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Future and clear parts


Greg Law

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this might simply be my imagination.  Has anyone seen Future shrink a plastic clear part?

 I Futured my Ju 88 clear parts. I swear the large canopy parts have shrunk. I have another set that fit perfectly.  I think I checked the parts before I Futured them and I'm sure there wasn't a problem with the fit. It all seems odd to me.

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  • 3 weeks later...

On the subject of future for clear parts, what does it achieve?

 

I have never tried this with clear parts but I notice its rather common.

 

Does it make them clearer and more glass like?

 

I am worried it would reduce the sharpness of the canopy frames and make painting the frames more difficult?

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Future/Klear/Pledge with Future Shine and other names is a water thin self-levelling acrylic varnish, it is not a wax

It fills in the micro scratches on plastic parts, which is most noticeable on the clear canopy parts

Only if you put on several coats will it affect the canopy frames. Just one or two coats are enough to improve the look of a canopy

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Another benefit is that it can greatly reduce the chance of fogging if you use (superglue) ... or put another way, it would allow you to use superglue to attach clear parts.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

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Great, so theres a few good reasons to go ahead with the process. I wish I had done that on my last build for both reasons.

 

I notice some people dip the parts but I assume airbrushing is beat?

 

Is it sprayed neat?

 

cheers folks

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10 minutes ago, DrumBum said:

I notice some people dip the parts but I assume airbrushing is beat?

I dip. I have sprayed it as well. But you need to clean your airbrush really good afterwards cos when the Klear/etc  hardens its real devil to get out of the airbrush. Like almost all acrylics alcohol with dissolve it

 

13 minutes ago, DrumBum said:

Is it sprayed neat?

It can be, or diluted with water or diluted with alcohol

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I've always dipped clear parts into Klear or it's equivalents. I've only ever airbrushed gloss varnish that is designed for that purpose (Tamiya X22, X35, XF86 for example). I never risked putting Pledge (never got hold of any actual Johnsons Klear) through the airbrush. Never knew what to use to clean the AB out with after use. Currently using the Airfix stuff they came out with a couple of years ago. Decanted into a glass jar with screw lid, and wide mouth big enough to be able to put in canopies of various sizes and any other clear parts that need dipping - turrets, side windows, etc.

 

https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/paints-accessories/coatings-thinners/humbrol-gloss-clear-125ml-bottle.html

 

Usually need to clean the clear part first though (and this happened a lot using pledge).  Sometimes the part acts as if its hydrophobic - ie any liquid seems to be repelled from the surface. I assume there must be a mold release agent still present on the clear parts, and this needs cleaning off, once done, no problems. Takes about 24 hours for it to dry, but gives a lovely crystal clear finish to the clear parts (just don't touch it in that time - other wise strip and start again... Guess how I know that one!)

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I dip transparent parts in neat clear and give them a sharp shake to knock of surplus. But I also use Klear airbrushed as 

- a gloss coat (50/50 Klear IPA mix) before decaling and

- a final coat after decaling, Again 50/50 Klear/IPA mix but with Tamiya flat base (X-21) added to get the finish I want ... anything from a slightly off gloss to completely flat. Needs to be mixed really well

 

The IPA thinning isn't necessary but I found you're less likely to get pooling or orange peel when thinned. The thinned Klear flashes off very quickly (just blow air over it) so you can build layers as required in one session.

 

In general I prefer Klear to varnish as it dries quickly, and when dry seems pretty tough and can stand handling without fear of finger prints. I've noticed on older models it seems much easier to blow/brush any dust of those finished with Klear compared to varnished ones.

 

As for cleaning - as said ammonia based cleaners work well but I have owned airbrushes which warned against using ammonia. I use cellulose thinner for all types of paint cleaning and it seems to work fine on Klear as well

 

By the way, at the moment the correct stuff is marketed (in the UK at least) as "Pledge Revive It". There may well be alternative and cheaper products which work just as well, however, Klear has been in use by modellers for many years with no reports of deterioration or yellowing over time. I for one would not risk another product which hasn't had the same long term testing. And anyway, it may seem a lot to pay for a bottle of floor polish (£14 last time I bought it) but the equivalent amount of Tamiya varnish would cost in the order of £160 (80x 10ml jars at £2 a jar)!

 

Cheers

 

Colin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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6 hours ago, ckw said:

As for cleaning - as said ammonia based cleaners work well but I have owned airbrushes which warned against using ammonia. I use cellulose thinner for all types of paint cleaning and it seems to work fine on Klear as well

 

Colin

 

What might be a cellulose thinner? Is it something easily bought at a hardware store? Does anyone know of a common North American brand that might be available in Canada?

 

 

 

Chris

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6 minutes ago, dogsbody said:

 

What might be a cellulose thinner? Is it something easily bought at a hardware store? Does anyone know of a common North American brand that might be available in Canada?

 

 

 

Chris

Hi Chris

 

Try an auto store, and yes, some DIY stores will also carry cellulose thinners. Be careful though, it's nasty stuff. Maximum ventilation & always wear a mask. Used to be used to paint cars, but was phased out quite a while ago as it's so harmful if breathed in over a prolonged period.

