A primer on Future Floor POLISH usage

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Marc_G

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Hi folks,

I got a PM asking me how to use floor wax to polish up the rockets. Specifically:

Tell me more about using Future, please!

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If you have the time I would love to learn exactly how to use a floor wax to clear coat my rockets. Thank you for your time.

Well, that's polite! So I replied that I'd do it publicly so that people that know more than me and have had different experiences can pipe in.

I know there are plenty of threads searchable, but I'll put in my 2 cents and let others add to it if they like.

Step 1: Search this forum for "Future" and read up! :wink: Everything I know, I learned from this forum.

Step 2: Acquire some "Future" floor wax now commonly sold as "Pledge with Future shine." It's this stuff.

Step 2b. While you are there, get some Simple Green cleaner. I use this one.

Step 3. Build and paint your rocket as normal. Apply decals, either waterslide or stick-on vinyl, as per instructions. Note, there's no need for a clear coat either under or over the decals (though, I like to use clear coats, more on that later).

Step 4. When decals are dry (if waterslide), make sure you have some masking tape around the nose cone shoulder and set it fairly loosely on the rocket. Future will wick in and glue the NC to the body tube if you aren't careful.

Step 5. I set the rocket either on a canvas tarp in my basement, or in the garage suspended on a stick through the motor mount. The acrylic polish makes a mess, have something to absorb the overspray/drips.

Step 6. Get a hand pump sprayer (like the one the Simple green comes in, or from Target for $1). In it, either pour straight Future (Pledge with Future Shine) or a mix of 3-4 parts Future to one part Simple Green. I get a better gloss with the Simple Green mix.

Step 7. Spray the rocket to saturation, totally wet and dripping, let it drip off. No worries about any bubbles. They will pop/level on their own. My sprayer results in a veritable foam; in 30 minutes that will all be gone.

Step 8. After 5 minutes I come back and use a paper towel to blot off any drips at the bottom edges (but stay away from the rest of the rocket).

Step 9. Come back tomorrow. Glossy rocket. Carefully take out the nose cone and unmask the shoulder.

Step 10. Despite advice to the contrary, I sometimes do a repeat application finding in some cases it improves the gloss. I guess this should have come before unmasking the NC.

I'll write a bit more about my experiences with clear coats later.

Marc
 
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That sounds very easy. How durable and how long does the shine last?
 
I've found I can buff the gloss back if it gets a little scuffed. If it gets seriously abraded, it can be reapplied either locally or to the whole rocket.

I only started using it last fall so haven't hit any time limit. I'm also told that ammonia will strip it off the paint, giving access to the paint layer should a paint touchup be needed.

A note about clear coats:

1. The forum consensus seems to be that clearcoats (such as Rustoleum Crystal Clear Enamal) tend to get brittle and can chip off, potentially ripping away any decals underneat. I respect this advice, but I don't always follow it.

2. If I'm putting decals on a flourescently-painted rocket (like Rustoleum Flourescent paints on a white primer base), the surface will be matte, and I haven't found that Future does a good job of giving me high gloss. Further, decals tend to silver (de-adhere) from matte surfaces. I always spray a coat of Rusto Crystal Clear Enamel (glossy formula) onto fluorescent paints to give a smoother surface for decal adhesion. Then, I either overcoat with another coat of clear enamel, or go straight to Future. The sage advice from the forum is to use future without the clear coat. I find I kinda prefer the look of the decal embedded in clear coat then topped with Future.

3. Recently I've been using duplicolor metallic clear lacquer on top of other lacquers to give me a metallic surface effect. My experience is that future (with simple green) on top of this yields a spectacular pretty glossy / metallic finish.

I hope this is helpful to the person that originally asked for details and that others find some benefit. Again, I take no credit for any of this in that I learned it all here!

Marc
 
There was another thread around here that had a great link to a website with tips on using Future. One of the suggestions to prevent silvering with waterslide decals was to use Future instead of water (it may have been diluted Future - don't have the link handy).

I've recently started experimenting with the Future/Simple Green mix... but only on dark coloured airframes. Have you noticed any discolouration when used over white parts, for example?
 
There was another thread around here that had a great link to a website with tips on using Future. One of the suggestions to prevent silvering with waterslide decals was to use Future instead of water (it may have been diluted Future - don't have the link handy).

I've recently started experimenting with the Future/Simple Green mix... but only on dark coloured airframes. Have you noticed any discolouration when used over white parts, for example?

