Solvaset attacking Future Finish

[RiderFan]

Has anyone else had a problem of Walthers Solvaset attacking the layer of future applied for decals?

If you look in these two images, you can see that area's around the decals are being turned white;

I've switched from solvaset to something a little less strong (testers decal set) but was wondering if anyone knew how to repair this. Can I just put more future over it? Do I need to repaint this area? If I rub a damp cloth over the area the white goes away until the dampness dries, then it's white again.

Any advice would be great..

thanks

David

[Kalashnikov-47]

Yep, it'll do that. Solvaset is pretty potent stuff, but do not despair....

Another coat or two of future will clear that up.

[MoFo]

Your Future needs to cure longer, before applying Solvaset. Less Solvaset will also help reduce fogging.

And yes, another application of Future will make the fogging go away. There are other methods that will work, but shooting another coat or Future is the safest.

[RiderFan]

Your Future needs to cure longer, before applying Solvaset. Less Solvaset will also help reduce fogging.

And yes, another application of Future will make the fogging go away. There are other methods that will work, but shooting another coat or Future is the safest.

Cool thanks. I'd let the future sit for over 5 days, I can't imagine it would take that long for a floor finish to cure. Anyway, I'll try dabbing some more onto a less visible spot and see what happens.

thanks

David

[dragonfly]

Here we go again. We see this much to often.

Jerry

[Nuno Andresen]

David, in my honest opinion, Future coats, are almost mandatory in our hobby, due to their self leveling capabilities. Probably unique, therefore decals will look incredibly nice over them.

However Future is extremely delicate and fragile and easily attacked by solvents. I had past bad experiences with very soft stuff like detergents (very nice water tension breakers), alcohol, alcohol thinned with water, acrylic thinner and similar fluids.

With strong solvents the results have been so far identical to the one you describe: Future is highly permeable to practically all solvents no matter how much time has passed between the last future coat and a decal session. So I simply gave up of using decal softeners and now I do decaling only with tap water.

Sometimes simpler solutions provide better results.

[RiderFan]

Tap water alone works well for flat surfaces but in 30 years I've never found a decal that would conform to detailed surfaces without decal set. Decalset for me is critical. I've used future here and there but generally find I get the same results with rattle can gloss coat. So I guess my inexperience with this process is why I was a bit surprised. I don't get this with other gloss coats.

Thanks

David.

Edited July 18, 2010 by RiderFan

[SteveH]

It seems that temperature and humidity can have a strong effect on the "curing time" of Future. Low temperature and high humidity may require a correspondingly longer time for the polymerization to proceed to an acceptable level.

[Chuck1945]

Before getting too wrapped around the curing time theory, remember, Future is a floor polish. It is designed to have people walking on it within 30 minutes or so of application. Definitely give it time to cure, but dont go overboard either. In my experience, Future seems to cure about the same winter or summer, or out here in eastern Washington (very dry) or when we lived in PA (humid)

Alcohol is a solvent for many acrylics including Future. Decal softeners often contain alcohol and if there is too heavy of an alcohol concentration and it flows off the decal onto the Future damage can result. Sometimes just letting it dry thoroughly will fix the problem, sometimes another coat of Future will work, but if it got really bad, you may need to rub down the offending Future and reapply.

When you use a decal solvent (MicroSol, Solvaset, etc) use in small quantities and keep the stuff on the decal itself. If any runs off, wick it up immediately with a paper towel. One method to help the solvent stay on the decal is to work slowly and do only one wing surface for example, then let it all dry with that surface facing up - this keeps gravity from pulling the solvent across the wing. Same for fuselages, do one side, and wait for the other till the first side is dry.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Chuck1945

[Ace Airspeed]

Solvaset is very strong - too strong for my purposes unless the decal is thick, stubborn and going on uneven surfaces. I prefer MicroSol..............strong enough to set the decal, but usually kind to clear coats and paint.

