Problems with Future (or Johnsons Klear)

[ng_nmda]

Hi all:

It's my first time using Future as a clearcoat for my models. I brushpainted the stuff onto the bodyshell (one layer first and let it "gas out" for a bit before putting on a second layer), but after letting it dry for a day, cracks started to appear everywhere on the body. Here are some pics:







The pics are crappy, but you get the idea. Could anyone help me as to what caused the problem? Also, will spraying model clear (such as Gunze B501 or Super Clear) on top of the future layer causes it to fog? I tried searching on AF but couldn't find any results.

Thanks.

Cheers,

Nam

[racer93]

Originally Posted by ng_nmda

one layer first and let it "gas out" for a bit before putting on a second layer

No need to do that. It doesn't have propellant, so no need to gas out.

Try putting a second layer on. The way future works is that as you brush (or even airbrush) additional coats, the first coat dissolves and levels out. I use future and have used this to level out some minor imperfections in the finish of prior coats.

If it doesn't work or you don't want to try again, just do one of two things--either let it soak in future for a few minutes and then wash with soap and water, or spray with ammonia (without blue or other dyes, preferably) and clean with soap and water. Both with remove future. (NOTE: If your paint is acrylic, then don't use ammonia, as it will strip the paint as well!)

Daniel

[hirofkd]

If the decals under Future clear is still intact, you can add a few more coats of clear, then sand and polish. B501 is waterbased acrylic, so it won't damage the existing surface, but you still have to mist-coat for the first few coats, just to be safe. Gunze's Super Clear (B513, 514, 516) are solvent-based acrylic, so I don't recommend using them on Future.

[935k3]

What kind of paint did you use? If it was Tamiya Acrylic this a problem that occurs. If not Future can be removed with ammonia. It may have been applied too thickly. Ammonia will not hurt any paint except Tamiya Acrylics(Jar paint).

[MPWR]

Future does this.

It simply wasn't designed to be used as a hobby clearcoat. If this was on your kitchen floor (where Future belongs), it probably wouldn't bother you (and you'd probably never see it). Future won't always do this, but it always can, and the deeper you apply it the more likely it is to give you trouble.

This is an application where it really is worth spending the extra money for the 'real' stuff, such as Tamiya acrylic clear. Sure, it's vastly more expensive- you might actually spend $2 USD on clearcoat for each body you do (instead of the $0.17 or so that Future might cost). But Tamiya ane Gunze acrylic clear will not haze, craze, and crack on you, and that to me is always worth $2.

You may be able to hide this with futher applications. Apply them thin and build them up slowly. Your decal work looks very nice- but unfortunately anything that will strip future is also very likely to destroy the decals, too.

[ng_nmda]

Thanks for everyone's advice. I did try putting on another layer of future to cover up the cracks, and it worked fine initially. After a while though, new cracks started to appear (afterall the future layer is getting thicker) so I got more cracks than before .

935K3: I used Tamiya TS spray paints. The decals became very soft (to the point of melting) when I tried removing the future on the hood using ammonia, so I'm afraid that by the time the body is stripped of future the decals will be destroyed too, just like what MPWR said.

I'll try hirofkd's method of spraying a few coats of Gunze B501, followed by sanding and polishing. Thanks for everyone's help.

Cheers,

Nam

[MPWR]

Worst case scenario if you just can't get the clearcoat to look good, look into getting another set of decals for the kit (HLJ or the like is great for this). Once you have the new decals in hand, you can strip the Future (and the original decals) completely, leaving the black TS paint unharmed. Then you would have to reapply the new decals, and clearcoat again- hopefully with something a bit better suited to the task then Future. It would of course be a shame to destroy the decals as they are now, but if you'd be unhappy with the cracked clearcoat it is an option.

[935k3]

There is no way ammonia softened the decals, I have stripped Future(over decals) numerous times, the only problem was sometimes the decals lifted. I guarantee you could soak a decal all day in ammonia without harming it.