based painting.


The ink in the sharpie is permanent to water. Alcohol and other organic solvents will remove it.

You're going to have a tricky feat to pull off, as the lacquer-based topcoat is pretty sturdy stuff - and thinners which remove it will remove the paint beneath. You can try alcohol, it's the least likely to damage the paint. You can try lightly wet-sanding the areas, and then re-painting as required.

[TER-OR]

Oh, one trick you could have tried would be to apply a different coat over the clear. Future sprayed very thin won't disturb the Sharpie or Micron pen inks. Then you can use enamels over that. The acrylic should protect the inks from the 'hot' solvents.


BUT - and this is vital - the solvent-based paint must have completely out-gassed before applying the acrylic or it will crackle or even orang-peel. Future applied over glossy surfaces seems to be even worse - and may crackle over gloss acrylic paint! I use semi-gloss now as the glossiest coat I ever apply in paint - often I'll add some flat base to a paint to semi-gloss it. I find it covers better, too.

[lpaulin]

Thanks Terry. I've often heard of modelers using Future Wax as the finish but I've always been relatively satisfied with the boring old Clear Gloss - Decals - Clear Flat combo, so I've never bothered to change my ways.

I've also seen reference in the Future Sticky or in other forums to some modelers "thinning" the wax. Are there any situations where you would spray Future only as opposed to diluted Future? Also, in your own experience, do you spray Future all over the model or only where the decals will be placed?

Also, a general question to my fellow Canadian modelers (and floor finishing experts) out there. Is Future Wax available in Canada, or is it called something else up here? I have by no means exhasuted my local stores and supermarkets, but I did not have any success at the ones I happened to visit this past week.

LP

[TER-OR]

To clarify, Future isn't wax, it's an acrylic. It's called a "polish" though that's a dubious term.

Personally, I usually airbrush Future over the entire model. I do this for a few reasons, and mostly because I developed techniques building aircraft. BTW, I could show you the very models which made me revolutionize my modeling techniques - they're disasters. First was a Macchi 202 when I applied lacquer dullcoat over acrylic paint and it looks like the paint is pitted - my first use of acrylic paints when I was used to lacquers... Second is a P-51 with badly silvered decals which made me really step back, do some reading and then change everything.

I do the following.
Primer (sometimes)
Paint coat 1.
Thin Future coat (if paint coat2 requires masking - protects paint)
paint coat 2.
Rinse and repeat.

Future glosscoat. Good, shiny coat.
Decals.
Future seal coat. (tones the decals the same as the surrounding area)
Panel line wash (ink, pastel, watercolor, oils, whatever is needed)
Future glosscoat (tones the washes the same as the surrounding area)
detail painting
Dullcoat (if required).
Pastel weathering etc.


You can glosscoat selected areas, or remove the adhesive on a decal and use Future as the adhesive, but those can be tricky. I prefer to gloss the entire model (though not always super-glossy over the whole thing) because I want the paint to look the same over the entire model. I may then vary how dull the various parts of the model are left - depending on what I'm trying to do.

I like the Polyscale Flat a lot, but apply light coats at higher pressure.

I have found that Future doesn't need to be thinned if I apply at a higher pressure than I normally paint with. A couple of thin coats are always better than one thick coat. Thinning with some alcohol, water, and perhaps a bit of detergent for added surface flattening doesn't hurt. I like the Liquitex Flo-aid product Slo-Dri doesn't hurt, either, as sometimes when using Future with a hand-brush it dries a bit too quickly.

I find disasters have been very instructive during my modeling as well as life in general. It forces one to re-examine techniques.

Bear in mind a gloss coat will make a color appear darker, when dullcoated that color may or may not appear the same as the paint out of the jar...

[Sdf-1]

Little question, can Future be painted over with Tamiya acrylics? I mean, isn't Tamiya's thinner alcohol based and then affect Future coat? Secondly, the same thing about ammonia based masking liquids? Are there ones that aren't ammonia based?

Oh, I don't have Tamiyas yet (I have an order coming soon), so I was just wondering in advance.

[TER-OR]

I have never had a problem painting over Future with acrylic paints. The residence time of the paint thinners is very short.

As I mentioned, I typically paint, future, paint, future, paint future espescially if I'm masking - I find the chance of lifting paint much lower when it's coated with nice, glossy Future...and the chance of leaving any adhesive residue is much lower on glossy Future.

The Tamiya and Gunze acrylcs are alcohol based.

[Sdf-1]

Yeah, thanks. I prefer clear coating between different stages myself too.