Rider - let the decals dry thoroughly. Gently clean the areas with a water dampened soft sponge and let it dry thoroughly. Apply light coats of Future..........that fogging should vanish.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Ace Airspeed

[balls47]

Hi David, I started out using Solvaset, but that was when I used Glosscote, Dullcote, etc. instead of Future. I have been using Future for quite awhile now. I started using the Micro system, but I still use a lot of Solvaset. I just make sure that my Future coat is well cured. I don't start decaling until the Future has been on for at least 3 days. I will do the Micro Set - Micro Sol program. If the decals are stubborn, I will break out the Solvaset. I don't put it on very heavy, and try and keep it on or just over the edge of the clear film.

[RiderFan]

Thanks.. I can't see how any commercial floor surfacer would take more than a day to cure but I let mine sit for about a week (not intentionally, just how my schedule worked out). I don't think letting it cure longer was the issue here. The solvaset being too strong maybe. I have some much weaker stuff I've been trying but the decals won't settle down. So I guess I need a middle of the road stuff. I've been putting decals on models for 30ish years. Never had this problem before.

Edited July 19, 2010 by RiderFan

[Chuck1945]

Thanks.. I can't see how any commercial floor surfacer would take more than a day to cure but I let mine sit for about a week (not intentionally, just how my schedule worked out). I don't think letting it cure longer was the issue here. The solvaset being too strong maybe. I have some much weaker stuff I've been trying but the decals won't settle down. So I guess I need a middle of the road stuff. I've been putting decals on models for 30ish years. Never had this problem before.

Like I said above, it isnt a curing time issue with Future, rather it is the Solvaset being quite strong (by itself not necessairily an issue) and running off the decal and being allowed to start also "solvasetting" the Future.

I havent used Solvaset for perhaps 10-12 years, the bottle I had then had been on the store self for who knows how long and it just didnt work very well. I usually use MircoSol or PollyScale's decal solvent solution, it too is hotter than MicroSol. The vast majority of the aftermarket decals I use these days don't normally require any solvent solution. Far cry from the days of HisAirDec and others back in the late 60s when Solvaset was an absolute requirement to get them to conform.

[GEH737]

I've had the exact same issue with Future lately - letting it cure for a long time - then having your issue with only Micro Set / Sol. It was really apparent on the black finish I was doing, and it was very frustrating. A couple of coats of Future mostly cured the problem - but it wouldn't be any contest winner. I've been considering using another type of clear coat before decals now.

Hitch

[Isaac]

I've started using Tamiya Gloss Clear. It is much more resilient to setting and softening solutions and it isn't anywhere near the dust magnet that future is.

[dragonfly]

I've had the exact same issue with Future lately - letting it cure for a long time - then having your issue with only Micro Set / Sol. It was really apparent on the black finish I was doing, and it was very frustrating. A couple of coats of Future mostly cured the problem - but it wouldn't be any contest winner. I've been considering using another type of clear coat before decals now.

Hitch

Good idea....leave the Future for the kitchen floor where it belongs

[RiderFan]

Well, I think I'm done with the whole future thing. Last night I put a future over coat on top of my decals prepping for the wash. So it's had all day and night. But it seems it wasn't quite cured and ruined my wash. Spent a month on this model and the weathering pretty much hosed it because the future coat wouldn't cure.

The results of how badly this technique can turn out;

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....t&p=2024929

Edited July 24, 2010 by RiderFan

[Big Kev]

I just had this problem with my current model, using ordinary MicroSol over Future:

I'd been swabbing it all over the decals, not being at all careful where it went, but only this one tiny patch decided to have a problem. I'm hoping the 'more Future' solution will fix it. I'll let you know.

Kev

[C-130CrewChief]

I use Solvaset over future all the time... Every time. I also only wait about an hour or two before putting on the decals after spraying. It fogs every time, but a blast of future clears it right up. I only get bad results (for the second coat) when I brush on the future instead of spraying it.

[Big Kev]

I only get bad results (for the second coat) when I brush on the future instead of spraying it.

Thanks for chiming in with that, as I was contemplating just brushing some Future over the offending area! I'll spray it now instead.

Kev