Smooth decal surface application?

[scapilot]

Been having a few issues lately, and am not sure what else to do. After I spray an even base coat, I coat the subject with Future in multiple coats, spraying enough to make it wet, but not puddle or run. Even after this settles though there's still areas that look very flat, and have no shine. Hard to figure out what's doing it. Should I be sanding the base coat to knock down some of the grit out of the initial color?, or is there a way to buff / sand the future coat itself to lay it all down? I've attempted this once, but all it seemed to do was scratch the future coat, leaving white scratches...or buffing through the future, and the paint. Does anyone know if gloss clear krylon or something equal works well as far as providing a smooth even surface. Future seems to work good, but only on certain paints in my experiences. I use model masters enamels exclusively, and a lot of their flat colors are rather coarse. Any help would be appreciated.

[dnl42]

I've not been able to get Future to work for a gloss coat. Usually dull, or worse, pebbley.

FWIW, Testor's Glosscoat works nicely for me. I can then use water colors thinned with Windex for a wash.

[GGoheen]

I've actually switched to just brushing Future on in lieu of airbrushing, as it seems to coat more evenly and provide the smooth finish we are all looking for when applying decals. Just a thought that you might try. :)

Greg

[Ro-Gar Hobbies]

It might be your air pressure, Future is self leveling so when it goes on wet it will smooth out, you just need to figure out what is too much when spraying. If you spray at a high pressure then it will leave the pebbling texture your getting. You will have to experiment, but about 10-15psi works for me. If all else fails, brush it on as this works well also.

Robert

[scapilot]

I've tried the brushing it on once before, and was met with mixed results. Seems like you can see faint brush lines in some of the mix when it goes on, or it seems to fun to the rounded corners, and puddle, sometimes turning a milky color when drying (which I am assuming indicates that there's too much pooling in such a small area). For the most part I do shoot airbrush from about 12-20 psi. But usually stay in between there for the best results. I'll give the testors a try. I've been having this issue for a while, but it's only just now really gotten to the point where it's impacted a project. Currently doing a commision build for a guy who sent me a Tornado IDS with devil marked aftermarket decals that he wanted done, and they were sooooo thin, and hard to work with, and they would either get stuck, bunch up horribly when I tried to set them in position, or wrinkle and tear when I tried to move them. I think that with a smoother surface I wouldn't have met as much (though certianly still some) problems. I'll see what I can find with the testors. If anyone else knows about decanting and using clear gloss please let me know. That seems to be a pretty economical solution as well.

[Janissary]

I have had this problem in the past. The culprit for me was the gritty finish of the underlying paint, not future. I have since started scrubbing my models with an old cotton tshirt between each layer of primer/paint/shading/clear coats. This knocks out most of the grittiness not visible to the naked eye, and creates a silky smooth surface finish. If get too much static electric, I rub the whole surface with an unused laundry softener sheet, its ability to neutralize static is incredible.

Also, if you need more sheen/gloss with your future, you may add a little bit of windex (original, with ammonia). It creates a much shinier finish and helps blend different colors and weathering (if that is what you intend to do).

Edited August 15, 2012 by Janissary

[metroman]

What JANISSARY said: buff that paint with an old tee - crucial!

[a4s4eva]

I have had this problem in the past. The culprit for me was the gritty finish of the underlying paint, not future. I have since started scrubbing my models with an old cotton tshirt between each layer of primer/paint/shading/clear coats. This knocks out most of the grittiness not visible to the naked eye, and creates a silky smooth surface finish. If get too much static electric, I rub the whole surface with an unused laundry softener sheet, its ability to neutralize static is incredible.

Also, if you need more sheen/gloss with your future, you may add a little bit of windex (original, with ammonia). It creates a much shinier finish and helps blend different colors and weathering (if that is what you intend to do).

I agree that polishing or lightly rubbing the paint back means you'll need a thinner coat of gloss to get a good decal surface. I use wet 8000-12000 micromesh and give is a good sand to knock of he “rough†finish of flat paints

As for Future, personally I think its much more trouble than it is worth. IMHO Tamiya X22 thinned with lacquer thinners gives a much better gloss finish than Future. And it’s fool proof.

Future seems to have attained magical qualities in many modellers eyes. Like it’s “self levelling propertyâ€Â

Seriously, any liquid if applied wet enough, will self level... try it with water on a flat surface. You’ll be amazed ;)

[balls47]

Hey There Scapilot, Are your pebbly areas in corners, holes, etc.? If so, you may have your air pressure too high. Higher air pressure will cause the Future to swirl in areas that aren't flat. Because of swirling, the Future is already dry and is like little specs of sand landing in the wet Future that made it to the area. To alleviate this problem, spray the areas where the Future will settle instantly (flat areas, canopy, etc.) Then dial down the pressure and spray the corner type areas (wing to fuselage, pylon to wing, etc.). Hopefully this may help.