Future, introduction for a Newbie

[Guest]

hi,  im new to this artcraft.  so, any and all help and info. is appreciated.  i'm  really having a hell of a good time since i've started painting my tanks and artillery pieces.  o'm having trouble figuring out how materials work together, and on which order to do things toward painting and weathering.  Specifically, i'm trying to find this Future stuff that everyone uses.  How specific within the Pledge Floor Care product line do i have to be to ensure i get the right thing?   i got Pledge cleaner floor care multipurpôse cleaner.  i'm not sure if i've got the right thing.  i'm attachimg a photo.  thank you all for your time...

[Guest]

Hi David


This is the stuff we get in the UK





But as you're in the US, it may well be branded differently.


A good source of information on the various brands & uses of this product is here

http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html

For a protective clear coat, most brands are good. All the main modelling brands carry a type of gloss coat; Vallejo, Humbrol, Testors etc. Go for an acrylic one as these are much more friendly to use & far less likely to cause problems with existing paint - unlike lacquer based products.


The usual sequence for application is:


Primer, paint, gloss coat, decals, gloss over decals (or entire model), wash, matt coat, weathering, final matt coat to seal everything in.


Not everyone follows all these steps - it depends on personal preference & what's being built.

[Guest]

thanks for the info.  i think i may have the wrong thing.   is there any way to tell based on it's physical properties?  do oils have to go on gloss to behave correctly?  or acrylic, or vice versa?  there also does not seem to be a niversal thinner for enamels or acrylics.   i have to stay w/in the manufacturer's product?the oil enames wont perform correctly on testors dullcote, for example?  

[dave]

In general mixing of companies products and product types on a model is not a problem provided you allow sufficient time for the previous coat to cure/dry.


I regularly use a mix of enamels, acrylics, artists oils, artists inks etc.


if you want to mix products together it is more difficult and you will need to do some research and experimentation.  Although as a rule of thumb artists oils and enamels are usually OK in my experience.


Thinners vary a bit in general water (or water with flow agent) for acrylics, although Tamiya are a little odd

[zuludog]

Although it might sound a bit tedious, like doing homework when you were at school, it's worth getting some plastic card or an old kit, and trying out the various combinations you're considering, and making notes


As a rough guide


you can mix oil or solvent based paints  & varnishes & their solvents together when wet


you can mix acrylics, their solvents, and water together when wet


but you can't mix or paint over these two types while they're still wet, or only very recently dried


When either has dried and fully cured you can paint over in any combination


There are a few floor coatings that modellers have used to finish their models - 'Future', Kleer' and 'Pledge'; always added when the water or oil based paint had fully dried or cured


The only way to be certain if they work, and do not have any poor effects is to do the tests as describes. Welcome to the wonderful world of model making!

[Guest]

here's a puzzling question.  i've gotten something called a stai from tesors, it gives really nice resulrs.  but, i can find nothing about stains anywhere.  any thoughts?


can't really see the results due to the lack of photo quality, but any help's appreciated

[Guest]

its just another name for washes, I believe Testors are acrylic based, and would be fine for dipping, or an overall wash, but you may find the usual problems trying to use them to flow into fine details etc compared with oil washes.

[Guest]

Testors Createfx comes in enamel and acrylic. The enamel is a no-go for me since it is quite potent in the smell department. The acrylic worked ok, but seemed slightly thicker compared to some of the others.


I have found since getting back into the hobby that there are way more products than there were twenty years ago. It is a matter of trying different brands and techniques until you find one that works. What works for one person may not work for you.