oil and acrylic wash failures

Are you thinning your washes correctly?
They should appear to look like 'dirty thinners'

I had the same problem when I tried acrylic washes, this is because acrylic thinners would eat through the Future (Pledge here), and leave a dirty ring.
I no longer use acrylics, only oils.

As long as you have thinned the wash right, you should have no problem with the Future being rubbed away.

I mix 10% paint to 90% thinners, this gives me a very light wash, but I would rather do it twice or more, than damage the paint work underneath.
Sounds like your trying to rub off a heavy paint layer, not a wash.

Also allow your Future layer to cure for at least 48 hours. And when removing the wash you applied, wipe it gently, going across the panel line in the direction of air flow ie front to back.

If the surface starts to feel a little bit 'tacky', that indicates you have started to wipe into the Future layer, just stop for say hlaf an hour, and try again.

Check out this sight-
http://www.swannysmodels.com/Weathering.html

Swanny is pretty much the guru round these parts.

Hope this helps a little

Alcohol can affect Future so be careful using it. For washes, I like a water based acrylic. Vallejo is all I use these days. Don't let it completely dry before you wipe off the excess, it can get very tenacious when cured. For oil washes, Lacquer thinner is much too hot. Turpentine or mineral spirits is what you want to use.

Regards, Rick

the above postings. One of the keys is having a well cured Future gloss coat. I like to let mine cure for about 1 week to be safe. A thin mix of Winsor & Newton Oil Color mixed with mineral spirits works well and will not eat through Future. Apply to the panel lines with a 000 brush and let dry for about 30 minutes and then remove the excess with a soft rag. Reapply if needed. BTW, there is an excellent article in the current issue of FSM regarding the use of tempera paints for weathering. The technique for using tempera paints requires thinning them with water and then applying like other washes. With whatever technique you use, I suggest using a small brush allowing a minimum amount of wash outside of the panel lines. This will keep staining to a minimum.

Don't be afraid to try various techniques on scrap models. You will find a way or ways that you like.

ditto Goldenretriver

Let your future dry for 48 hours and save the turpentine for cleaning brushes. Use mineral spirits to make washes and thin oils.

Just another suggestion.

I have been using lighter fluid and artist oils with pretty good results. One thing I like about the lighte fluid is that it seems to dull the gloss coat a little when you wipe the excess off. What ever technique you use, make sure you let the gloss coat dry.

Hope this helps,

Chuck B.

thanks all for the advices... will try all of them one by one soon.

For washes...
I went with plain Crayola brand watercolors.
You can buy them in multiple colors in plastic snap lid tubs, which can be reused for paint mix cups later.

You can mix any color you need, they thin in water (duh hense the name) work equally well on acrylic and enamel...and a major screwup can just be washed off.
After I'm done another shot of future to seal it and, viola done.
Nobody knows what the paint is by looking at it.
it drys in minutes...the benifits just keep coming.

I've never looked back.