Future & decals???

Never used future to save a decal sheet. But for #3 I let future dry at least 24 hours but 99% of the time I give it 48 hours to dry before applying decals. After applying the decals and letting them dry and set I then add another coat of future. After another 48 hours I spray my dullcoat. Hope this helps.

 

rrm modeler_____Do you ever find that after the dullcoat , that the area where the decal and future are, looks at all built up or thick???????? does the dullcoat  make the future spot completely dissappear and blend in????

I have never personally noticed The decals making the Future look like its built up or more shiny than the other areas. Do you coat the entire surface with Future or just where the decal is going?

I never seen the dull coat make the decal and future look thick. Futre is good at self leveling unless you have a really old bottle. Do you coat the whole plane with future then decal or just where you put the decal? I coat the whole plane and normally brush on the future. Sounds like you are just putting the future where the decal is. If so coat the whole plane with future, allow to dry, apply decals, dry, and then apply another layer of future. Then dullcoat the whole plane when the future is dry.

Now I have seen it happen that the future will pool up in spots. I think this is because my bottle is getting old or I had too much on the bush. If I notice it before it dries I brush it out. If not the second layer of future helps to level it out then after the dull coat the pool is unnoticable.

I have also seen setting solutions make future look cloudy. Normally this goes away once the setting solution dries or dissappears when the second layer of future is applied.

Hope this helps.

To be perfectly honest with you all here, I never use Future.  I used it twice with disasterous results.  I would even go as far to say that Future is overrated and overhyped.  I use a Testors or a MM gloss coat for the decals and a dull coat for the finish with great results.  For as many questions I read on this forum about Future, I can't be the only one who has/had problems with it. 

Well, I'll swear by that stuff. Best gloss coat/sealer I've ever tried, and I've tried quite a lot of 'em.

For tiny things, like 1/700 airplanes, I like using Future over the flat coat, prior to decaling, because it's thinner than gloss paint, so the finished airplanes look a bit less glommed up.

I always spray the entire model (aircraft and armor) with future before decaling, and do it again after the decals. 

• It protects the initial paint job
• Makes a nice smooth surface for the decals to adhere to
• Eliminates silvering from the decals not being 100 down on the surface
• Makes an oil/turpenoid wash flow like it's supposed to, with most of the pigment going where it should.  Flat coats don't work as well with the wash as the pigmet gets deposited everywhere.
• Allows you to correct mistakes by having a protective layer between paint, decals, and weathing.  Just a tiny bit of Windex on a Q-tip allows you to clean off minor errors, and as long as you're gentle, won't affect the underlying layers.
• Helps add a bit of depth
• Helps eliminate the raised surface contour between the edge of the decal and the surface of the model.
• It very easy to use
• Cleanup is a snap, windex and water
• It is very affordable 

 

Thad