Future clear coat smears paint?

plasticjunkie

 

 

HighDesertmodeler

I've settled on using Vallejo's latest Gloss Varnish (26.517) ...beats Future hands down and you will not get the dreaded orange peel effect.  I thin it with distilled water.  

I only airbrush my varnishes, never brush them on.

 

 

 

 

Get a bottle of AKs Gauzy Shine Enhancer. You too will become a fan of it. I experimented over metallic Alclad paints and Gauzy outperformed Aquagloss and Future. No orange peel with Gauzy only glass smooth clear transparent results.

 

cool, thanks for the tip!

Gauzy Shine Enhancer gets my vote too.  Used it to clearcoat the Alclad-painted parts in my Spitfire cockpit.  No orange peel for me either...just looks like a nice, shiny piece of aluminum.

HighDesertmodeler

I've settled on using Vallejo's latest Gloss Varnish (26.517) ...beats Future hands down and you will not get the dreaded orange peel effect.  I thin it with distilled water.  

I only airbrush my varnishes, never brush them on.

 

Get a bottle of AKs Gauzy Shine Enhancer. You too will become a fan of it. I experimented over metallic Alclad paints and Gauzy outperformed Aquagloss and Future. No orange peel with Gauzy only glass smooth clear transparent results.

I've settled on using Vallejo's latest Gloss Varnish (26.517) ...beats Future hands down and you will not get the dreaded orange peel effect.  I thin it with distilled water.  

I only airbrush my varnishes, never brush them on.

bapowellphys

Thanks Baron.  Here was my process: Stynylrez primer followed by Tamiya acrylics thinned with X-20A about 50:50.  No trouble with the paint going on nice and easy.  The model is a Saturn V, so really two colors: white and black.  The black portions are nice and dark, taking several coats.  Not sure if that would be relevant. 

I ended up purchasing some Aqua Gloss to airbrush the clear coat on (having read about orange peel from Future) and ended up with some orange peel anyway:

  Oh well.  This is my first model in over 10 years, when I used to handbrush Testors enamels.  I've learned a ton and the model isn't totally destroyed ;)

Those were the only things I can think of, as far as Future reactivating paint goes.  Like I said, I've never seen it happen.

As far as orange-peel goes, that's probably related to your airbrush settings and application method, rather than to the material.  Orange-peel texture can happen with various paints, too.  I think you've got some replies to your thread about that issue, higher up here in General Discussions.

Even using rattlecans, I used to get texturing, if I applied to much in a pass, for example, or held the can too close.  It happens.

As you noted, the Aqua Gloss also ended up with orange peel texture, too.  I've never had that happen with Future, either, because it does level itself so easily.  The closest I've gotten to that was some texture when it was wet, but as it dried and cured, it leveled out. 

The bigger issue with Future, in my experience, has been to apply it too heavily and then get drips or pooling, and not notice it till the acrylic clears.  It's not a real problem, though.  When that happens, a weak ammonia solution (like Windex) applied to the pool or drip will reactivate the acrylic to a liquid again, and you can wick or wipe away the excess, and then let it cure.

bapowellphys

The paint had been dry for days, maybe even a week when I applied the gloss coat.

In that case, I stand corrected. I would think that would be adequate drying time before the floor polish.

That's a nice-looking Saturn V. Sorry you had trouble with the clear coat.

Thanks Baron.  Here was my process: Stynylrez primer followed by Tamiya acrylics thinned with X-20A about 50:50.  No trouble with the paint going on nice and easy.  The model is a Saturn V, so really two colors: white and black.  The black portions are nice and dark, taking several coats.  Not sure if that would be relevant. 

I ended up purchasing some Aqua Gloss to airbrush the clear coat on (having read about orange peel from Future) and ended up with some orange peel anyway:

  Oh well.  This is my first model in over 10 years, when I used to handbrush Testors enamels.  I've learned a ton and the model isn't totally destroyed ;)

Hi;

 Ever since I did a review for our club newsletter Many years ago. I won't use Future on anything. Jack Elliot,  owner of our sponsoring store of Jacks Hobby Shop had some of the members do build reviews of some New Monogram kits. Mine was the New Triumph with the T-Bird type top. I clearcoated it with Future over a beautiful coat of Magnesium Silver. It is now the color of Beer!

I use Future as a gloss coat, and I use Tamiya acrylics, as well as several brands of water-based acrylics.  I have never, ever had Future attack the color coat.

There are some details no one asked, that might also be important to troubleshooting this.

Did you prime the piece before you applied the Tamiya color coat?