 

The brand I have is Barrettine.

 

Edge

 

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The idea that Pledge / Future could cause plastic-parts to shrink seems an unlikely one. Modellers have been using these products for decades and I've never seen anyone relating a similar experience. Also, I would have thought that the plastic would crack as it shrinks, if this were to occur. 

 

Cheers.

 

Chris. 

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@DrumBum just to present another option if you find dipping doesn't work well for you, you can also polish canopies to get better clarity. Tamiya polishing compounds and the Novus plastic system are popular ones in this hobby, but there are others, including automotive parts polishers. 

 

Personally in the few dipping attempts I tried, I had trouble with either pooling or dust settling on the canopy before I could get it into cover. With polishing the canopy can be handled immediately and not have to worry about other factors. Obviously the downside is it's more time consuming - using a motorized tool with a polishing pad could help with this, but I haven't graduated to that yet. 

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yep, the johnson product I purchased is the correct fluid and I must say I am impressed with the test results.

 

Very clear result, scratches no longer visible, no blobs or lumps.

 

Tomorrow I will test out masking and painting.

 

Shin, indeed I have also started a test polish also although I am yet to get it fully free of haze. More work needed.

 

cheers

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On 8/27/2020 at 8:45 AM, dogsbody said:

What might be a cellulose thinner? Is it something easily bought at a hardware store?

Also known as lacquer thinner. Get the HW store stuff to clean the airbrush when you use solvent paints. This stuff is too hot to thin paint and will damage styrene plastic. It should only be used in a very well ventilated area. I use this stuff just inside my garage, with the door open. Living in La La Land means I can do this year round.

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1 hour ago, dnl42 said:

Also known as lacquer thinner. Get the HW store stuff to clean the airbrush when you use solvent paints. This stuff is too hot to thin paint and will damage styrene plastic. It should only be used in a very well ventilated area. I use this stuff just inside my garage, with the door open. Living in La La Land means I can do this year round.

 

Ah! Thanks. I do have a bottle of Tamiya Lacquer thinner, but I haven't used it yet. As the cold weather is soon upon us, up here on the Backside of Beyond, I probably won't use it any time soon. Right now, at 9:00 pm, the temperature is down to 9C. That's 48F to you.

 

 

 

Chris

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8 minutes ago, dogsbody said:

Ah! Thanks. I do have a bottle of Tamiya Lacquer thinner, but I haven't used it yet. As the cold weather is soon upon us, up here on the Backside of Beyond, I probably won't use it any time soon. Right now, at 9:00 pm, the temperature is down to 9C. That's 48F to you.

Oh, don't use Tamiya Lacquer Thinner for cleaning the airbrush--it's too expensive for that. Hie thee to a hardware or big box store and get a quart or gallon can of lacquer thinner for cleaning the airbrush. A quart can of Klean-Strip Lacquer Thinner costs about the same as that 250ml bottle of Tamiya Lacquer Thinner.

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I've airbrushed a lot of Future with no issues in terms of cleaning. Just apply your normal air brush discipline, that being to not empty the paint cup. When getting towards the end, add more Future or shoot your cleaner. In Future's case, this is nearly always water. I did use Windex (ammonia based one) occasionally. Not that I needed to, just seemed appropriate and never had issues with the brass under the chrome. I would never soak. I use Iwata. Through natural use and gallons of paint the chrome has worn from the bottom of the cup. Not related to cleaners and they still work flawlessly. 

 

By the way, that discipline of not drying the cup applies to all paints as does not leaving the paint in the cup for extended periods of time. I find sitting idle for 30 minutes is an issue unless super dilute. 

 

I would never airbrush a canopy. Always dip. 

 

Having said that I have now moved away from Future for both airbrush gloss coats and canopies. I found the gloss coats achieved with the likes of Tamiya X-22 and the Gunze GX range are super thin, smooth and tough using Mr Levelling Thinner. Consistent and predictable. If I need to hand brush a gloss coat then I immediately use Future.  I now polish all canopies.

 

And to the OP. No I see no reason for Future to shrink canopies. Future does add a coating and you would need to be very careful at the mating join that you have whisked away excess.

 

Ray

Edited by Ray_W
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Whats the best way of dipping in clear? I cut the part from the sprue and then used a clip to hold it while I dipped it in fluid however I know I will come across canopies and windscreens where this will be a little tricky.

 

Maybe dipping while still on the sprue?

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2 hours ago, DrumBum said:

Whats the best way of dipping in clear? I cut the part from the sprue and then used a clip to hold it while I dipped it in fluid however I know I will come across canopies and windscreens where this will be a little tricky.

 

Maybe dipping while still on the sprue?

Probably more than one answer to this but what I do is this:

 

Remove the canopy from the sprue and tidy up the attachment point - if you do that after dipping then you risk removing the Future. Put a little Future in a small container - I use an old glass - and then drop the canopy in it. Take it out with a pair of tweezers and remove any excess by touching on a piece of kitchen paper towel. Then place in a covered container overnight to allow the Future to cure and to keep dust off it. 

 

Mark

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