I applied a dirt wash to my F-18 last night and let it dry for about 12 hours. Today at noon I tried to wipe it off with a damp paper towel, but only part would wipe off. There’s still pigment stuck on the model.
I covered the model in a good layer of Pledge floor wax several days before and it was completely dry. My wash was made of powder from a soft pastel and filtered water, plus a few drops of transparent Mr. Clean.
What was my mistake? What did I do wrong?? Did I miss a key step in applying the wash??? If it’s not obvious, this is one of my first builds.
I know a lot of people use different non modeling products,but I try to stick with stuff made for modeling,for washes I use Flory Washes which have performed flawlessly
Re-reading this thread, I’m guessing you read somewhere that a drop of dishwasher detergent can be used with wash. You might have misunderstood the purpose and figured any 'ol cleaner will do. Honest enough mistake.
The reason to use a drop of dishwasher detergent, and by that I mean the stuff in the little plastic bottle by the kitchen sink (Dawn and stuff like that), is that water tends to bead up over a slippery gloss surface like “Future”. A drop of detergent breaks up the surface tension forming the bubbles and helps your wash flow evenly.
That’s my guess, anyway. Hang on to the Mr Clean for countertops and such, though. Hope you get things stripped.
I know that the modelmaking fraternity over the years has found novel uses for various household products when building models, but when there are far more products from the supermarket shelves than the model shop used to finish a model, I wonder if we are taking things a little too far? [^o)]
Tojo, where do you buy your Flory Washes? I’ve only seen the washes available on the guy’s website. I’d sure like to find 'em on this side of the pond.
Mine are a couple of years old and at the time were available only from the UK. I have Dark Grime and Weathering Grime. SB only has what looks to be a new color “Light Dirt Wash”. The bottle label is also different so it looks like new packaging.
Or, consider using a more robust clear coat… Aqua Gloss or X22. That way you have a little more flexiblity in your weathering product selection: enamel washes, or oils, or whatever.
If you meant to increase the surface tension of your wash, to control its flow, I agree with the others about adding a drop of liquid soap. It doesn’t take much. I’ve mixed it in washes using a toothpick to pick up a bit of soap and then to stir it into the wash.
I think it’s more a bit of old-school modeling, going back to the days before there were so many purpose-made products for modeling. You want putty to sculpt something? Before there was Aves, there was plumber’s putty. You want to fill seams, and you never heard of Tamiya, or even Squadron? Automotive filler. Need a sprue cutter? Borrow Mom’s cuticle cutter. Sanding? Sandpaper from Dad’s workbench, or emery boards from Mom. And so on. A good modeler had to be resourceful.
