Future and decal questions

[fulcrum1]

I recall hearing that you could mix future into the water dish that you put your decals in and it would work on a flat coat. I've only ever sprayed the model with future and don't have the guts to try it on a project I'm working on. Any thoughts?

[ChrisRRR]

Never tried mixing it into the water, but Future can also be applied with a broad soft brush and it will level out without any brushmark.

I normally do 2-3 thin layers with the brush. Future is also very forgiving when not applied to heavily.

Might be worth a try to brush it only on the parts where the decals go?

[dnl42]

Brush the Future on directly and place the decal. I did that with a CMK 1/48 Ben Hur

[fulcrum1]

Thanks, I found a poor A-6 and F-15 that had already been painted in the stash and I'm going to try this and a couple different methods out.

[Ichitoe]

I recall reading that post where the builder dipped the decals in a future/ water mix and applied them over a flat coat. I don't remember who it was or what the build was, but I was intrigued by this method. I haven't tried it yet though...

Mike

Edited January 30, 2015 by Ichitoe

[balls47]

Thanks, I found a poor A-6 and F-15 that had already been painted in the stash and I'm going to try this and a couple different methods out.

fulcrum1, You took the words right out of my mouth, in a manner of speaking. I was gonna suggest that you use a "junker" model to practice on, but you beat me to the punch. Now that we're done with my "cliché festival," good luck.

[Netz]

Some people apply the Future directly on the model, I prefer to dilute it a bit, I think future full strength is too thick.

I use a small cup, the size of the cough syrup caps, add water then a swirl of Future, it's not even 50/50 more like 1/4 Future to water, I've used this no old Monogram decals (P-40) and it pulled the shark mouth down without any issue, I also used this over a flat finish with out glossing, Future will pull the decals down into panel lines, but you will need to use a softener here and there.

It's good stuff.

Curt

Note; using it full strength or even diluted you run the chance of the decal "sticking" to the surface,it can be tacky even diluted, if the decal sticks before it's in place, just be ready with a brush load of water and it will loosen up so you can continue to position the decal. This is actually good practice because too much maneuvering of a decal will also promote silvering by removing some of the adhesives.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Netz

[MiG Hunter]

I airbrushed Future straight from the bottle(undiluted) with 15 psi pressure and I got some runs on the model.

1- Should I have used less psi?

2- What is the best way to avoid these runs?

3- What is the best way to get rid of the dried runs?

I originally wanted to seal the base coat for pin washing and decaling but under magnifier, I can still see the micro pores on the surface.

Is the surface ready for decals now or should I apply another coat of Future? How many Future coats do you guys usually apply?

Edited February 1, 2015 by Fulcrum Pilot

[ChrisRRR]

I had the same trouble with airbrushing Future. Always ended up with some runs here and there. As I wrote above, I nowadays just brush it on with a flat soft paintbrush. It dries to a very smooth surface. 1 or 2 thin layers are normally sufficient for a nice decal-ready finish.

Edit: For removing Future, I've heard that ammonia-based Windex does the job quite well. Stay away from Isopropyl-Alcohol and the likes.

Here are two of my results for evaluation:

Edited February 2, 2015 by ChrisRRR

[ALF18]

I use Future on every model, whether it is gloss or dull. I have NEVER applied it with an airbrush. I do exactly what ChrisRRR does. To prepare the Future, I like to add a small amount of Windex to it (to reduce the viscosity slightly). Just a few sprays of Windex into a clear plastic pill bottle where I keep my Future, mix it with a piece of sprue, and you can brush it on lightly with a large, soft brush in thin layers. As the Future dries, you'll see it leveling nicely.

A few minutes later, you can apply another thin coat, and maybe a third, until it is smooth and glossy overall (just like the pictures ChrisRRR has posted of his airliners). Let it dry overnight, and apply decals. I then brush a small amount of Future over each of the decals after they have dried in place, and finish with either Future again (brushed on thinly) for a gloss finish, or a can of Testors Dull Cote spray for a matte finish.

Sometimes, for decals that refuse to stick in place, I will use Future to get them to stick. A good example is the coloured bands around missiles. I brush a tiny amount of Future onto the missile where the band goes around it, then apply the decal, and smooth it down with a paint brush. The Future sucks the decal down onto the missile body, and holds it in place nicely.

On the Future, when applying decals, I use MicroSet and MicroSol as required, to get decals to stick and to mould into panel lines.

ALF

[chuck540z3]

Hey guys. I recently posted a Future Tutorial in my build thread that you might be interested in below. It has a few answers to some of the questions above.

Tutorial: Creating a glossy, blemish free finish with Future

1) The surface to be sprayed must be totally smooth to begin with. If you think that a coat or two of Future will eliminate rough spots, think again, it won’t. It will just make it harder to get rid of them later.

2) Like any acrylic paint, the application of Future requires that all oils from your hands be removed or it will repel them, leaving a mottled finish. I just use a rag soaked in Windex and go over the entire model first.

3) Get rid of all the dust particles and CRAP you can find! I cannot emphasize how important this step is, because little bits of fuzz, hair and dust will get trapped in the Future, which is very difficult to remove later. A dust rag, followed by compressed air gets rid of most of it, but some of it will still be left behind no matter what you do. More on that later.

4) Mix up a batch of 90/10 Future and Windex in a bottle, then shake it. You will see the two components swirl as they try to repel each other at first, then surrender into a clear bluish mixture.

5) Set the air pressure for your airbrush so that the spraying pressure is about 12-15 psi. Airbrush spraying pressures are often confusing because some guys quote the “shut-in pressure” on the regulator, rather than what the pressure is when the airbrush is actually spraying. For my particular compressor, I need to set the regulator to about 21 psi, to get a spraying pressure about 6-8 psi lower when I pull the trigger. Your results will likely vary from this, so experiment a bit.

