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I was just removing the seam off of an F-15E canopy, and sanded all the way up to 12000 grit, but its still a little foggy. Does anyone have something they do to their canopys to make them sparkle? Any special compounds or crazy voodoo recipes? I was looking at this model by Masa Narita, he explains the build but leaves out what he did to the canopy.
-Derek
Dip it in Future and it will sparkle. Somewhat unrealistically but it gets rid of the fog. The other benefits are it protect the plastic and through some sort mysterious magical process makes the canopy look thinner.
Marc
After polishing it as well as you can, dip in Future and place edge down on a paper towel and let it sit to level out and dry. This is the process a lot of the members use for canopies, car windshields, etc. I'm sure other guys will give you other methods that they use.
Jim
Sorry about that Marc. I guess we were both typing at the same time.
Main WIP:
On the Bench: Artesania Latina (aka) Artists in the Latrine 1/75 Bluenose II
I keep hitting "escape", but I'm still here.
FUTURE.....................
How thick is future? Ive never used it before... but to me it seems like it would puddle in corners and fill details like rivets and such. How do you use it?
just dip it in and put it on a paper towel to dry, and don't forget to cover it with something to prevent dust from settling on it. The paper towel will wick excess away.
DWood538 How thick is future? Ive never used it before... but to me it seems like it would puddle in corners and fill details like rivets and such. How do you use it?
It's about the same viscosity as Testor's enamels... Maybe a skoshi-bit thinner, but not much... Frankly, I live quite well without it, although I've done the "canopy Dip" in the past... Hated the way it looked on operational aircraft models, since the real ones are not "crystal" clear, nor do they "sparkle", but instead are covered with myriad tiny scratches and scuffs from flight helmets and wing-wipers... Looks ok on "Blue Angels" Bearcats, but not a VF
There's a product called "Blue Magic" that supposed to work well for polishing canopies too..
Only time you see a "sparkling" canopy on a real aircraft is at an airshow or the factory.. However, if you got a "foggy one" it might help to dip it...
It DOES puddle too... Gotta let it drain thoroughly...
while its true that there is weathering on canopies too.... I like the future because if you dip and then paint frames if you mess up, it all cleans up with windex and just start over....and two...when the clear plastic is coated with future if yu use CA it doesnt fog the clear part....of course that fact that the plastic seem more transparent is also a plus..especially if you add lots of fiddly bits in the cockpits...
C
Future...
Seam from a 1/48th Kinetic SUFA removed:
Polished with Megiars PLAST-X for removing dullness and yellowness on car's headlights. 'Bout $5 to 6 at Walmart. I used a cotton swab for this.
After polishing with Meguiars, I dipped the canopy in ALCLAD II Aqua Gloss 600. Once I tried it, I never went back to Future. Dries faster and leaves a thinner film; good for those canopies with fainted details (just my personal opinion)
I'm not a user of Future either. After getting down to the finest grit sandpaper, I use toothpaste (paste, NOT gel), polish the paste in with a soft cloth. Wet it, to wash off the excess and then run a polishing disc in the Dremel. It gets good and clear, but not unrealistic shiny (as Hans was saying).
Im really interested in the meguiars and alclad method, that canopy is almost invisible. And about the wear on the canopy of functional aircraft... I normally would agree but on this model Im going with a closed canopy, and as stated earlier, i want to be able to see the cockpit clearly.
About the Alclad, I looked it up on spruebrothers, and its a little expensive... $8 for 4oz. Can you thin it when you dip the canopy? Or reuse it? And does anyone have before and after pictures of the Future?
DWood538 About the Alclad, I looked it up on spruebrothers, and its a little expensive... $8 for 4oz. Can you thin it when you dip the canopy? Or reuse it? And does anyone have before and after pictures of the Future?
Hello DWood,
Alclad's might seem a bit expensive but actually it is not. I used to pay $5.25 for 1 ounce of Acryl Clear Gloss which I was only using to coat my model prior to decal it That would be almost $25 after tax for 4 1oz. jars of Acryl. I try to support my LHS, that's why I don't usually buy paints on-line. Now, I have the benefit of a clear coat for decals and dip canopies in it. I use a new clean dixie cup to dip my canopies and whatever is left (most of it), goes back to the original bottle so nothing goes to waste. If you have a building plan (sometimes I do), I dip 2 or 3 canopies at the same time for my upcoming builds.
Cheers!
I use Micro Clear mixed about 50-50 with tap water. Use it just like future... idp the clear part rest it on paper towling and cover. It's not as thick a coat as Future, it dries faster, and doesn't have that unnatural sheen. You can remove it with alchol if you screw it up.
I just use toothpaste and a soft cotton cloth, usually an old tee shirt.
Mark
FSM Charter Subscriber
Micro Finish Polish from Micro-Surface (of micro mesh fame) is also pretty good for final finishing;
WWW.AIR-CRAFT.NET
That compound for CD, DVD, Video Games repair probably in the drawer of the oblivion, also works like a charm.
I either use Future or polishing with Tamiya Compound.
Some great Ideas so far.
13151015
I hire a 1/48th scale "little person" who will do windows and works for crumbs.
Science is the pursiut of knowledge, faith is the pursuit of wisdom. Peace be with you.
On the Tarmac: 1/48 Revell P-38
In the Hanger: A bunch of kits
Gunze Mr. fine polishing compound. Let it dry somewhat on the clear part and polish with an old t-shirt or a cotton wheel for a dremel attachment...then future or clear gloss dip or whatever..
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