Future or something similar

Future is basically just the generalized term anymore. But that was the name brand of it here in the States. It's a very common acrylic floor wax that can usually be found in just about every grocery store. Depending on where you are depends on what the name... I know in GB it was called Sparkle Clean... and in other parts of the world was something like Super Shine. In any event, it doesn't matter if it is actually the brand name "FUTURE" or not, just check the bottle of floor wax and see if it's acrylic and you should be fine! 

If you still can't find any common acrylic floor wax, you may be able to order it off Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=future+acrylic+floor+wax&tag=googhydr-20&index=aps&hvadid=61736699893&hvpos=1t1&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=48493696251281359&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_ybjs98m5j_b

Like I said, it's a fairly common substance... there are so many different varieties but they all work the same way.

Several years ago when I got back into the hobby, I spent a week obtaining "Future" after reading old internet articles about how great the stuff is. I see posts regularly from folks down your way trying to obtain it. Since then, it's been a chore trying to keep current on which new product labeling is the right one.

In my humble opinion, the product isn't that great, and one is better off with a good clear acrylic made for models, not floors.

Alclad, Vallejo, Liquitex are a few I have used a like.

Obviously this is my opinion, please take it for what it is worth. Free.

Greg

Several years ago when I got back into the hobby, I spent a week obtaining "Future" after reading old internet articles about how great the stuff is. I see posts regularly from folks down your way trying to obtain it. Since then, it's been a chore trying to keep current on which new product labeling is the right one.

In my humble opinion, the product isn't that great, and one is better off with a good clear acrylic made for models, not floors.

Alclad, Vallejo, Liquitex are a few I have used a like.

Obviously this is my opinion, please take it for what it is worth. Free.

 

I do like it for dipping canopies and windshields, especially if I had to work on them with file or sandpaper to fix crazing at sprue attachment points.  I like it because it is pre-thinned to just the right mix for dipping.  Because that is all I use it for, my several years old bottle is lasting a long time- way more than half full at present.

One comment on dipping canopies- I think a highly weathered, grungy fighter with a pristine canopy looks funny.  Not that a fighter could not have received a fresh canopy, but most didn't, so to me it looks very funny.  This is especially true for older aircraft where UV stabilized plastic was either non-existant or not very good compared to modern materials with both excellent UV protection and hard surface coatings.

I do agree with Don regarding the dipping.

I agree with both of them above.  Future is a cheap and quick fix for modelers.  It's cheap... lasts a very long time because it doesn't take much to do what you want.  It's great for dipping (I like to seal my entire model in it after it's done and let it dry completely before painting because it not only allows for the extra protection from paint damage, but it also helps make it more rigid).  It's awesome for dipping canopies and clear parts in.  I've found that alot of times the stuff that is "specially" made for model building to be nothing but the off the store shelf stuff you can buy alot cheaper.  I remember Decal Set from Testors when it first came out.  Everyone was going crazy for the stuff, spouting how it made their decals meld into the details of the surface better, but when I looked at the bottle, I realized, there was no warning for hazardous material or keeping kids away.  That piqued my curiousity as a kid... and I smelled it and gave it a taste test... low and behold, all it was was simple distilled white vinegar.  Here they are selling a little .5oz bottle of this stuff for $4.00 when I can go to the store and get the EXACT same stuff in a 25oz bottle for $.79 cents (I've always kept a bottle in my toolbox of vinegar since and it does the exact same thing)... just because it's made by the big company doesn't mean it's better or that they specially formulated it just for model building... some of the paints however have a more finely ground mineral then regular paint, but other then that, don't always assume that the label makes it special.

Lrd

Very well said and thanks for the info about the vinegar. I have to try that one out. 

My thoughts are the same regarding the commercial type washes and filters that can easily be duplicated with some turpentine and enamel or oil paints for a very small fraction of what the pre mixed and well named labels go for. 

