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Using Future, rules and techniques


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I found out that my local Walmart does carry Future floor polish, its just marketed as "Pledge with Future shine". Anyway, the formula hasnt changed just the name. Therefore, I am heading down there tomorrow to by myself a bottle. But I want to know some rules and techniques when I use it. Do I have to dilute it when I use it with my airbrush? What do I dilute it with? Its supposed to be a gloss finish but what If I don't want my model to have a glossy finish?

On a side note, I have been working with Gundam models lately and most are not glossy. The luna titanium alloy they are made out of is usually painted white with a semi gloss finish.

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Ohhhh man! There are so many opinions on how to use Future. swannysmodels.com was my starting point and has served me well. I say "starting point" because, it didn't matter how much I read, I had to do it to find out what worked for me.

Happy squirting.

Rick

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I just got my first bottle of Future a few months ago and have found it is a very easy product to use. I have both brushed the Future on with a wide flat brush and airbrushed it on. In both cases I don't have to thin the Future at all and it leaves a very nice smooth shine. You do have to be somewhat careful with not overapplying it and getting runs but after a bit of practice you will figure it out. Plus it removes easily with a windex soaked cloth so therefore you can try try again.

Basically you use the Future to give yourself a nice smooth finish to apply the decals and washes and whatnots. After all that it's usually best to apply more Future as a form of sealer and then later on come back over it with a dull cote to take away the shine.

I am by no means a professional or anywhere near but Future is absolutely easy to use.

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Honestly, I think future is overrated. It is exceptional for clear parts and canopies, but for spray on or brush on clearcoats it tends to drip easily if you're not careful, and I generally get better results with an enamel clear coat. If you use it before decals, then you're also stuck using an acrylic flat coat as well.

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"Rules".... its not as easy as you think to stay consistent with this product. I have had wonderful results with it and I have had baffling, frustrating results... despite using it exactly the same way.

I have never thinned it and I use my 'lesser' airbrush to shoot it. But you really have to approach every model as a 'first time' and be patient. Its better to do multiple light coats than one heavy one.

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If you use it before decals, then you're also stuck using an acrylic flat coat as well.

Actually, I've used Future over different kinds of paints (e.g. laquers, acrylics; enamels) before decals and have never had issues with "reactivity." As far as the flat coat goes, I always use Testors' Dullcote laquer over Future and have never had a problem. Of course, your experience may have varied, I'm just saying that in all the years I've sprayed Dullcote over Future I've never run into any issues. Take my experience for what it's worth.

Here's Future over acrylic and enamel paint, then covered with Dullcote.

phantom1014-1.jpg

Cheers,

-O

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To avoid decals silvering, a lot of people use Future on their paintings before the applying the decals. I tried it a few times but I personally think that it ruins my paint job and makes everything look darker. Now I prefer to use Gloss varnish instead.

I only use Future for all clear parts, makes them look more transparent and corrects for small imperfections.

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^Richard, what do you thin the Microscale with?

"Rules".... its not as easy as you think to stay consistent with this product. I have had wonderful results with it and I have had baffling, frustrating results... despite using it exactly the same way.

I have never thinned it and I use my 'lesser' airbrush to shoot it. But you really have to approach every model as a 'first time' and be patient. Its better to do multiple light coats than one heavy one.

Absolutely... the real "trick" I found with future was how alot of light, even mist coats is far preferable than heavy coats. I realized my problem is that my first two coats were waaay too heavy, and this caused beading. When I pulled back the brush maybe another 3~6 inches from the model and hit it with a mist, it settled down far more smoothly, and thinly (which can be a problem with future). It can be thinned with windex if need be... but I've stopped doing that lately.

One product I've never figured out is Modelmaster Acryl Gloss and semi-gloss.... its too thick out of the glass and if its put on too thick it will crack. Does anybody know what it should be thinned with other than its MM acryl thinner? It doesn't seem to want to mix with alcohol.

Edited by -Neu-
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Future has been great for me - I use it for: Canopies, other clear parts, gloss coats, setting and sealing dcals, and of course waxing my floors! Plus it is really cheap - I have had my bottle for a couple years and its still going strong. The only real downside as mentioned already, is that it darkens the original base coat - to overcome this I lighten the original coat. :)

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