Future Floor Polish

I believe its getting harder and harder to find in aus (Kinda like marmite here atm) Youll be looking for "Pledge with future shine" i believe.

New world usually stocks it, bottom shelf cleaning products.

Its an acrylic (i think?) its self levelling, goes on anything (Enamels, acrylics, etc) and is usually an intermediate coat to give a smooth surface for decals. Its then followed by a matt coat (or left if the aircraft is to be shiny)

http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html go there, that should help.

In short its considered by alot of modellers as the holy grail of clear coats.

The nearest off the shelf product we have in Australia is Pledge "One Go".We don't have a direct equivalent here.  One used to be able to find it (One Go) fairly readily in Woolies/Safeway/Coles, but it seems to have vanished from the shelves in recent times. Likewise with the Pascoes Long Life floor polish. Both products are similar, but at the same time, different. One Go is a brownish liquid, while Pascoes is milky (and quite unfriendly to acrylic paints)

I can't say that I've really looked for it lately, but you may still be able to find it in the domestic cleaning products aisle at Bunnings.

I purchased my Future on Amazon. You can find anything on Amazon. Tonight I purchased a fly swatter on Amazon, with free 2nd day delivery.

Here is a link I found some years ago:

http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html

Oops, sorry, Scorpionmikey already posted this link.

If you're going to mail order, you can do better than Future for a gloss coat.  I've used it on two models and it worked just fine both times (sprayed nice and even, relatively easy to control runs once you get used to how it looks as it goes down, strong finish), but after using it on my 1/32 262 I understood the main criticism:  it's too thick.

Not thick as in consistency... it sprays like water.  Thick in how thick the coating is.  You might think 'well, he should have sprayed it in very thin, misting coats', but that goes counter to all the advice I'd read before on how to get a good, even finish without orange peel.  Swanny et. al. advises spraying it on pretty thick, right up to the point of running, and this does produce a great finish.  It's terrible for panel lines, though. 

I had one heck of a time doing a panel wash after the first coat, where the panel lines were pretty prominent on this aircraft.  The wash just didn't want to take to the line.  When I started probing around I realized the line was 95% filled with Future.  My previous model (a Mig 3) I'd used Model Master Clear Gloss.  This stuff goes on MUCH thinner, and pin washes worked like magic.  Per ounce it costs around 10,000X more, but I've since switched to Alclad gloss kote.  Still more expensive by far, but you use so much less of it and you can buy it in a 4oz bottle.

There are tons of acrylic gloss coats out there made for modeling, don't waste your time looking for future when you could be using something better that you can order from anywhere.

A previous poster wrote;

" don't waste your time looking for future when you could be using something better"

Always keeping an open mind, I for one would be interested in what others recommend in place of Future as there are many alternatives.

I know that some people love Future, some hate it.  Future, like most techniques takes practice and experience.  I have personally never had a problem with Future.  I have used many products and never found anything better for my purposes.  A quick count of my work bench shows ten alternative products I have tried, and some worked well, but not better.  I had a friend who swore by Floquil Crystal-Cote but swore at Future.  I could never get anything but orange peal with Floquil.

However,  you absolutely MUST have Future for canopies.   Many people dip their canopies in future, I airbrush mine to avoid air bubbles.  Results look identical and really do make the clear plastic look like glass.  They also look much thinner as if by magic.

I personally always use a thick coat or two of Future both before AND after decals.  It provides a nice glossy finish that prevents silvering, and once the decals are sealed with Future the acrylic barrier lets you put an oil paint wash over both paint and decals and everything is protected.  I like raw umber, especially for natural metal.  This highlights the panel lines and provides just a hint of dirt and shadow around other raised detail.  To my mind this provides the most realistic looking weathering.  After the weathering you can seal everything in the varnish of your choice, I prefer Poly Scale flat for most subjects but others work just as well.  I have never had a problem with panel lines filling up with Future, it seems to be very good at self-leveling.  I am curious if the panel line problem a previous poster had was with actual Future or one of the alternatives.  I will watch for this issue on my models in the future (pun intended).

There may well be products that would work as well as future, but it would take a strong argument to get me to change.  Especially since my bottle of Future seems to be a lifetime supply.  However, I am always open to experimenting.  If I find something I like better, that's what I will use.

But, to each his own.  Many modelers have great success with Future. You can always try it and see what you think.

I do use Future from time to time, and I've tried lots of clear gloss coats. But you don't even need future for canopies. Try Alcad aqua gloss. Dump it into a container and dip away. Lots of tutorials on you-tube. When I started modeling again 3 or 4 years ago, all I heard about was future this and future that...its ok, but it made me forget to check out other products that turned out to be better, but like you say, each person has a different experience and preference. I've found Gunze aqueous gloss, polyscale gloss, and lifecolor gloss are all good clearcoats. I find future brushes on real nice too and makes for a good alternative when I'm too lazy to fire up the airbrush. But if the original poster can't find it anywhere don't hesitate to order something else.

Nathan T

There are tons of acrylic gloss coats out there made for modeling, don't waste your time looking for future when you could be using something better that you can order from anywhere.

Yep, we have to remember that Future, as good as it is, is the cheaper alternative, not the primary.

Here in Australia (where the OP is), it's simply not available (at least not in the same form that our US friends are accustomed to). Of the locally available alternative similar products that I have tried (mentioned in my earlier post above), I have not found them to my liking except for dipping clear parts using the previously mentioned Pledge One Go.   

Phil H, you wrote:

"Yep, we have to remember that Future, as good as it is, is the cheaper alternative, not the primary."

and

"Here in Australia (where the OP is) it's simply not available"

The first quote confuses me, especially what you mean by "primary".  Is your meaning that Future is cheap but something else is better?  If so, what is it, I might like to try that product as cost is less important to me than performance.  As far as Future not being available in Australia, you have my sympathies.  You could probably order Future online somewhere if there is not something as good or better available locally.

