Hello modelers! A week or so ago I posted a thread about a good all around flat varnish. In that thread are a a lot of great suggestions. But before I purchased anything, I wanted to try Future and Tamiya flat base (I have both in my possession).
I found online that " 1 part flat base to 10 parts Future " will provide a “Flat” finish. Well I mixed 1 part flat to 10 parts Future exactly and ended up with a mostly glossy finish[^o)] Is that ratio incorrect? I finally achieved a flat finish but just by mixing more and more flat base in. So I have no idea with what I ended up with ratio wise[:P] Thank you for your time!
– Michael
I spoke with Duke Maddog here at AMPS about this stuff. I have seen his work with it and it looks real good. He recommended a 60%-70% Future to 40%-30% Tamiya Flat base ratio. IF your mixture has too much flat base it will frost over. DON’T PANIC! Hit it with a dose of pure Future to clean up the frost, then remix with less Flat Base and try again.
IME, the end result of mixing Future with Tamiya flat base is unpredictable. There are several good matt varnishes on the market. Why not use one of them (e.g., W&N, MM, Vallejo)?
Thanks Stikpusher! I appreciate your help 
Chrisk-K, I just finished building my 104" AJ slick for this summer, so my hobby funds are tight for a few weeks and I was just working with what I had. I plan on picking up some Windsor when I can
Mike, once you get the mixing ratio dialed in, you will be set. I know that the two are a cost effective mix for those of us on a tight modeling budget, and like I said, I have seen great results with it from guys in the local AMPS & IPMS Chapters.
Sure, Future + Tamiya flat base is more cost effective than a dedicated matt varnish. But a 75 ml Winsor varnish bottle sells for $5. What I love about Winsor is it never frosts. A $5 bottle is good enough for 20+ models.