Marc:
Some folks spray on Future, some folks use a paper towel to mop it on, others myself included use a foam brush to apply future liberally to the surface of the model. Most of the other application comments (except multi coating) are pretty much consistant with what i've heard, done and seen:)

CF-105:
Using future instead of water under waterslide decals may not be the worst thing in the world to do...but it's darn close.

Water slide decals Have a water activeated adhesive on the underside. it's what holds the decal to the model. Future does not allow the adhesive to do it's job. While the future under the decal MAY dry and adhear somewhat to the decal and surface of the model it just doesn't give the same grip as the dryed in place water soaked decal adhesive does.

Future acrylic floor finish and ALL other clear "OVERCOAT" films and coatings are intended to be used over final appled and Dry decals.

Future acrylic finish can be spot restored to like new look with just another application. Future is a no build-up self cleaning, self leveling formula. The coating itself will outlast the model under normal conditions.
 
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I am often frustrated by spits, spots, and runs on my final paint coat. What I tried on my last paint job was to lightly wet sand the paint with 400+ paper as if I were going to add another coat of paint. The surface is now dull, but free of blemishes. Instead of another coat of paint, however, I applied Future. The gloss came back, and no blemishes.

Only did this on my last paint job, but will try it again. YMMV.

Another thought is to wet sand only the blemishes on the final coat of paint, then Future.
 
I have looked at 6 Wally Marts in my city and no luck. Too many carpets in San Antonio!

OK, now Jeff is gunna come and make a sarcastic remark that they sell it in Beeville!

Andrew
 
As an alternative to Future i use "Bruce One Step Acrylic Polish" from (https://www.florstor.com/Bruce.html) my local ACE store. They did not have much but it is a acrylic covering which leads me to believe that minwax polycrylic MIGHT also work... The Bruce works great brushed on, and dries with a nice clear coat. I never could find any Future in my area.


b6cb4_hardwood_floor_41T3e-98YNL._SL160_.jpg
minwax-polyacrylic.png
 
I haven't had much luck using Future in the past and have heard some nightmare stories about using it (Brian?).

I think one problem I had is that I was bothered by the bubbles and foaming when I applied Future to the rocket and, instead of leaving it alone, I tried to spread it out to get rid of the bubbles.

But, after reading this thread, I want to give it a try on a rocket I just repainted.

So, I stopped at a grocery store yesterday. All I could find on the shelf was "Pledge With Future Shine Wood Floor Finish." They didn't have the "Tile and Vinyl" version.

Looking at SC Johnson's web site, the two varieties of Pledge seem to be very similar. The only difference is that the "Wood Floor" version has a different "cleaner" in it.

So, when I get the chance, I'll try it on a test rocket to see how it works before I try it on the one I just repainted.

-- Roger
 
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Life once again got in the way of getting back in to rockets, eh, it happens.
Earlier today dug out a half-finished Quest Force 5. Sprayed paint. Will have to try this Future thing after paint cures. (does that mean there is Future in my future?)
 
I have looked at 6 Wally Marts in my city and no luck. Too many carpets in San Antonio!

OK, now Jeff is gunna come and make a sarcastic remark that they sell it in Beeville!

Andrew

Sorry to be late to the party, I missed this thread somehow. The Walmart in Beeville is where I bought my Pledge floor shine with Future.:D
 
Jeff this is really silly, but I cannot find it here in San Antonio. Can you post a picture. That way I can order some on line.

Thanks In Advance.

This is crazy!

Andrew
 
There was another thread around here that had a great link to a website with tips on using Future. One of the suggestions to prevent silvering with waterslide decals was to use Future instead of water (it may have been diluted Future - don't have the link handy).

I've recently started experimenting with the Future/Simple Green mix... but only on dark coloured airframes. Have you noticed any discolouration when used over white parts, for example?

Micro was on the money, but I wanted to elaborate a bit - this is from my days in IPMS where I learned all this. Decals will generally silver if applied over flat enamel paints. Has nothing to do with the overcoat or the way you apply them - the surface of flat paint is microscopically rough and traps air between the decal and the surface of the model. I understand that flat ACRYLICS (like Tamiya) don't do this, but I haven't tested it so I don't have first hand experience. The trick is to coat the model with a clear gloss over the flats before applying the decals. Seems counterintuitive - going from flat to gloss and back to flat again, but this is how you have to do it. As I remember it, decals go on fine after a coat of Future - it is certainly glossy enough, although you have to be careful putting on a second coat since the liquid will attack the first dried coat and may disrupt the decals. Might be better to clear coat with an enamel clear gloss (remember - ALWAYS apply decals to a gloss finish) and then put on the Future after the decals are dry. That final layer of Future is darned near indestructible.
 
this is from my days in IPMS where I learned all this. Decals will generally silver if applied over flat enamel paints. Has nothing to do with the overcoat or the way you apply them - the surface of flat paint is microscopically rough and traps air between the decal and the surface of the model.
Yep, frequent topic in the model RR world too - are always new people learning new things.

