Should Pledge be thinned to be applied with an airbrush? And, if so, with what.
TYIA.
David
I use mine (Pledge Revive-It) straight from the bottle and it sprays OK. Bear in mind it is self-levelling so best sprayed on one surface only, then propped so that side is “up” until it dries. Otherwise the stuff runs and puddles at the base of the vertical surfaces…
Thank you. I would definitely have screwed that up. I’m curious, is there something better to use for decal application?
Well, yes, gloss varnish. A coat of that - ensuring it’s compatible with the paint (I use enamels mainly) - will give you a smooth surface to facilitate decal application and whatever “wash” takes your fancy. I tend to use an oil paint mix of burnt umber and black, heavily thinned; that gets in all the nooks and crannies which is what I want. I normally follow this up with a spot of dry brushing, before I re-matt.
Finally, I touch up those areas which require to be gloss such as periscope glass, mirrors etc.
Thanks. Would Testors gloss coat be ok? What do you use?
I’m not familiar with Testors. I use enamels though, mainly Humbrol and Revell and use their respective varnishes. That said, both seem to work well enough on one another’s paints.
Sometimes I’ve no choice but to use an acrylic, even if on top, or alongside enamels, and then I defer in the final instance to use an acrylic varnish. It seems to me that a varnish is a varnish; I haven’t noticed any great chemical reaction (probably best to check first though on say, an old kit).
I’m also quite happy using rattle cans - for convenience mainly and both manufacturers above provide gloss, satin and matt finishes. I really can’t be arsed using or decanting furnish polish.
Well, that’s how I go about it; good luck with whatever you decide.
I use both the Glosscote and Dullcote for the most part now. I used Future on my earlier automobile builds but was not 100% happy with it. Once I got the hang of thinning the Testors it made a big difference in my final results.
You’ll need a lacquer thinner at a roughly 1:1 ratio for the dull and about 3:2 for the gloss. Some people use Mr. Color Leveling thinner to help get a glossier finish (things like sports cars that need a mirror-like finish). I just kind of aim around those ratios and test it on a paint mule I keep on hand.
As barkingdigger mentioned there is the pooling effect you have to watch for with the Future-type products; however Testors has the disadvantage of requiring ventilation and quick cleanup right after.
That said I still use Future on canopies and windshields and mask them off if the rest of the kit gets the Testors instead. I have had issues with reduction in clarity.
Great! Thank you, guys
Something to think about is what you plan to do to weather the kit. There are acrylics, lacquers and enamels. What you use to weather the kit can affect the paint if you use the wrong weathering medium on your final paint coat. Future is acrylic so keep that in mind with the sequence of paint layers.