Thanks Junkie... here's another really cool tip that comes in handy.  Future is also excellent for tinting clear glass with.  How?  Even easier... if you're any kind of tech junkie like I am, you probably have a printer ink refill kit.  These things are everywhere and come with 3 colors... red (magenta), blue (cyan), yellow (or bright green) and black (um... black).  Ok... here's what you do... it really doesn't take much ink at all to TINT future... and when I say not much I'm not talking a couple drops here... not even a single drop.  Fill a .5oz empty Testor's bottle with Future (or your country's equivalant) then take a needle and dip it into your ink and let the excess run off it and use the needle with the ink on the sides to stir your Future in your bottle... VIOLA... you have a translucent paint that you can now use ANYWHERE on your model.  Use black and make a Tint for car windows... Use Blue and Red to make police light covers... use yellow to dip your white led's in to turn them yellow... the possibilities are endless... and what's really cool... the more you layer it, the darker the tint/color will become but will still be transluscent!  Hope this helps!  Lemme know!

Lrd

Will that work with food coloring?

plasticjunkie

Will that work with food coloring?

No... it won't... Food coloring has water in it and the water itself reacts with the Future and it will take forever to dry (kinda like when you put a cold drink on the table without a coaster, the water forms a ring because it interacts with the Future... I experimented with drying times and straight Future would take maybe 2-3 hours to dry, once mixed with water that drying time increased to 24-30 hours).  Printer ink works best because it uses some other liquid that doesn't interact with the Future... trust me... I've tried it with food coloring, different paints, tinting powder and all failed... trial and error... I think because the printer ink has to go thru such a tiny opening and fit into a small canister to make it last so long it makes it extra concentrated for tinting!

Ok thanks for the response.

Interesting! What food coloring did you use? I've tinted Future with Easter Egg dyes and cake dyes (both liquid and powder dissolved in water) and haven't had any drying problems. In my experience Future mixes well with water, windex, airbrush medium etc. It's a water miscible acrylic. I also mix Future with craft acrylic paints for airbrushing with no problems. Don't have the brand of dyes handy but will dig it out if it's imporant.

LrdSatyr8

 

 

plasticjunkie

Will that work with food coloring?

 

 

No... it won't... Food coloring has water in it and the water itself reacts with the Future and it will never dry (kinda like when you put a cold drink on the table without a coaster, the water forms a ring because it interacts with the Future).  Printer ink works best because it uses some other liquid that doesn't interact with the Future... trust me... I've tried it with food coloring, different paints, tinting powder and all failed... trial and error... I think because the printer ink has to go thru such a tiny opening and fit into a small canister to make it last so long it makes it extra concentrated for tinting!

 

Bick

I also have used Future mixed with craft acrylics thinned with water or windex. That's why I asked about food coloring as a tint agent.

Simon,  I dont know if you have had any luck finding Pledge in Australia (not called future any more)  There is a company in QLD called POLISH UP that was selling pledge by the case.  I bought 6 x 800ml bottles for 90 bucks delivered.  PM me if you're still having no luck.

Not forgetting Swanny's Complete Future 

will tell you everything you need to know, how to use it, & what it's called in your neck of the woods!

pretty usefull tips & techniques pages as well

Future is Pretty Good, pretty cheap, & reasonably widely available... 

Buuut, The Perfect Varnishing is the Blackest-of-all-arts Shangri-La Black-Belt Master-Fu of all modelling, so it taks practice, effort & luck.

Tinting Future: (If you find some) Best bet is the Tamiya Range of translucent/tinted colours, can be mixed with each other, & Future.

I don't recommend food colouring or Acrylic paint, I tried it with Vallejo & it didn't thin properly, just tiny tiny 'flakes' of the JV paint in suspension...

Here are the various problems with all of the above suggestions with Future that I discovered...

