Trouble applying Flory wash

You have to really shake up the wash to get the clay in suspension.  Are you washing over a clear coat?

What are you applying it to. It does react to some paints such as lacquer. And i have noticed with my extra colour enamels it will do that to some colours and not others.

Just keep running it over the area and after a while it will cover it.

Flory wash is just a powder or pastel in a water soap suspension. It is intended to go into surface details and panel lines. Using it to "tone" down a decal will end badly, trust me on this. Use the wash to highlight panel lines etc. Then when cleaned up you can flat coat the heli, then use pastel chalk on a paint brush to "dull down or dirty up" that decal. This will work like you are wanting, the flory wash will ruin the decal and you won't be able to fix it.

BK

BrandonK

Flory wash is just a powder or pastel in a water soap suspension. It is intended to go into surface details and panel lines. Using it to "tone" down a decal will end badly, trust me on this. Use the wash to highlight panel lines etc. Then when cleaned up you can flat coat the heli, then use pastel chalk on a paint brush to "dull down or dirty up" that decal. This will work like you are wanting, the flory wash will ruin the decal and you won't be able to fix it.

BK

 

keavdog

You have to really shake up the wash to get the clay in suspension.  Are you washing over a clear coat?

 

BrandonK

Flory wash is just a powder or pastel in a water soap suspension. It is intended to go into surface details and panel lines. Using it to "tone" down a decal will end badly, trust me on this. Use the wash to highlight panel lines etc. Then when cleaned up you can flat coat the heli, then use pastel chalk on a paint brush to "dull down or dirty up" that decal. This will work like you are wanting, the flory wash will ruin the decal and you won't be able to fix it.

The decal that I sanded lightly to see if it would take the wash better certainly didn’t thrive — bits of it actually came off. But that’s OK. BF — Before Flory — it looked like it was factory-fresh and not at all what you would expect to see on a weathered, combat-weary helicopter near the end of its effective life, in Vietnam in 1966. But even with my deliberate “mistreatment” of the decal, most of its white portions still look factory-fresh and unrealistic.

I’ve looked at some videos about applying Flory washes. The ones I've seen show large surfaces of the models, not just panel lines and other recessed details, being covered with the wash. When the wash has dried, it's been selectively wiped away to achieve an overall appearance of weathering and hard use. That’s the level of “detail” I’d like to achieve, 

Bob

Try it over a flat surface.  I had a similar experience on a gloss surface.  It stays in panel lines and allows me to keep more on in areas I want to show more dirt and grim.  I use the gray and dirt one the most.  

If you want to tone down something then use a filter over a flat finish and not gloss cause it will not be properly absorved by the surface and it will bead up. Over gloss Flory will settle into sharp details like bolts, grills etc, and settle into recessed details like panel lines. The best way to tone down decals is to either use a thinned down enamel or oil wash or dot style filter for tonal effects.

Also Flory will easily get contaminated by using a non dedicated brush. I use Q Tips and then toss them in the trash. When contaminated it will do weird things.

Here is an example of what I described. I used a combo of a dot oil paint filter then shot clear acrylic flat  to seal it. Next day I used a grimy dusty filter oil wash over the flat finish to tone down the bright white number outlines. 

Plastic makes an excellent point about contamination.  I use new brushes labeled Flory that only get used for that particular wash.

plasticjunkie

If you want to tone down something then use a filter over a flat finish and not gloss cause it will not be properly absorved by the surface and it will bead up.

Also Flory will easily get contaminated by using a non dedicated brush. I use Q Tips and then toss them in the trash. When contaminated it will do weird things.

Unfortunately, I don't use an airbrush. It would be almost impossible in my small apartment. So, I have to rely on brushes (and I will use Flory-dedicated brushes in future). 

I think that I am making some weathering progress on my Seahorse helicopter. More of the brushed-on Flory washed stayed on the model than I realized. I used a combination of Q-Tips, an old toothbrush, and tissue paper to soften the effect, and then applied heavy black Flory wash to panel lines and sharp details. Hope it works!

If I destroy the model, which seems unlikely with the Flory washes, well, I've got two more of the same kits to try. Lord knows I couldn't screw up a second kit more than I've screwed up the first one. I've only broken a rotor blade, both main landing gears, accidentally sanded away some important panel lines, managed to install the flight deck at an unfixable and incorrect angle (it slopes to the right and I have no idea why), spilled a glob of lacquer on the tail, obliterating a panel line, and utterly failed at installing some PE; I need the eyes of an eagle just to see some of those parts, much less install them. Nevertheless, from a little distance it looks darned good, to my eyes anyway. I'll upload some pictures, eventually. If I don't completely wreck it in the meantime!

Bob  

Hey Bob do you use an optivisor or any kind of magnifying product?  My modeling game significantly got better when those small parts got 3.5 times bigger.

wpwar11

Hey Bob do you use an optivisor or any kind of magnifying product?  My modeling game significantly got better when those small parts got 3.5 times bigger.

Just last week I received the Carson optivisor that I ordered. I've used it just once, but it worked well. It has a LED lamp and comes with lenses in 1.5X-, 2X-, 2.5X- and 3X-magnification. The 3X is almost too powerful. I've also received a wax pencil designed for making jewellry; haven't used it yet, but I think it will be very useful. I've given up using tweezers to hold small parts, because they are likely to launch said parts into orbit.

Bob

The visor and wax pencil are great tools.  You’re right about the 3x power.  You have to get real close to view the part.  I still find it better than without.  

Good luck and happy modeling