Clear top coat

[papaof2]

Been cruising around this and other forums and articles. What is everyone using for clearcoat. Read about Future and Pledge, but they are unavailable or expensive. Most of the time they will be used over Tamiya acrylics X and XF and decals. Not opposed to experimenting but you guys have a lot of experience I'd like to tap into. BTW will be airbrushing the clear.

Curtis

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

I don't use Future as top clearcoat. Over time they will turn yellow. So Future is a no go.

My go-to clearcoat is Testors enamel gloss and dull (flat). Last me a long time. I also have a couple acrylic PollyScale clears in my stash.

In a pinch, I will use clears from a rattlecan - mostly Rustoleum clears.

 

[urumomo]

All acrylic out of the airbrush for me .
Predominantly Liquitex varnish .
and AK , the AK Ultra Matte is unbeatable for a death matte . Or it was , I haven't used the reformulation . I still have plenty of the old stock .

Those floor acrylics are dirt cheap when compared to hobby or artists acrylics .
Their proprietary surfactants make them very handy with more than floors .
" future " is one of the best mediums for mixing with inks and dyes IMO .

 

[the Baron]

Been cruising around this and other forums and articles. What is everyone using for clearcoat. Read about Future and Pledge, but they are unavailable or expensive. Most of the time they will be used over Tamiya acrylics X and XF and decals. Not opposed to experimenting but you guys have a lot of experience I'd like to tap into. BTW will be airbrushing the clear.

Curtis

Actually, Future/Pledge (same product, just differently named over time) was much cheaper by volume than gloss media made by suppliers to the hobby. True, it is now unavailable, but some former Future users have switched to a product called Quick Shine, another clear acrylic gloss product.

I use Future (still have about half a bottle) for that reason, that it's cheaper than Tamiya's and other products, and it does the job, whether it's to finish my toy soldiers in gloss, or gloss-coating before decaling. It can be brushed by hand or airbrushed, and cleans up with a weak ammonia solution. But that's my preference. I can use it on my vinyl floors, too.

I use it over Tamiya acrylics, as well as over Andrea's, Vallejo's Model Color, Lifecolor, and craft store paints Americana, Folk Art, and Apple Barrel.

 

[Pantherman]

Been cruising around this and other forums and articles. What is everyone using for clearcoat. Read about Future and Pledge, but they are unavailable or expensive. Most of the time they will be used over Tamiya acrylics X and XF and decals. Not opposed to experimenting but you guys have a lot of experience I'd like to tap into. BTW will be airbrushing the clear.

Curtis

I tend to use vallejo gloss or matt thinned down 50/50 for the airbrush. Pantherman

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Not impressed nor a big fan of Vallejo paints nor their clears. They leave somewhat of a rubbery finish when dried.

 

[Modulwhatuluv]

Not impressed nor a big fan of Vallejo paints nor their clears. They leave somewhat of a rubbery finish when dried.

I couldn't agree more, I invested in 2 large things of their Gloss and Matt and after one use have only ever used them sparingly in cockpit twice in 2 years.

 

[Modulwhatuluv]

I really like Mr. COLORS lacquer gloss but their Acrylic Flat is FLAT FLAT FLAT! if you're into that kinda thing....I am lol.

 

[TimM63]

I always use a matte clear coat. I think the one I have now is Mr Colors. I will only use a gloss clear on automotive builds.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Humbrol flat clearcoat is literally dead flat.

 

[athabascamaverick]

I've always had great success with Testors Gloss Clear - shinier than Tamiya IMO. Too bad Krylon has stopped making Testors.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

I've always had great success with Testors Gloss Clear - shinier than Tamiya IMO. Too bad Krylon has stopped making Testors.

Krylon doesn't own Testors. Rustoleum owns Testors paint lines. The reason Rustoleum discontinued the Testors Model Master line is because they feel there's no longer a need to continue the paint line.

Krylon are pure garbage for hobby uses. Ask me how I know…

 

[Bugatti Fan]

The baron mentioned Quick Shine that i believe is a Holloway House product.
If anyone goes looking for it make sure that what you buy is in the green label container.

 

[athabascamaverick]

Sorry, you're right, I misspoke about Krylon & Testors.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

LOL… no worries.

 

[athabascamaverick]

What I'm really going to miss about not having Model Master (Testors) Metallizers any more. They work really well for exhausts and other underbody details.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

What I'm really going to miss about not having Model Master (Testors) Metallizers any more. They work really well for exhausts and other underbody details.

https://www.scalehobbyist.com/catag...771&pg=1&ppp=48&sb=stocknumber_a&so=d&man=AKI

 

[athabascamaverick]

Are they really comparable to MM Metallizers - I've tried a lot of other stuff that just doesn't come out as well.

 

[LeesKeys]

I don't use Future as top clearcoat. Over time they will turn yellow. So Future is a no go.

My go-to clearcoat is Testors enamel gloss and dull (flat). Last me a long time. I also have a couple acrylic PollyScale clears in my stash.

In a pinch, I will use clears from a rattlecan - mostly Rustoleum clears.

FYI, I have aircraft in my collection which are 20 years old. Most of them have canopies which were dunked in Future for clarity. I haven't noticed any yellowing on any of these models.

 

[BlackSheepTwoOneFour]

Are they really comparable to MM Metallizers - I've tried a lot of other stuff that just doesn't come out as well.

There aren't any metallizers out there. Those have high ratings - probably better than MM Metallizer. Once all my Model Master enamels and acrylics are gone, AK Interactive Real Color line will be my go-to paints. I do have quite a few colors and they airbrush wonderfully.

 

[Jim62]

FYI, I have aircraft in my collection which are 20 years old. Most of them have canopies which were dunked in Future for clarity. I haven't noticed any yellowing on any of these models.

I've not had yellowing either. I wonder how many decades it takes to yellow. Perhaps the folks that had it yellow on them were smokers and that's what caused the yellowing. I've never seen any pics of yellowing caused by future/pledge, would love to see one with the amount of time it took to get yellow listed along with how it was displayed when it yellowed IE was it in direct sunlight, or in a room filled with cigarette smoke, that yellows everything including fingers, teeth, beard. I can say I haven't had a canopy fog up from the glue since I started dipping them in future/pledge. I also use it on the model before decals.

 

[athabascamaverick]

I've only used Future to attach PE parts to car bodies - haven't seen any yellowing around the PE yet.

 

[Rusty]

Hi guys, long time no model.
Excuse my ignorance but just to clarify for my not very knowledgeable mind on this, but do you all mean the floor polish?
And it can be brushed on or sprayed on? And sets like a varnish coat on a model?
Cheers all.

 

[urumomo]

Yeah ,

 

[LeesKeys]

It was quite the rage to use Future floor wax in modeling projects back in the day 20-30 years ago. It was my go to clear top coat, pre- and post-decal. It can be brushed on painted and natural metal finishes with absolutely no brush marks. I typically dipped my canopies in Future, then set them on end to dry and cure. Some have claimed that Future yellows with time but I haven't had that problem- maybe because none of my models were kept in direct sunlight.