How did you apply the Tamiya, with an airbrush or by hand-brushing?  Did you thin it, and if you did, what did you use?

I ask these questions because of my own experience with Tamiya acrylics.  I always lay them down over a primer, because I found they didn't adhere well, to plastic or to white metal, without a primer. 

Also, I went many years brushing Tamiya acrylics on metal figures by hand, and I often saw a second coat lift the first coat off the subject, even though the first coat appeared to be dry. It was the worst with Flat Black and Flat White.

Then I read somewhere that Tamiya's acrylics are formulated for airbrushing and are meant to be thinned.  After trial and error with different thinners, I found that if I used Tamiya's proprietary acrylic thinner, I could lay down coats as thin as if I had airbrushed them, and there was no problem laying down a second coat over them.  They definitely cured better for me that way.

And I apply Future to a model by brushing.  It's easier for me to do this, than to fire up the airbrush to do it.  Though I've applied it with an airbrush, too.  Like I said, I have never, ever seen Future re-activate a color coat, whether it's Tamiya's acrylic, or Andrea, Vallejo, or the craft-store, water-based acrylics that I also use.

I suspect that your Tamiya color hadn't completely cured, even if it looked dry.  I would try Future again, though if you've decided not to use it anymore, there are also gloss products out there that are made by hobby suppliers specifically for scale modelers to use.  You might want to try those, too.

And if you do decide not to use Future anymore, don't throw it out - that's wasteful.  Use it on your floors.

You might find more feedback and insight about using Future in the Paint forum, too.  It's a little further down the index page.  Though I don't recall anyone reporting this particular problem.

Hi all,

Thanks for all the replies. The paint had been dry for days, maybe even a week when I applied the gloss coat. It was very slight smearing, but on a black and white model that was enough to make it noticeable.

plasticjunkie

I have NEVER heard of Future doing anything bad to either enamel or acrylic paint.

Though I don't use floor polish on my models anymore, I've used my share of it and I never had such problems either.

I still suspect Hutch is right and your underlying paint wasn't dry, let alone cured. Did you mention how long you allowed the underlying paint to dry?

Also, if you used the .45 tip to lay down the underlying paint, that might suggest a pretty thick and wet coat of paint, which could mean longer dry time.

I have NEVER heard of Future doing anything bad to either enamel or acrylic paint. I too for years have been  brushing on Future over cured enamel and acrylic paints and never had any reaction. My last recent one was a 1/32 Bf109K4 shot with Vallejo acrylic RLM84 on the undersides and glossed over with several brushed Future coats.

Hutch6390

I use Pledge Multi-surface polish, gently applied in thin coats with a soft, wide brush.  I've never had any problems with acrylic, enamel, or oil paints - just make sure they're thoroughly dry first.

Hi,

I do the same.  In fact I typically use one of those wide "sponge-type" brushes, and don't really "push" down any while brushing..

Pat

I use Pledge Multi-surface polish, gently applied in thin coats with a soft, wide brush.  I've never had any problems with acrylic, enamel, or oil paints - just make sure they're thoroughly dry first.

I been using Future for years as a clear coat applying with an airbrush or paint brush and never has it smear the paint, being enamel, acrylic or lacquer. 

Marcus

Yes, it self levels quite well.  I think one problem people have when airbrushing it is they spray until it is smooth, then when it flashes (levels out) it runs like crazy.

Using it as a prep for decals is probably one of the better uses.  (There are many better choices for final clear gloss.)

One thin coat should do what you need for decal application.  You just need a smooth surface. 

I don't have a definitve answer for the psi and your tip.  I usually shoot it though a Paasche VL with a #5 needle and cone at about 18-22 psi if that helps.

Thanks.  Figured that was the problem: so I suppose only safe to brush on over enamels.  

Regarding airbrushing, I admit I'm reluctant given the reports of the orange peel effect.  From your post, you seem to be saying that as the Future goes on, it will form the orange peel but then smooth out as it dries?  I'm using the Future as a clear coat prior to decals, and plan to do a final satin coat afterwards: how smooth does the Future coat need to be given this?

Last question if I may: what's a good psi if I've got a .45 mm tip?  Thanks very much!

Yup.  What Scale-Master said.  Future can't really be brushed over acrylic paint without the risk of damage.

Since Future is also an acrylic it softened the black and made it run.  (May have also affected the white.)

I airbrush Future and have found lights coats are the trick. 

Stop applying while it still has orange peel and it does a great job of smoothing out within 10-15 minutes.  If at that point you want a smoother finish apply a second coat, also stopping while it still has some orange peel.  If it blushes don't worry, it will dry clear.