To Future Coat or to Clear Coat?

I've used the Testors glosscoat in the spray can. I't covers very well and evenly and dries pretty quickly. Even over flat paints, it only requires one heavy coat or a couple of light coats to get a full gloss finish.

There is one major problem with it though. In the cans I used, there was a brown substance in it that transferred to the model. On darker colors, it wasn't noticeable, but on the lighter colors....such as the underside of aircraft, the brown residue would puddle in the low spots of the flow before drying. After it dried, there would be a brown spot where the brown substance had puddled. light colors were substantially darker as well.

I don't know if this was a problem with just the cans I got (maybe just old), or if it is a problem with a batch, or it is a problem with the product. I intend to follow up on this since I really like the way it covers...it is really easy to control the coverage. Has anyone else experienced this?

IMO Future is one of those thing's that's very much a personal call. I've never had great luck with it (save for dipping clear parts and as a thinning medium for Vallejo) and have at times had it contribute to some disasters (Microset attached it and the underlying Future-thinned Vallejo = repaint!).

Depending on the weathering I'm planning, I prefer to use Vallejo Gloss Varnish, Alclad II Klear Gloss (but not the Aqua stuff - have yet to find an airbrush that'll shoot it well), or Tamiya or Testors rattlecans.

On the four models I've completed since coming back (5 actually, but even though they've all had some flaws one was so bad I called it a total fail and now it's a test frame), I've use Future on 2 and MM Gloss Clear Acryl on the other two for the decaling / weathering stages.  They've got pros and cons:

Future:  Excellent leveling and coverage.  Tends to run, but not hard to avoid with a bit of practice and easy to fix when it does.  Needs a heavy coat to look and work well.  Very cheap.  Decals go on well.  Weathering is so/so... sludge washes work great for keeping the dark stains in corners and recesses, but the thick coat tends to fill in panel lines.  The thickness of the coat also may not be visually pleasing.  Isn't really 'gloss', unless it goes on *very* thick, more a semi-gloss.

MM Gloss Acryl:  Costs a ton compared to Future, especially if you need a lot of gloss coat due to flat base colors.  No retarder, so might have to add one depending on environmentals.  Goes on much thinner than Future... greater risk of under-applying and getting silvered decals, but much easier to work with panel lines.  Doesn't have the 'heavy coating' look of future.  

I've actually got a rattle can of Testors Glosskote lacquer, but I've never used it.  Too afraid of it.  ;-)

vaw1975

I know, Future doesn't really "do" something to the paint but it does make it a darker (wetter) shade.

Is it really "darker" or does your eye just perceive it as darker because it is glossy?

Since Future is absolutely clear I don't see how it darkens the underlying color other than what I mentioned above. After it is finished with a dull coat it looks the same to me as before the Future.

I use Future as well and have never had a problem. Testors gloss coat works as well but it is a lacquer and if you spray it on too heavy it will attack the underlying paint. You need to "dust coat" the model first and allow the gloss coat to dry and then give it a wetter coat.

Personally, I don't like using Future for anything other that clear parts and prefer Testors "Gloss Coat" from a rattle can.

The more coats of anything you put on top of your paint the darker it will get.

Cool! Thx a lot

I know, Future doesn't really "do" something to the paint but it does make it a darker (wetter) shade.

future does darken the underlying colors a bit. But is a very very subtle change, and should not be a factor in the final appearance of the plane. Any change in color is really hard to distinguish, it looks "wet", but I would not worry about that at all. I use Future for a gloss coat all the time and have never had a problem with it.

Before future:

after future:

.

I can't really answer your question but I have never had an issue with future doing anything to the paint.