Need help using Future and Tamiya Flat Base X-21

Good luck!!! and glad to hear you had good results with it!  I played with the mixture until (as someone else said in here) it "felt right" for me... maybe adjust it if it does not go down nice and smooth... I think it is the retarder that helps so much... it slows the drying time which allows the future to hit the model wet and stay wet long enough to get a glass coat to it!

Let us know how it goes for you!!!

Thanks for the advice guys! I tried thinning it with Tamiya Thinner and found that it did improve the finish. If I remember correctly, the Thinner:Flat Base ratio was 1:1 before adding in the Future. I'm planning on mixing a larger batch to coat my entire model.

Cheers.

I found thinning my Future provided a totally flat (as in smooth) surface once dry.  no orange peel, no sandpaper finish... I thin mine with Tamiya thinner, about a 3:1 future to thinner ratio.  Ever since I tried it I won't go back... I am sure it owuld work for what you are doing..   warning though... the future sometimes lays down cloudy.  give it some time to dry and it dries clear...

I use Future/Tamiya X-21 now exclusively as a flat coat.  The ratio doesn't have to be exact, but overall 4 parts Future to 1 part Flat Base does a good job.  I have used it down at a 3:1 ratio, but with that much Flat Base in it, any pooling of the finish such as what you might get on an inside corner runs the risk of "frosting".  I've been hesitant to try higher ratios of 5 or 6 to 1 for fear of getting a satin or semi-gloss coat.  Although I airbrush and occaisionally hand brush straight Future, I usually do thin the Future/X-21 mix with Tamiya acylic thinner.  I don't know the exact ratio, since I go by feel, but I probably thin with maybe 3 or 4 parts Future/X-21 mix to 1 part thinner.  Although I always airbrush large areas, I certainly will hand brush small parts, and I haven't experienced any problems.

I haven't done this yet, however, from reading on here about using future, the norm seems to be to use windex, and make sure its the kind with amonia. You can thin it with that, and I have also been told, after you put the future/tamiya mix on, to spritz it with windex to help it loosen up and level out a little more. I think the mixing ratio is for how flat you want the future. Try this website, it will help you out more than I can, its worth saving to.

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

Its a long read, but packed full of useful info! Good luck.