6) They key to spraying Future, especially diluted Future, is to always spray on a level or almost level, horizontal surface. Gravity is the enemy, but you can work with it if you are able to pick up your model in your hands and turn it as it dries. Wear rubber gloves to avoid fingerprints.

7) Use a space heater with a fan to accelerate drying times. My spray booth is in my garage to avoid fumes in the house, so I discovered by accident that a space heater to warm things up works great to accelerate drying times of all paints, including Future.

8) Get a good source of light from a variety of angles where you plan on spraying. Since Future is totally clear, the only way you can tell how much you are spraying is to look for the reflection of the Future under indirect light.

9) After filing up your airbrush with Future, do a few test sprays to make sure everything is coming out nice and smooth with no sputters. If it does sputter, your airbrush is either clogged or maybe the air pressure is too low. Fix it first or you'll be sorry!

10) When you spray Future, shoot away from the model then gradually pull the spray to the model without stopping. As with any paint, stopping and starting the spray cycle results in sputtering, so keep the flow going as long as possible, which also avoids clogging of the airbrush nozzle because the Future doesn’t get a chance to dry if you keep spraying.

11) Holding the model in your hands, spray enough Future to get the surface totally wet with no orange peel- but no more! Keep the airbrush moving, getting all level surfaces wet, then stop and let the space heater dry the mixture until it flashes or sets. You can then rotate the model a few degrees, as required, to get curved surfaces wet as well, blending in the set Future with newly sprayed Future with overlapping spray strokes.

12) Now the real tricky part that takes lots of practice. Sometimes I overspray a bit and the Future starts to run down the sides a bit. Don’t panic! Turn the model and spray even more Future on the run, then rotate the model back and forth next to the space heater so that no surface is truly level for more than a few seconds. Eventually the Future will level out, set and won’t run anymore, but keep turning the model until it does.

13) You should notice by now that, sure enough, there is some crap trapped in the Future coat. Leave it alone and let it dry! Again, more on that later. If you play with it or try to remove it, you will make a bigger mess than the dust particle.

14) Spray in “quadrant sessions”, so that you can handle the model from underneath without fear of leaving fingerprints. For instance, I might spray the top of one wing, the top of the fuselage and the corresponding horizontal stabilizer, along with one side of the fuselage using the above rotation method. I then let the whole thing dry for at least an hour, before I attempt to touch the Future coat as I spray the other side and remaining parts of the model. Again, use rubber gloves and a light touch. To do my big A-10C Hog which is just under 2 feet wide by 2 feet long, I had about 6 spraying sessions over the span of an afternoon.

15) Always overlap your coats of Future, again, getting them real wet without running. Easier said than done, I know, but with practice it becomes second nature.

16) When the model has thoroughly dried for a day, you can fix the many blemishes that will no doubt occur. Using 1000 grit sandpaper, try to sand out the fuzz and crap from the finish. If the particle is too deep within the Future coat, spray a bit of paint over the blemished area, let it dry, re-sand lightly, then apply another coat of Future. You will be surprised how well everything blends in. For instance, I dropped a pair of tweezers on my model while decaling, chipping the nose right down to the plastic. Aaaaagh! I sanded out the blemish, repainted the flaw and the immediate surrounding area, then I re-applied Future. The mark disappeared completely.

17) Dried Future sands easily, so if you have a few drips here and there, sand them out when they are thoroughly dry, then re-spray.

18) Depending on the results of your first coat, you may need several coats of Future to get the finish you want. My Phantom took 3 coats and the Hog needed 2. For subsequent coats, I found that 50% Future and 50% Windex works best, as the thinner mixture filled in small depressions and the Windex "melted" the older Future and allowed it to level out some more.

19) Once in awhile you may find that the Future turns whitish and looks really bad. Don't worry about it, because it almost always disappears with drying time.

20) Before applying decals and Microsol, let the Future finish dry and cure for at least 2 days. Microsol sometimes makes the Future whitish as above. Again, just let it dry some more and it will be gone.

One last comment. Future is not better than any other gloss coat, but what I like about it is that if I have a disaster, I can always remove it entirely with Windex and not harm the paint. Also, I hate the look of Future on a bare metal finish because I think it looks artificial, so stick with thinner clear lacquers like Alclad gloss coat instead on metallic surfaces.

Now a few examples of a model with a good coat of Future ready for decals.....

If you can, paint and Future parts off the model so that they can be perfectly flat while spraying.

[Joel_W]

I've never brushed Future on, but rather applied it with an airbrush cut 50/50 with Windex +D. Personally, I'm old school, and prefer Glosscoat and Dullcoat. But that's just me.

I keep on reading about hand brushing on Future, and it's self leveling. With that being the case, why wouldn't it fill up recessed lines as it self leveled?

Joel

[MiG Hunter]

I applied these decals from 1977 on my MiG-21 last night and this is what I see today. Lots of wrinkles. Is it because my surface is porous? I did airbrush Future the other night. I used Microset and Microsol as we all know.

What should I do now? More Mircosol and dabbing with cotton swab? Help!

[Joel_W]

If you look closely, what you'll see is that the decals have really snugged down quite nicely for the most part. The paint surface is very rough, and therefore so is the Pledge/Future overcoat. Hence, the lumps an bumps under the decals. The larger bumps look like trapped air. You can use a pin to prick them, then apply Set or Solvaset to help the decal lay down.

Joel

[MiG Hunter]

Quick question!

Can I use TAMITYA X-22 clear gloss instead of Future for decaling and before washing?

TAMIYA X-22