Here are two photos of my first attempt at using Future as a pre-decal gloss coat on my (re)learning piece.
Looks pretty ugly.
I used it straight form the bottle.
Brushed on a first coat with a soft brush.
Waited for it to dry overnight. Looked much like this in the AM.
That afternoon I used gauze cloth to rub it down with more Future to try to even out the "puddles" and after drying it didn't change.
The paint on both sides is enamel with acrylic airbrushed and dry brushed on over.
I wiped the model down before using the Future, but didn't wash it.
Could that be the problem?




(yes - the while stripe is ugly. it's brush painted and needed like 4 coats - can't wait for my new airbrush to arrive in the mail)

Hi Scott
I brush Future/Klear all the time. I always apply it straight from the bottle. It is hard to see from your photos but it looks like you may simply have applied to thick a coat. A very little goes a long way. You can remove a coat with anything containing ammonia,people on your side of the pond use a window cleaner (Windex??) - I'm sure someone over there will let you know.
Normally the only place you need to look for puddles/runs is on the edge of the surface opposite the one you are coating. Any excess can sneak around the edge to catch you out later!
FYI I usually apply two but sometimes three coats to get a nice gloss surface for decals.
Hope it comes out alright in the end!
Cheers
Steve

I have been using future for quite some time now and never had any problkems.

I use the airbrush to apply it and mix it with 40% isopropanol to thin it.

I'm going to clean it off tonight with some ammonia based windex and reapply.
*shrug*
Gotta make mistakes to have something to learn from, right?

You may not have the right stuff if you purchsed it recently. In the UK, Klear, as it is called here, has been replaced with a new formula which is totally unsuitable for varnishing models. If it says new formula on the bottle or has a very pleasant smell like lemons do not use it.

hmmm... I've got the same bottle on the top right of the Swanny article. It doesn't say "new formula" nor does it smell like lemon. It has a sweet smell, not unpleasant but not pretty either.

Got it stripped last night. Will try again today and see what happens.
Thanks for the for the feedback so far...

OK, much better already. I re-did the underside of a wing and it's not pooling at all.
I wiped on with a piece of gauze and the wipe excess off with another piece and it's very even now.

i spray from airbrush never had a problem also dip your finished canopy and let the excess run off really improves it ALOT.

That's peculiar. I've never had a problem either spraying or brushing Future. Perhaps the only issue I've encountered is when brushing too vigorously creates bubbles which might not have time to pop out before the Future dries.

Was the paint underneath properly dry when you brushed on the Future?

Yes- the paint was dried for days as I hunted in various stores to find Future (Found it in Shop-Rite in MIddletown NY for you North Jersey/South East NY people who are reading this. No luck in Pathmark, Stop & Shop, and Lowes.)

I've started kit #2 I'll experiment when it's time to see what happens.
I'm leaning towards:
1) I didn't really clean the model before application
2) I brushed on too much

I also lay horizontally while it dried. Maybe that played a part as the winds looked way worse than the fuselage.

I dipped canopies for kit #2 at the same time and they look fine

like anything with brush painting less is more. Just try to put on a light coat.
I've never thinned it. But if I'm careless i've seen pools on the underside of
the wings when left to dry. Make sure to wick away any excess before you leave it.
like steven says maybe use a few coats too just make them light.

Let's see the results of the 2nd attempt

good luck

Hi Scott,

Judging from what you've just said and the photos, I think the problem was that the model wasn't clean when you brushed on the Future. In this situation the tendency is to try to brush more on in order to get it to stick, but it doesn't work. If there's any dust or grease on the model the future, being acrylic based, won't want to go near it.

Hope this helps,

Mike

Much better this time.

I wiped it on instead of brushing it on and it came out as it should.


thanks for all the feedback!

use an airbrush, even one of those cheap ones from testors will do, not too bad though