so im getting close. this has been a little challenging. not sure what to do next - the color paint i chose was Tamiya Nato black and all they has was flat and i need gloss…
Question - should i use acryl gloss then pledge floor care before decals or would you just use PFC or what? Tks much - Wm
Is the canopy glass glued in place yet? The framework needs to be masked for painting.
But, yes, just the Pledge/Future by itself over the flat black should be sufficient prep for decals.
tks. Also, forgot to ask, but this is my 1st aircraft. Should i do the wing tops, and body 1st, let dry then turn over to do the underside? To hopefully prevent any runnng of the gloss coat?
Yes the canopy is glued. I did a separate thread on this dilema. the forward canopy is a 4 piece one and i was hoping to do it after i glued it. But, its a little fragile and i too afraid to mess with it. This being my 1st aircraft, im even contemplating trying to freehand it considering the gluebombs i have on it! 
it was a bear dry fitting it (the pieces could not be glued 1st) and it took about 14 tries to get them all in place so i was afraid to mask and paint 1st fearing id mess it up but i didnt realize the awkwardness of trying to do it after placement.
i did do the rear canopy and ill glue it on later.
Ok, got ya. Learn as we go with each build. What works best for me is that I will mask the canopy before I glue it in place. That way it gets painted along with the rest of the aircraft to match the surrounding areas, gloss and flat coats included. Then removing the masks is one of the final steps.
Painting canopy frames freehand is a bear. But the new ultra fine tip paint pens now available can help in that area. Especially with an easily available color like black.
If you use an acrylic gloss coat there is no need for the pledge. Decals go down fine on acrylic gloss.
Be wary of using a hot lacquer clear gloss. It can react with some acrylics.
Also avoid Humbrol Gloss, it is a pain to spray and it goes yellow!
Future/Kleer is a popular choice for aircraft modellers for canopies and gloss finish, so you can future/kleer the canopy before painting the frames.
I would leave the wings off for painting/glossing for decalling.
Please note the wartime midnight Black was a mat finish, but would weather to a sheen, so satin is a good compromise.
The Lysander at the Shuttleworth collection, UK, is glossy. Your choice.
Don’t spray mat finish on the canopy, mask first, as it will make it go opaque.
tks all!
well, the wings are on already. Ive seen some clips and even a documentary that shwows the sheen / gloss you mention. Pledge seems like a bit much and semi-gloss not enough. My life. Gonna do the Pledge. Question - guessing ill have to do it in stages - topside wings then body and dry. Then bottom wings / landing gear… Do i have to worry about drip lines, uneven drying on wing edges? Or is it best to do it all at once? Not sure how to handle it in that case - by the tail, then do that part last?
You can get a bit more sheen with flat or semi-gloss paint by gently and carefully rubbing (polishing) with a soft, clean cloth. It may leave some lint, but this can be picked off. Like any experimental technique, if you have not done this before, practice on a scrap piece. Put down some paint and your matt or semi-matt clearcoat, and then go at it with low pressure at first.
