Considering another clear coat other than Future

For acrylic gloss coats, I use Tamiya's Clear, X-22 (not the spray can clear which is lacquer based).  I haven't had any problems.  It brushes nicely too but needs to be slightly thinned.  I've never been a fan of Future.  My dad always said "Use the right tool for the right job".  I know some people love Future and that's cool with me.  It's just not my thing.

Jesse 

Tamiya's clear gloss in the spray can (TS-13?) is superb and drys fast. I also love Mr.Color clear gloss (basically the same thing as tamiya except without the spray can). Mr.Color is hard to find in some countries however. Both should be used out doors or at least with a respirator.

You can use a polishing stick to lightly sand a coat of Future. Do this just as car painters do their wet sanding between coats...just use a drop or two of water and wipe down after your finished sanding. It works good, just labor intensive depending on the size of the subject.

Another good acrylic clear is PollyS .

You don't have to clear coat to put decals on...even on flats. I use a polishing stick or a dry paper towel to flatten down the areas where the decal is going. It will level the top of the paint enough to lay down the decal with solvent and make it look painted on once done. If you want it dead flat afterwards, dull coat it. But even a flat colored aircraft has a sheen to it from abrasion in the air.

From my experience Future is best applied with as little restriction from an airbrush as possible...wide open and moving fast. Curbing it back with flow and pressure oxidizes it too fast to let the leveling agents do their thing. 

Thanks Ross, that is what I am thinking of doing next time.

 

 

MIke, it's partially a case of YMMV. However, I've found that with Future, letting the stuff self cure at room temperature for at least two hours or more makes a difference, and it seems to help it self-level if the humidity is high. Then put it in the force-curing booth.

Thanks guys.

I know that Greg (Plasticmod995) dries his Future coated models in a drying booth and I have not heard him mention any problems. He has not been on here in a while so I can't get any input from him.  

Mike, I'd almost bet money that it's your drying chamber.  I have used it several times spraying light coats at first then slightly heavier coats every time until it has a nice even gloss.  It's always worked perfectly for me doing it that way.  The only difference I can see is that you use the drying booth.  Eliminate that and see how the results go,  if that still doesn't do it, pick one other possible variable and eliminate it too.  Change just one little thing at a time until you find the culprit.  (though I think you've already found it.) 

I certainly find Future to be more difficult than simply spraying a gloss coat and calling it good.  If I want a really nice gloss coat for difficult decaling situations, I find that it generally it takes me at least three coats to get anything that one would describe as "glossy".  Even then, the finish still seems to have a miscroscopic pebbly texture to it, not enough to cause silvering but enough that I wouldn't want to try and use it for a gloss automobile finish.

I've used it straight as well as somewhat thinned with Tamiya thinner, and I don't know that I could really tell the difference.  I've had similar results from both my Badger 200NH and Paasche H, typically spraying at 15 PSI.

Interestingly, a few years ago, I had similar feelings about Future and tried Foquil's Crystal Cote, which is an enamel based finish rather than acrylic.  Interestingly, I had just about the same results as I get with Future.  I think I sprayed at least three coats, and even then there was a bit of a texture to it.

I've also used Testor's lacquer based gloss, (Dullcoat without the dull) and was never too happy with it.  If I laid it on to heavy, it would try and lift the underlying paint.  And if I laid it on too light, I would get a badly pebbled surface.

I suspect my problems may come from not applying a thick enough coat, but I worry about runs, and err on the side of avoiding them.

Andy 

 

 

  

 

Mike,

I slop it on pretty thick and end with a smooth even surface. I've been using my Badger 150 around 15psi and about 2-3" away. No problems. If I try light coats I get sandpaper.

I let it "air" dry, so maybe the drying booth is causing problems?