Hi,

I've had very little luck spraying future as a gloss coat. I've tried it neat, I've tried it thinned slightly with alcohol. Thin coats give me a pebbled finish, heavy coats creates runs and drips.

I'm planning to build my 1st plane and testing out techniques on a test mule. I usually build armour and any issues I run into with future can usually be hid by a scratch or stowage, but I don't think a duffel bag strapped to the wing is going to fool anyone.

I've heard of people brush painting future since theoretically the self levelling should eliminate brush strokes. Has anyone else had any success with that?

Thanks for your time,

Jeff

Mal wrote an article on this very subject: The Future is Klear

I've had an OK experience airbrushing, just the clean-up was a nightmare, it seems to like drying on the needle.

Brushing it does give a glossier finish, but don't be tempted to do thick coats, as it flows into detail when applied too heavily. 2 or 3 thin coats give a better finish. Maybe try changing brush stroke angles by 60 degrees between the coats so that the brush strokes don't add up. It dries hard enough to re-coat in 10 minutes, then I leave it 24 hours before decals or washes.

Howdy,

I've had excellent results brushing it on. Just be sure to use a clean brush. Use Windex to clean after brushing it on.




Brian Riedel

Hello,

I've spayed Future for about 10 years with great, reliable results. I dilute it about 20% with Model Master Acrylic thinner. When I shoot it, I crank the air pressure pretty high (~15 psi). I keep the airbrush ~6-8 inches away from the model and I apply multiple dry coats slowly. The idea is to have the Future partially dry before in hits the plastic. Build up the coat slowly!!!! It will first look like you're spraying a Matt finish, it will not look glossy. This is what you want. Keep the airbrush moving so you don'y spray it on wet. As the coat builds, the finish will go from a kinda of matt to a wet gloss. I usually let it dry overnight and start applying decals the next day. I've used either solvaset or Micro-set and -sol with no problems. I hope this helps.

Good Luck

Taildragger7AC

I've brushed Future for years. The trick is to not let it get on too thick, or it'll run. Luckily Future is very forgiving, and even if you do get a run, you can catch it and clean it off if it's still wet. I like to use a nice big round brush.

This was brush painted, and brush painted Klear over it.





So it can be done.

Thanks for all the answers, and the link to that step by step guide. Incredibly helpful. I hope to start my 1st aircraft model in two decades this weekend and honestly not I've been hesitant to start because of my issues with clear coats. I'm feeling more confident about it now.

Jeff

Future is an acrylic varnish designed for use as a floor polish that any klutz can use. Self leveling, i.e., extremely thin and runny, and quick drying to produce a surface that is sooth and high gloss. Therefore it is perfectly suitable for brush application. Like paint, the thing to avoid is over brushing which will leave marks as the Future begins to dry. Being very thin you may not realize the large quantity you have loaded on the brush. Always wipe the brush to remove the overload. Have a paper towel at hand, with the corners twisted into a point. If you find that you have flooded an area of the model with too much Future, before it begins to dry which can happen very quickly, use the corner of the paper towel to wick it off the surface. Because it very runny it has a habit of running over and under the leading and trailing edges of wings and tailplanes and accumulating there. If you find runs, drips and puddles that have begun to dry and cannot be removed by brushing or soaking up with a paper towel, then leave it to dry. You can then sand them away with 12000 grit wet and dry paper used with plenty of water. This will leave a dull spot. Application of a little Future will restore it and may show that a little more sanding is necessary.

Humbrol have just released their own version or equivalent of Future/Klear. It retails, IIRC, for £4.99 a bottle.

i agree, brush painting Future or Parket plus is possible. It levels it self out if I am correct.



Jelger

The other thing to watch for is bubbles. Future / Klear will foam at the slightest provocation. It's easy to fix - blowing on it usually does the trick - but you need to be quick, because for some reason the bubbles dry quicker than the rest.

Yep, the stuff levels out great, and I've actually got much better glossy coats by hand brushing it than airbrushing it on. At least from what I've heard, Future's possible to airbrush for smooth, glossy coats, but I've never succeeded at that as well as with a paint brush. Guess it's the much thinner coats you get with an airbrush.

Anyway, as already mentioned, it's best to avoid brushing it with too fast movements, as it foams and bubbles easily. I've noticed the bubbles tend to mostly disappear as it levels, but it's best to play it safe and avoid having them in the first place.
For brushing Future, I use a flat brush, size depending on the surface I'm working with.

Btw, has anyone tried that new Humbrol Clear? It sure does seem to handle like Future. While a 125ml bottle should last quite a while, and the price of £4.99 a bottle isn't that bad, I can't help but compare the prices. I paid around 5€ for a 500ml bottle way back in 2005 (I think... Can't remember exactly) which I'm still using. There's still an inch or so left.

I have airbrushed it as well as hand brushing it.

Mind you I have only hand brushed it for something that just has a few decals and you need a smooth surface to put it on.

As far as airbrushing it, multiple thin coats is ideal. No need to thin it.

Here is something I did a few months back,



Hard to see the shine really, but is was basically painted with Vallejo White Primer, then 3-4 coats of Future, decals, and then 3-4 more coats of Future. The last coat I went a little heavy, and did get a run or 2, but just sat the body on some paper towel for a few mins, and it soaked in any runs. Body looks quite shiny when looking at it.