1) When using food coloring, you end having to mix more then you need.  If you're using an Empty .5oz bottle filled with Future, a single drop of food coloring (as dispensed from the food coloring bottle) contains too much water and dillutes the Future increasing the time it takes to dry by a fact of about 10x... also because the drop is so large making subtle tints is rather difficult.

2) When using Food Coloring powders, they never seem to disolve completely in the Future and you end up with little grains when you paint or dip it.  Not to mention using them will clog your airbrush unless you're using a siphon brush, but you'll end up with a good tint with little grainy spots everywhere.

3) Tamiya Translucents are great I agree but harder to find.  My local hobby shop doesn't carry any so I'm forced to purchase from online.  However you run into the problem there of hoping that the color that you purchased is the right one, and have to wait for itto arrive and when it finally does come, it's not the right color and now you're outnot only the price of the paint plus the shipping but the time you wasted waiting for them to get to you only to find it doesn't work for the project you're working on.

4) Future has become a generic term for Clear Acrylic Floor Wax like Fridge is a generic term for Fridgiair.  You can usually find an acceptable substitute in just about any grocery store.  It usually comes in a container with a squirt top and is crystal clear.

5) Yes you can thin down Future with water, works well for Airbrushing because using it straight from the bottle in an airbrush is a bit thick... however when you do mix it with any water based substance you will increase the drying time.  However I have heard of mixing it with Rubbing Alcohol and that isn't an issue, but I have never done so to confirm that claim.

6) Mixing with Acrylic paint didn't really work well.  It was difficult to create an even mix that would create a true "tint" in the color you want.  And alot of the paints also use some powders and again you get that "grit" in your tint.

In my experience, the printer ink works best for tinting due to it's extremely small concentrated nature.  It mixes very well and evenly with Future and you can create small batches for your use.  I've got 4 empty Testors paint bottles that I filled with Future and added each color to.  I have yet to use up all of any of the colors I've made and they have been a staple in my paint kit forever!  Its a much cheaper solution to purchasing Tamiya or Vallejo transparent paints (seeing as each bottle of those goes anywhere from $3.00 to $8.00 a .5oz bottle).  A 24oz bottle of Future cost me $1.98, and a printer ink refill kit was like $10 and was used to refill my printer cartridges so was readily available.  So for $12 I have a tool in my toolbox that has been there for at least 20 years.  Instead of only 2 or 3 little bottles that may work for my projects.

I still have 3/4 a bottle of Future because what's really nice about it, is this.  When you use it for dipping, you fill a small container with it, dip your parts and then pour it back in the bottle.  Its wonderful stuff for modelers and I can't recommend it enough.

Hi LrdSatyr,

I've not had drying problems with Future mixed with water (or Windex or other) though I know other have reported the problem. I think printer ink probably is more concentrated and understand your claims to it's advantages but never tried it. I do have a question; printer inks come in the subtractive primaries (i,e, cyan, magenta, yellow [+black]); how to you mix them to get the color you want?

And, I agree, you can't get a nice transparent (not translucent) coating by mixing pigmented paints with Future. Alclad makes very nice tranparent (clear) colors but they're lacquer based

I wanted a tinted canopy on my CSAF Mirage F-1.  I added some ModelMaster acrylic teal to some Future and did my regular canopy "dip".   It worked just okay I'd say.  I tested a scrap canopy first and of course, it turned out better than the final one. 

Here's how it looks:

Bick

I've not had drying problems with Future mixed with water (or Windex or other) though I know other have reported the problem. I think printer ink probably is more concentrated and understand your claims to it's advantages but never tried it. I do have a question; printer inks come in the subtractive primaries (i,e, cyan, magenta, yellow [+black]); how to you mix them to get the color you want?

