Ive finally knuckled down and got to work again on my Falcon 1:48 109G-12. I started this way back in 2005 and at last its getting there. My problem is that it comes with a vac canopy that is slightly "bent". It was ok on the scrap base but once I cut out the front canopy, it took a turn (literally) for the worse and has a slight bend to the left. Ive tried using PVA and this holds the rear portion to the fuselage but hasn`t got enough strength to keep the front aligned to the fuselage, unless I use so much glue that it will show into the open cockpit area. The other glue I use for canopies is Humbrol Clearfix, but I find that this is not controlable enough for me when doing an open cockpit. Now I have heard of a non fogging cyno type glue which will probably solve my problem but I have no idea who makes it!.
Gary,
I’ve never found a non-fogging superglue…I’m not sure if there even IS a superglue that doesn’t emit the precipitates upon curing that cause fogging.
Instead, just dip your canopy in Future (I’m sure there’s an equivalent product for sale in the UK) and when its dry, attach the canopy with the CA glue.
For some reason, the Future acts as a barrier against the fogging, and it will also improve the clarity of the canopy.
I’ve seen the suggestion for dipping canopies in Future before and I wonder just how it’s done. Do you suspend from something like an alligator clip and just let it drip dry? If so, what about runs? Or do you just dip it by hand and lay it on a paper towel or something?
What I do is grip the canopy with a pair of locking tweezers on a small section of the part, usually the framework, dunk it slowly one or twice, then set it on it’s longest edges on a paper towel in a small tupperware container and loosely place the lid on. The towel wicks away any excess and the lid prevents dust from settling on it. If I overdo it and there are runs (which doesn’t happen often because of Future’s amazing self-leveling properties) then I soak it in some windex, remove the old stuff and try again.
I`ve had a bottle of Johnsons Klear sitting on my shelf for around 15 years. I used it once long ago to put on as a final coat for a car model at the customers request (I think he liked to wax his models) and as it totally bu@@ered my airbrush never used it again.
Since joining this forum Im begining to think this stuff should actually be sold in model shops and aimed at the modelling fraternity as Im sure we use it more than as a household polish.
I now normally dip canopies (and light mouldings etc) but didn`t know about the fume resist trick. Oh well we live and hopefully learn and one day I really must get on to Swanneys site and get clued up.
Just for your info the models on a WIP Update thread.
Once again thanks all (especially as I aint gotta buy nuffin`)
The next question is, will this also work when regular plastic cement is used? In other words, can I coat clear plastic model parts with Future, scrape off the Future from the mating edges, then use regular cement or solvent and not fog up the clear plastic?
What most modelers do is dip the canopies in Future, and mask after its dry for painting, then paint the canopy the interior color and then apply it to the model while still being masked and paint the whole kit it’s final color and then spray future on the entire model as the Gloss Coat, then apply the decals wait until they too are completely dry (about a day or 2) then apply another coat of Future to seal the decals to the paint, wait until this coat is dry (another day or 2), now it’s time to apply the washes and weathering and then final coat of Drab Coat (if needed, this coat is for military type equipment but for planes like the “T-Birds, Blue Angles” no need for drab coats) and that’s it
My technique is similar, but I usually leave a tiny piece of the sprue attached to the part to use as a handle for the alligator clip or tweezers I use for dipping. (It’s easy to remove this when it’s done being dunked.) I pull the part out very slowly which helps pull the majority of the excess off the part. Then I drag the part across a paper towel to wick away the rest of the excess. I have seen some modelers who go over the part with a large soft brush to remove the excess. Whatever works. That done, I hang the part on something and cover it while it dries to keep dust off like Mike said. And if you see a run or drop while it is drying, resist the temptation to touch it with anything. Most of the time it will level itself out, and 1/1 scale fingerprints look bad on 1/48 scale canopy.
I guess that I didn’t make my question clear. I have some models molded in all clear plastic. Can the Future be used to keep the plastic from fogging on parts other than canopys?
Well, it would stand to reason - yes. Since the same plastic is being used, and the same technique.
Speaking of techniques, I’d add that I have a small plastic container (read: tupperware) that we have tossed from the kitchen. I dip my canopies with tweezers into the Future, then put it atop a piece of paper towel inside the container, then lid it. This protects from dust while drying, provided it didn’t pick any up on the trip from the Future to container.