i’m pretty disappointed in future floor wax. i put it on over the base coat and followed up with a wash and drybrush. while cleaning up the wash with tamiya thinner i found out that the stuff disolves future. it can also make it turn dark purple for some reason. it sat drying for 5 days.
i guess it’s possible i put too much on which kept it from drying properly but it’s odd that it turned colors in spots. now the question: is there some clear gloss coat that will not be disollved by water or acrylic thinner? lacquer gloss coat maybe?
I use Glosscote and have never had any problems. It is only cleaned/thinned using enamel thinner. I have used enamel based washes on glosscote without any of the problems in your message. A note of caution, let the glosscote dry for 24 hrs. before doing any washes or filters.
A filter is almost the same thing as a wash except for the ration of paint to thinner. Filters are generally 90-95% thinner and 5-10% paint. I usually use a filter after the basecoat is dry. A filter slightly changes the color and is usually opposite of the basecoat. By this I mean enamel filters over acrylic or vice versa. Take a look at this link for a better description of this process:
Airbrush mediums from companies such as Liquitex or Golden are pretty sturdy. They also make excellent thinners bases for washes, “filters”, and “glazes” if needed. Spray bomb gloss and flat coats such as the laquer-based ones from Krylon and Testors, and the acrylic-based ones from Games Workshop/Citadel and others are pretty good. My experiences with the Krylon spray bombs have been inconsistent at times, and I wind up shaking the can for three or four minutes before spraying. Polyurethane varnish used for furniture is about as sturdy as it gets, and readily available from hardware stores. As with anything, test/experiment before first use, because who knows how long those things sit on the shelf.
I assume the Tamiya thinner was for acrylics? If so, then your problem occurred because acrylic thinners from Tamiya, Testors and others have ammonia in them. Ammonia strips Future Floor Wax. If it’s the enamel thinner, then I’d try to switch to something like mineral spirits or turpenoid for the wash part. I don’t think those are as concentrated as turpentine, lacquer thinner, or the “hobby paint” thinner. Maybe a second coat of Future would help as well??
As to “filters”, “glazes” and on and on, those are newer terms for the same basic concept; a translucent mix of paint applied only to areas where a subtler shade of color is desired. Whereas washes are generally used for demarcation of shadows, seams, and such, “filters” are used over much broader, flatter areas, sometimes the whole model, effect dependent. I’ve always kept my wash mixes very thin, 10 parts thinner medium/airbrush medium to 1-2 parts paint, so I guess I’ve been using “filters” for a long time. If I want it darker, I go back over the area with the same mix as many times as I want. Wow, I think this the first time I’ve ever been “with it” on something.
It’s amazing how certain terms get into the lexicon of this hobby to describe one or two concepts, and yet the concepts and/or the terms have been around for a long, long time. Guys like Bob Ross (the “happy mistakes” fella) used filters, washes, gel medium based glazes and on and on for years and years in his art videos, and now those are becoming the techniques to use in model-building. Maybe model-building is becoming (gasp) an art-form unto it’s own???
That’s amazing. Ive been doing that for quite a few years now also. I didnt realize I was performing an actual seperate step in the fiishing process. I just noticed the effect one time when I was applying a wash and like the way it looked, so I started doing it to all of my builds. In retrospect, you gotta love the internet, otherwise that would have been a trade secret.
[:D] hi,when useing tamiya acrylic,should you put a gloss coat on before the decals? or after? sorry if this is in the wrong forum,but it is the topic.[:D]
If your Tamiya Acrylics are a flat finish, then you should probably overcoat the places where you’ll place decals with some sort of clear. Otherwise those decals aren’t going to adhere very well.
I use Tamiya Acrylics, mostly the flat finishes. I also use a acrylic lacquer clear coat, mostly to aid with oil-based washes afterwards. Not so much to make a glossy surface to help decals settle down on. I try to use dry-tansfers wherever and whenever possible. They don’t require a clearcoat to put down on. The lacquer acrylic clear that I use is an automotive product found in most auto-body supply stores. It’s very durable. The clear and thinner used to thin it down with has a strong odor and I would advise using it in a well ventilated area. As I have a hard-wired vent fan in the wall over my painting area I’m ok.
If anyone is interested in finding out more about this acrylic lacquer e-mail me. I’d be happy to share. I got the idea from a now deceased modeler, who I considered an expert. I was only too happy to learn from him and soaked up everything he’d tell me.
[:D] hi Glen,thanks for the info,yes i wiil use a coat a clear before i put on the decals,now all i have to do is quite spilling the paint [:(],thanks again.[:D]
Ah yes! I understand problems about spilling things! I wear an old vinyl BBQ apron when I’m working in my model room with anything that I could potentially spill on my clothes. After ruining several favorite t-shirts my wife suggested I wear something over my clothes. And thus the apron. Actually when I look at it there are numerous stains on it. So it has done it’s job well!
[:D] hi,the prob for me is not that i spill on my closths ,in trying to do every thing one handed,[:(] and i spill on my work table,so i have to go and get more paint,[:(]but thats the price you pay for one hand,[:D]