And, I agree, you can't get a nice transparent (not translucent) coating by mixing pigmented paints with Future. Alclad makes very nice tranparent (clear) colors but they're lacquer based

Hey Bick... Maybe it was the elevation I was at at the time... I used to live in the mountains 35,000 above sealevel so I think that may have had something to do with the drying times... I could be wrong.  However, as for the printer ink colors, cyan=blue, magenta=red, yellow=well I think you know... They are basically the primary colors... with the primary colors you can mix any color of the rainbow... red+blue=purple, blue+yellow=green, red+yellow=orange... you add a little black you end up getting a shade (or darker version) of that color... How do you think with just those colors you can print an entire photo?  Its the same principle... the only color you don't have is white, but for tinting clear plastic, white is represented by the transparency of the color itself.  The more transparent it is the lighter it is.  There are tons of color charts online for mixing the primaries into any other color.  Here's areally good example:

In otherwords... experiment... go nuts... have fun... see what works and what doesn't.  That's what this hobby is all about.  Looks outside the box.  I just hope I was able to point you in the right direction and perhaps give ya a new tool for your toolbox! Edison once said... he never failed... he just discovered a 1000 ways something didn't work! :)

Thanks for everyones replies to date, it's apprciated

Hi Simon,

I also purchased a bottle from Polish Up online (think they're based in Vic or SA) a few years ago.

If they don't have any left, i've been told by members of my model club that the Humbrol Clear Acrylic Varnish is pretty much Future that has been bottled by Humbrol and marked up in price.

So, if you can't find any, have a look around for the Humbrol Clear Acrylic - comes in 150 or 200mL bottle i think, most places that stock Humbrol Paints will have it.

Only draw back is i think it'll be a bit more expensive than if you bought Pledge itself.

This is something that I wish would just GO AWAY! I've read so damned many articles praising this sewer swill, but honestly I've never used, don't use it now, and NEVER WILL! I don't understand why other people swear by it. Here's a link to a conversation about it from another forum. After reading this you'll know why I don't endorse the practice of using it, or other rogue products just because one person used it, and got lucky. I highly suggest NOT using this!

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=472378&highlight=

Cobra 427

This is something that I wish would just GO AWAY! I've read so damned many articles praising this sewer swill, but honestly I've never used, don't use it now, and NEVER WILL! I don't understand why other people swear by it. Here's a link to a conversation about it from another forum. After reading this you'll know why I don't endorse the practice of using it, or other rogue products just because one person used it, and got lucky. I highly suggest NOT using this!

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=472378&highlight=

Frankly I don't know what your problem with it is.  I think the main reason it is used so much in so many different ways is that it's very inexpensive and produces very good results.  Many of the big paint suppliers for the hobby (like Testor's, Vallejo, Tamiya) they bottle pretty much the same stuff in tiny bottles and sell it for 100x the cost.  I mean comon... what makes more sense... spending $5 on a tiny .5oz bottle or $1.50 on a 32oz bottle?  That means they are selling the same bottle for $320.00... Outrageous!  The choice is yours bro... if you want to throw your money away thats your choice!  Its just like how many different ways can they sell Isoprophyl Alcohol?  You can get a huge bottle at the grocery store for pennies, but you slap a DVD Cleaner label on it, and all the sudden you can charge $5 for a tiny bottle.  Personally I've never had a problem with it... I've never had it yellow or crack on me, but then again, I only use it sparingly and usually seal it with something else.  It works wonderfully for clear parts so that I can use super glue without hazing them.  It seals decals wonderfully and makes a good coat for them before applying.  Of course I don't "paint" it on with a normal brush, and usually use an airbrush.  Clean up is easy since its water soluable, and it tends to be quite durable.  I have models on my mantle that are 20+ years old coated in it that look as good today as they did when I made them (thou a bit dustier! LOL)  The biggest problem I had was with the Testor's Dull-Cote and Gloss-Cote's.  Those yellowed sooooooo badly over time.  I still have an old X-Wing that I used Testor's on that now looks like it's all yellow.  Really bad.  Another thing I do to help is use Krylon's Satin Clear rattle can paint over the top of everything.  Haven't had a yellowing issue with them at all!