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How to Fix Future Pool


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I hate Future!!!:angry:

 

No matter how I do it, I always get Future pools here and there on the model. I always airbrush it straight from the bottle without thinning. I tried low psi and a few misty passes but  I still get it.

 

What is the best way to fix Future pools? I have a few dried pools on my Tomcat now. I airbrushed Future last night to seal the decals. 

 

I even tried to gently dissolve the dried pool with a Qtips dipped in Windex but it immediately damaged the underneath paint. Now I have to fix the pain too:bandhead2:

 

Please help! 

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Practice.

 

If the Future's pooling, it means you're applying too much paint, too wet.  So you need to apply a little less. 

 

There's a moment when you're airbrushing paint when it goes from a slightly pebbly looking surface to a smooth, wet coat - when there's enough wet paint on the surface that the droplets hit, then a half a second after they land, flow out into a smooth, level film.  It's a tricky moment to spot because it does take a fraction of a second for the paint to flow out, so you need to make a pass and keep a close eye on what the paint is doing.  If it lands and looks pebbly, you're nowhere close; if it lands and there's a very paint orange peel, you're almost there.  That instant is when you have a good, gloss finish.  If you keep adding more wet paint,  it will be able to slide around the surface and pool or run.  If you stop before you reach it, you'll have orange peel.

 

Good lighting will be a big help, so you can watch the reflections to see how smooth the paint is.  If you feel the paint is curing too quickly to flow, you can drop your air pressure or add a bit of thinner or retarder.  And if you think you have enough material on the surface but it just needs a a bit more time to settle, you can spray a flash coat of thinner to re-activate the paint to give it more time to settle (though this is an advanced technique since you obviously have to be *really* careful not to apply too much thinner to the model). 

 

But ultimately, it's about feel, and practice, and experience.  Slam together a cheap kit, give it a coat of enamel paint, then keep practicing your future coats on it.  If you get pooling or runs, squirt some windex on it to strip the Future, then try again.

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You could try some type of acrylic solvent like windex, or either 70% or 91% isopropyl alcohol, and then gently rotate the area so it "flows" smoothly; but do I test first on a scrap piece of plastic that you'll "pool" future on.  I used to swear by Future until I discovered Tamiya X-22 Clear Gloss after someone on the boards told me about it.  It might be a bit more expensive to use than future, however, its sprays and lays down BEAUTIFULLY, gives a wonderful glass-like finish, and I think is worth the extra cost.  More importantly, you don't have to worry about "pooling" so much like you do with future, just don't blast it out of the airbrush.

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@dsahling,

 

So you hand brush the x-22 instead of airbrushing?!

 

This is the disaster on my almost finish Tomcat. I am so frustrated now. I tried to gently dissolve the dried Future pool but look what happened.

 

What should I do now?

 

https://ibb.co/ieRJfm

 

https://ibb.co/dZ9h6R

 

https://ibb.co/bue4Lm

Edited by MiG Hunter
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Since Windex made it worse, I suppose you sprayed Future atop acrylic...

 

I don't use future for the various reasons cited above. I do use Mr Color Clear, Tamiya Clear, or Model Master bottled lacquer as they work so much better for me.

 

Bottom line...the following is pure supposition on my part.


Perhaps a fine sanding stick would work?The key would he a rigid backing so the pooled future would be abraded, not the surface. You'd have to be very careful to only get the ridges and not get the paint. Frequent checking of the abrasive surface for traces pf color should help you recognize when you went just too far. Once it's smoothed, I'd switch to very fine grit to polish the finish. For the polishing, you'd want a backing more pliable than a sanding stick, like one of those polishing sets with the stiff sponge. As suggested above, try on a test piece first.

 

Also, don't dare mask the decals to "protect" them...this is direct experience :bandhead2:

Edited by dnl42
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I  had the same issue with pooling. I sanded it carefully with 400 or 600 grit. you just have to be sure it is fully cured.

 

I stopped using future as well, Tamiya clear works better for me.

 

Before I stopped using future, I had better luck brushing future with foam brushes, and If I saw a pool forming I would work it with the brush, spreading it out, or trying to soak it up with the brush, or even a twisted up piece of paper towel. 

 

good luck.

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Thank you, Kurt H. for your reply.

 

I am done with Future too. I just have to fix and finish this model properly. I will start using X-22 before decaling as of next project.

 

Do you airbrush X-22 or hand brush it? 

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MiG Hunter,

 

as for future and or it's ~= try the max amount of pressure your comp. can supply lets say 3+

 

micro burst, not even a pst pst but a single pst; nothing prolonged more than a fraction of a second. moving very fast in the mean time. distance is pretty much irrelevant unless you'r a couple of inches/cms away that is since you are pretty much finger ****ing your airbrush. no wrist movements, move your arm/airbrush entirely. takes practice but can be done.

if you have access to x22 than even better of course, you can go wet on wet with it's lacquer thinner (tamiya yellow cap) easily for a smooth enough and gloss coat (tho not civvy car enough, at least not without some polishing love afterwards). with any type of acrylic thinner (tamiya white cap or drugstore %90+ ipa) i don't bother wet on wet / if it's possible to get an equivalent gloss ala lacquer thinned at least, i haven't figured out a way.

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2 hours ago, MiG Hunter said:

Do you airbrush X-22 or hand brush it? 

 

Airbrush. I got the technique from the The Scale Modelers Critique Group on facebook.  The X-22 is thinned with Mr. Hobby "Mr leveling thinner" .  while the X22a is till wet, you apply a light coat of 100% Mr Leveling thinner.   Test this technique on a paint hulk first, to get the hang of it. It works very well, here is a picture of my Enterprise model where I used this technique:

 

before:

2v29GbGvgx9awpY.jpg

 

after:

 

2v29nnioGx9awpY.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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