hiya guys. question about future. my paint job is a little grainy. my paint is properly thinned, and i think the problem is that i don’t have a pressure regulator. by the time the paint hits the model, its a little grainy. not that bad, just not to standard to applying decals. i have hit it with future with two or three light coats and its dring right now. but will future kinda smooth out the grains? and not only make it glossy, but also smoother? i really need to get me a regulator. thank god its not really bad, since i have been tweaking my badger 150, i have found my sweet spot, but like i said, still a little to rough for my personal choice. (or is this normal to have a little rough paing job with acrylics?) thanks guys
You can buy el cheapo regulators at Wally World or Harbor Freight, or similar stores. I paid around $10 for mine and it may not be the best regulator in the world, it allows me to get consistant results. This looks just like mine:
Grainy paint is too high a pressure and from too far away. Future may fill in some of the roughness, but it’s not so thick that you will end up with a smooth surface. But who knows? You might get lucky.
You might also be underthinning your paint, Roo–try thinning it even more!
BTW I don’t use a pressure regulator at all and I use a Badger 150, same as yours–I’m convinced that they’re a luxury, but not really necessary. In any case, I don’t think that’s the source of THIS problem…
Can’t help ya with the Future stuff–wom’t chance it–I use only genuine gloss enamels…
I don’t think the future will get rid of the graininess…but sandpaper will. Take some really fine grit (I used 1000 to start last time - then work up if you have higher grits) and give it a LIGHT rubbing. Should get rid of the majority of the sandy-looking stuff…I had the same issue when I tried some MM paint - different consistency from the Tamiya stuff I had been shooting exclusively.
Grainy paint finish is sometimes cause by dry spraying causing what we call “orange peel”. It is also caused by a thicker paint-thinner mixture. The best cure is to sand the grain because applying future will only cover the grain but in a uniform way meaning it will only thicken the coat but the texture will still be there probably less. Try spraying thinner over it but very dry spray. This might cause the paint to dissolve a little and level off by itself.Good luck!
hey chris[:D]-- why don’t you try gentley sanding the affected area with a little 1500 or 2000 grit sandpaper? that would get rid of the grain in the decal area-- then future over it then decal–it will work— tread[8D]-- p.s. enamel or acrilic?
Future will not help now. Just use some grit and gently work it down. I assume you are using acrylics. Next time, try adding a few drops of dish soap to your mix, it is a “cheap” retarder and will keep your paint from drying in mid air, which I believe is your issue and common with acrylics. Pressure doesn’t have much to do with it. You can also get retarder at Hobby Lobby or art supply outlets, it is really a must for the airbrush, keeps the tips from clogging as well.
thanks tread and crockett. actually everything worked out just fine. it was for the elephant, and i was using MM enamel actually. i thought it was because of my pressure, but now i am thinking maybe it was under-thinned like doog stated. it was a little grainy, not too much, but i was worried about the decals silvering. turns out that everything played well. the microsol snugged them down quite nicely. no silvering at all. i applied future in three of four light passes to try and fill in the grains a little, guess it worked [;)]. i’ll have to try the dish soap as a retarder. does it just work with acrylics? or can it be used with enamels as well? and does it matter if its apple sented dawn?