Well, to begin with, I am a beginner and need some help with decaling. I do know how to decal by the way. What I am trying to ask is:
-What exactly is future/klear?
-Where can I buy Future?
-When you gloss coat, do you gloss coat over the whole model or just the area you will be decaling?
-What other ways can I prevent silvering and where can I buy those such items?
-What exactly is a flat coat? Do you flat coat over the whole model after you are done with the decaling?
-Does flat coat make the model shiny?
-What flat coat spray is the best?
-After you flat coat, and when you are weathering/washing the model, does the coat fade away from the wash?
-After weathering the vehicle, do i finish the model off with another flat clear or another coat?
-Do I have to weather and then coat?
Sorry for the numerous question, but I am really confused on what to do. Thanks.
-kllp101
Future was a floor coating that was used like a wax. It is now sold under a different brand name, Pledge was the last brand I saw, and the container said “contains Future” . It is actually a clear acrylic coating rather than a wax.
Whether you coat all or just areas of a model depends on how extensive the decals are. If just a few, coating just those areas is okay- if extensive, it is easier to just coat the whole thing. As far as other methods, no setting solution or solvent is as reliable to prevent silvering as applying to a gloss surface.
A flat coat dulls the finish to prevent specular reflections. It does the opposite from making something glossy. Gloss coat, on the other hand, is the opposite to dull coat. Some military models need to look flat when finished, and since you need to apply the decals to a gloss surface, flat clears give you the needed flat/matt appearance. BTW, if you can get the colors you need in a gloss paint, some folks just paint the models gloss, apply the decals, and then flat coat.
Which flat coat you use depends on what type of paint you have used.
Some people use a final clear coat after weathering, others do not. It is not a big difference.