I used an old boxcar that I did not care about for this experiment.
I first applied Future floor finish to the boxcar and let it dry for around 1 hour. Then I dipped the decal in water for around 30 seconds. I applied Microset to the boxcar, applied the decal and let it dry. Then I applied Microsol.
It seems that Future floor finish reacted with the Microset and Microsol products. The result was something that reminds me of sugar mixed with water. A crystalized mess.
The problem is that the Future Floor Wax should be the LAST step! This was an old trick I picked up from the plastic airplane modeler crowd over 25 years ago. They use it as a gloss overspray on airliner models to get a glossy ‘presentation’ finish. Modelers have experimented with several gloss finishes ove the years and Future seems to be the one that does not ‘yellow’ as much over the years…
I do not think you are going for a super gloss finish on a box car? What I normally do is paint the model, apply a satin or gloss paint finish and decal the model. The gloss gives a very smooth finish that allows me to get the decals to go into the finish with Microsol/Microset. I then use a flat finish for most of my freight cars after washing the car to get rid of the glue from the decal film. I normally use Crystal Cote to do passenger cars and locomotives as I really do not want a dead flat like you get from Dull Cote or Floquil Flat.
If you were trying to use the Future as the ‘gloss’ to decal on, I just do not think it is solid enough to handle decal setting solution(as you have confirmed). Good thing you experimented on that old box car!
Actually I use Future for both gloos and flat finish. You need to let each coat fully cure. To make the flat coat I mix Tamaiya Flat Base with Future about 1:4 or 1:5. I use solvaset an only ocaisionally have any clouding problems, they disapear when it dries.
in the case of Future it is. Future is a an acrylic and as such it cure’s rather than dries. And the curing process takes longer than drying because Future will dry rather quickly but it will still remain in a soft state until the curing process is complete.
I always let paint/clear coat dry for about 2 days before going on to the next step. I also thought the future was to be used as a gloss coat to apply decals over.(never tried it though)
It’s interesting that the article says to apply your washes and weathering over a gloss finish for best results.[%-)]Makes me wonder how accurate the info in the article really is.
I use the Microset,Microset and Future all the time with excellent results.Your mistake was not letting the Future cure for 2-3 days before applying Microset.I applied future to this airliner model,let it dry 3 days and then applied(The rather extensive)decals with Microset and Microsol.Here is a pic of the results.
I was having a terrible time decaling some silver hoppers trying to get the film to disappear. Using regular clear finishes was killing the silver paint and without a clear finish, the decal film would show on the silver finish by itself.
The answer was to clearcoat the silver first with Future. The decals were then applied as per norm using Walthers Solvaset … no visible decal film !!! I airbrushed the Future on the cars straight out of the bottle with no problems other than you have to watch your build-up … it will easily run if it gets too heavy.
Strong decal setting solutions, like Micro-Sol, will react with Future that has not cured fully and create a white haze. Do not dispare, this haze will disappear when you apply a second coating of Future. Remember to always allow your Future to cure for a minimum of 24 hours before applying decals.
future has been used by the model car and plane guys for years. In fact I remember reading once where some one thought that Future was originally developed for the model guys and one of the wives discovered it worked great on floors too. It is a water based product and does not need thinning to airbrush. In essence it is acrylic paint which is why it holds up as well as it does. I have been using it as a gloss coat on my models for about 10 years now and only once or twice have I had any problems. I usually let it cure for at least 24 hours. I have “sped” up the process a couple of times by placing the model in a warm oven (make sure it is off). My process is a couple of good coats of finish folowed by the decals and setting solution. I let that set for at least 24 hours as well then another coat of future, 24 hours and then a coat of dull coat if needed. If all goes well the decal edges can not be detected.
I have a three Atlas GP 40 Rio Grande with no number. My plan is to decal them with Microscale decals that I have already bought. The loco only need numbers on both sides, under the cab. I will use future floor finish, then apply the decal with Microset and Microsol, future again and dullcote as the last step. Do I need to apply future on the whole loco before I do this? Or just the area where the decal will go? The reason I ask is because I have heard that I get the best result if I use future on the whole model. I want the decals to look ‘painted on’.
False. I built aircraft models in the mid-eighties that were clearcoated with Future, and showed no sign of yellowing when I got rid of them about a year ago.
I find that leaving the model to cure overnight reliably leaves a finish that will stand up to decal setting solution and decal solvent.
As for your other question - for that “painted on” look, I apply a coat of Future over the whole model; decal using setting solution and solvent; then apply another coat of Future to even the finish; and finally flat coat the whole model. As noted above, I let each coat dry at least overnight. The result looks like this:
That model has five coats of finish on it: the base colour (blue or green); two coats of Future under the decals; one coat of Future over the decals; and one coat of flat.
Like the street musician said when the tourist asked how to get to Carnegie Hall…“Practice, man, practice!” [:)]
BTW: Your airliner looks very good!