In the second quote I am not sure what you mean by "where the OP is".  Maybe I am just dense or maybe this is an "Australian English" / "American English" disconnect.  Please explain what "the OP" is.

Also, to anyone reading this, a previous post recommends "Alcad aqua gloss".  I have not heard of this.  Is it related to the Alclad paint product line?  If so, I love their metal paints and would like to try it.  Also recommended were "Gunze aqueous gloss, polyscale gloss, and lifecolor gloss".  One of my requirements for a gloss coat is that it must be impervious to oil paint thinned with turpenoid.  Does anyone know which of these are and which are not?  I have used Poly Scale products as a final varnish, but never as a protective coating.

As I understand it there has been more than one formulation for Future in the past.  The Future product I use is called "Future Premium Floor Finish" and is a product of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. located in Racine, Wisconsin USA.

One other point; every model I built before the late 1980s using the gloss coats available back then have yellowed with age.  Sorry, I do not remember what they were (the gloss coat products, not the models). I started using Future in 1988 and so far none of my models has yellowed at all.  Doe s anyone know how the previously recommended products stand up over time to yellowing?

Thanks

Alley Cat

However,  you absolutely MUST have Future for canopies.   Many people dip their canopies in future, I airbrush mine to avoid air bubbles.  Results look identical and really do make the clear plastic look like glass.  They also look much thinner as if by magic.

Unfortunately, canopies ARE plastic, not glass.  Windshields and windows may be glass, but they also may be plastic depending on plane.  Real canopies age quickly and polishing canopies is a frequent job for ground crews, so milky or scratched canopies are not uncommon. I do occasionally use future on canopies, but only if I have to modify them or unless they have really severe blushing or flaws.

Alley Cat

In the second quote I am not sure what you mean by "where the OP is".  Maybe I am just dense or maybe this is an "Australian English" / "American English" disconnect.  Please explain what "the OP" is.

Also, to anyone reading this, a previous post recommends "Alcad aqua gloss".  I have not heard of this.  Is it related to the Alclad paint product line?  If so, I love their metal paints and would like to try it.  Also recommended were "Gunze aqueous gloss, polyscale gloss, and lifecolor gloss".  One of my requirements for a gloss coat is that it must be impervious to oil paint thinned with turpenoid.  Does anyone know which of these are and which are not?  I have used Poly Scale products as a final varnish, but never as a protective coating.

'OP' = Opening Poster.  Refers to the first post or poster in the thread.

Alclad Aqua gloss is indeed made by Alclad, the maker of the metal paint line.  I haven't used the aqua, but I have used the Klear Kote in test mode, and its an incredible product.  You don't have to spray it on thick like Future to get a very, very shiny finish.  It's lacquer based so I'd assume it's impervious to turpenoid, but I'm not sure.  Hopefully someone with more alchemical knowledge will chime in.  I use promodeller washes which are as neutral as you can get.  The Klear Kote lacquer finish comes in gloss, matte, flat, and light sheen, so you can pick your finish.  I've only tried the gloss, but based on that experience I'll likely order some matte and flat as well.

http://store.spruebrothers.com/alclad-ii-gloss-klear-kote-4oz-310-p23045.aspx

I got Long Life, self shining floor polish from an IGA here in brisbane. It's the exact same thing as future but is australian made. It comes in a bright yellow 500ml bottle with a blue lid. Like I say try IGA or foodland or the like (been a while since i was home in Adl so not sure what shops are there anymore) Hope this helps

EDIT:

Just looked on the back of my bottle and its made by Pascoe's, this is from their website:

Long Life Self Shining Floor Polish Floor Polish
Where can I purchase long life floor polish?
Bunning’s Nationally
Woolworths & Safeway – 500ml
Coles – 500ml
Bi-Lo – 500ml
Action QLD – 500ml

Daemo

I got Long Life, self shining floor polish from an IGA here in brisbane. It's the exact same thing as future but is australian made. It comes in a bright yellow 500ml bottle with a blue lid.

Actually it's not exactly the same. "Long Life" is a milky white liquid, whereas the genuine item is crystal clear. Long Life will do a similar job, but can be quite unfriendly to paints like Tamiya acrylics. If using this product over Tamiya acrylics, use a very light touch.

Nathan T

There are tons of acrylic gloss coats out there made for modeling, don't waste your time looking for future when you could be using something better that you can order from anywhere.

I concur neighbor. Nothing against Future, but if I'm getting good results with widely available Acryl Gloss Clear and Alclad 2 AQUA GLOSS 600, why bother with Future? In my experience, AQUA GLOSS 600 from Alclad does a better job on clear parts than Future. Did I mention that AQUA GLOSS or Acryl dries way faster than Future? My old bottle of Future is in the oblivion by the furnace.

Cheers!

As a note...referring to Future in the states location

I went to Swanny's site and checked all the locations (retail) that were in my area stateside. Could not find it.

I jumped over to SC Johnson's site and banged out a quick inquiry of retailers. Received a response the next business day. Effectively the reply indicated that they could not see or control a specific retailers inventory but had one addition to the list of retailers that Swanny did not have (or I overlooked)...Walmart!

Made a stop in to Walmart and went to the grocery area>floorcare aisle and found it. $6 USD and some change.

Yes I got a bottle at Walmart recently also. Latest label looks like this...

hi......if you want try this:Xf22 35%+X20A 50%+Tamiya retarder 15%........ciao Enrico

P.s....several light coats sprayed 0'8 Bar...........not too far from model....about7-8 cm.