Okay, got Future, got Simple Green.
Now, my mind is sitting here looking at how the Simple Green is green and then looking at a white rocket and going, uhhhhhhhhhhh, what happens to the green in Simple Green as the Future dries?

--> and this from the same guy who has used Windex as thinner for acrylic model RR paint!

But I still want confirmation that the Green being green won't be an issue.
 
Well, I've never heard of thinning the Future with Simple Green. If you are thinning for airbrushing, I'd personally use windshield washer fluid (the blue stuff). The color is pretty thin in that stuff and the amount of detergent and alcohol is low enough that it helps the Future flow and level. And the blue color actually makes white look whiter (same reason our grandmothers added bluing to the white laundry. But I don't know that I'd want to put it over yellow or orange.

I still like using the foam brush method that Micro was talking about. It works fine for me - you just want to get it on there as fast as possible and let the surface tension do the work.
 
The Simple Green will not be green, when you mix it with Future and apply it to the rocket, the result is a permanent "Wet Look" to the finish once it dries.

G.D.
 
Yea, All I can Find Is The Pledge/Future wood floor cleaner.

Andrew
 
Andrew, it looks like this.

I am happy to report that I have used Future floor finish ( product in the picture ) for 3 models: Arreaux, Mustang and the Big Dog.

Future is not a wax, I wanted to correct this thread straight away, it is an acrylic floor finish and compatible with acrylic paints!!!!!!!!!!! .

I switched from the shaker paintball cans of paint to using an airbrush.

Acrylic airbrush paints are so nice and they dry in a snap. I bought a Ryobi variable heat gun at Home depot and when the acrylic (CREATEX paints) air dries, I wait a few hours and then heat cure @ about 200 degrees till warm.

I can't figure out what the Simple Green does when mixed with Future. SWAWAMMY is a nice guy and emailed me with some thoughts.

I shot 2 coats of a 3-parts Future-1-part-Simple Green ( concentrated ) and allowed to dry. I just walked out and confirmed what I was concerned about as I shot the 2nd coat- If there is a drip it is GREENish.

Then again I am shooting over the bottom part of the BT for the Aerotech MUSTANG, which is white.

The first future coat i used a 3:1 but I diluted the simple green 1:1 water and made exactly 20 mls of this and saw no green.

I am going to put the decals on in the morning, and maybe shoot a last coat over the decals I don't know.

Simple green contains NO ammonia.

I have a Paasche VLSo double action airbrush and have it hooked up to my 33gallon craftsman air compressor ( OVERKILL) in the garage.

I will never use organic solvent shaker ball paints from a can for models ever again. If you are looking for great deals on airbrushes and stuff I found a great site that has everything at crazy discounted prices...( i think this is the kit I bought )..cheers:bangpan:

Oh BTW, the FUTURE coat looks beautiful. I just looked over at my Arreaux and the gloss is still awesome een after 6 months and that was a future coat.
 
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So you cannot use it on regular Krylon, Rustoleum paint?

Andrew
 
So you cannot use it on regular Krylon, Rustoleum paint?

Andrew

You can probably use it on any kind of paint, I didn't mean to imply that it may not be compatible.

I was saying that spray canned paint contains organic solvents like xylene or acetone and being solvents, if you aren't diligent, you'll dissolve or partially dissolve the previous coat; we've all had the dreaded crinkling effect at the end of a paint job.

As a matter of fact, I suspect you could use it with little or no fear of disaster over any of those paints....caution: YMMV; I am no paint expert, perhaps someone else can elaborate on this point about paint compatibility.

Get an airbrush!!!!! You'll be so glad you did!!!!!!
 
Jeff this is really silly, but I cannot find it here in San Antonio. Can you post a picture. That way I can order some on line.

Thanks In Advance.

This is crazy!

Andrew

Call the company, I think you may be able to order some directly.
 
So you cannot use it on regular Krylon, Rustoleum paint?

Andrew

I use it over Krylon all the time. Being a bit cautious, I always allow about a week for the paint to dry first.

Also, yesterday I put a coat of Future over a rocket painted with Dupli-Color metal flake - no problems there either.
 
Thanks for the info. I think I may have found a place I can buy it here in San Antonio. A Flooring store.

Andrew
 
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