Future Floor Polish - Problem

[4regt4]

Would you put floor polish on your car? No, because it would look like crap. So why do you put it on your rockets?

I know a lot of people who use Lemon Pledge furniture polish (wax?) on their cars - including many professional race car teams. It's real greasy, race cars clean right up with a simple wipe down.

And it actually looks real nice, very glossy.

But it's not for me....

Hans.

 

[Dane Ronnow]

I did float the vinyl (EZI-65) decal on the painted surface using Windex.

Was this before, or after the polish? Ammonia will strip the acrylic polish off any surface, floors or rockets. If you need to clean an acrylic-coated rocket with anything other than a cloth dampened with water, use Simple Green. It doesn't contain ammonia. The same goes for floating decals if they're applied on top of an acrylic coating.

 

[AfterBurners]

Would you put floor polish on your car? No, because it would look like crap. So why do you put it on your rockets?

I agree!!!

 

[Exactimator]

What you mentioned is what I thinking is the probable cause. I did float the vinyl (EZI-65) decal on the painted surface using Windex. That could possibly have caused it. It doesn’t really explain why the nose cone and payload bay were affected to. But it’s something.

If you haven't thrown out the bottle of Future yet you could try an experiment. Paint a piece of scrap and coat it with Future. While the future is wet have a bowl of Windex close enough the fumes reach it. See if it recreates the problem.

 

[OzHybrid]

Perspectives vary on such things. Nathan's expectations regarding quality of finish are very high and his results are impressive:

View attachment 522575

Check out this thread for the effort involved:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/upscale-onyx.135941/post-1630706

That watch mark on the fin is going to take a lot of buffing to get out. Not as much fot the tube......

 

[Starfire73]

Was this before, or after the polish? Ammonia will strip the acrylic polish off any surface, floors or rockets. If you need to clean an acrylic-coated rocket with anything other than a cloth dampened with water, use Simple Green. It doesn't contain ammonia. The same goes for floating decals if they're applied on top of an acrylic coating.

I used windex to float the vinyl decal, and then after a few days, starting applying the future floor polish. It looked real nice for almost a week, then it looked like it had been left in a closet with a chain smoker!

 

[Starfire73]

If you haven't thrown out the bottle of Future yet you could try an experiment. Paint a piece of scrap and coat it with Future. While the future is wet have a bowl of Windex close enough the fumes reach it. See if it recreates the problem.

I like it, I might try a couple different expriements. Great idea.

 

[cls]

What you mentioned is what I thinking is the probable cause. I did float the vinyl (EZI-65) decal on the painted surface using Windex. That could possibly have caused it. It doesn’t really explain why the nose cone and payload bay were affected to. But it’s something.

windex has ammonia in it, Future says use ammonia to remove it. so I doubt that was what caused the yellowing. but, in the interest of scientific discovery, can you try it again on some scrap material?

UV sounds like it could be a factor, but again I doubt it because I have many models that spend launch day in the sun and have not yellowed.

I'm curious about this!

 

[Ez2cDave]

How much weight does the floor polish add ?

Dave F.

 

[modeltrains]

So why do you put it on your rockets?

For the same reasons plastic aircraft modelers and others have been using it for decades, it gives a good, durable, acrylic gloss coat without involvng volatile hydrocarbon solvents.

Would you put floor polish on your car? No, because it would look like crap.

Actually, you put it on your model cars so you can win contests.

Though I am by no means a car guy, have some comments from car guys a couple decades back ...

07-06-2004, 02:48 PM
I went to a hobby store (very reputable) and they showed me these amazing models that a dude from the shop built. Top notch work, and I asked how do they make em so shiny> He told me Future floor wax. He told me to prime and base coat the car model. Some people dip the body in it and some use a q-tip to apply it, has anyone here heard of this?
-Chris

Verminator
07-06-2004, 02:59 PM
Yep, used the UK equivalent Johnsons Klear, have used as a clear coat both with an airbrush (no need to thin ) and by brush painting. It dries quick but you need to watch for 'runs' as they do develop very easily. If you apply with a brush use a wide flat brush as you get less air bubbles and don't overbrush it or you'll get streaks due to the quick drying time. I usually apply and then get a piece of kitchen roll folded to a point and touch the corner gently to any runs, to absorb them. Sorry for the long winded explanation, best bet is to try it out on an old kit You will find one cheap bottle will go a long way though and it doesn't seem to react with any paint finish as far as i'm concerned.

07-06-2004, 05:26 PM
works great for making windows very clear also, this gives them a better scale appearance. One can also tint it slightly and airbrush the factory tinted visor at the top of the windshield on newer cars

 

[bibbster]

Would you put floor polish on your car? No, because it would look like crap. So why do you put it on your rockets?

Why do you put automotive paint on your model rockets? Shouldn't you use rocketmotive paint?

 

[Marc_G]

How much weight does the floor polish add ?

Dave F.

I did an experiment once, and found the fully cured/dried weight of Future versus clear lacquer to be similar to within the limits of my ability to measure.

 

[Dane Ronnow]

How much weight does the floor polish add ?

On my rocket (38.75 inches long, 2.6-inch diameter; long, swept fins), two coats on the body tube, and three coats on the nose cone and fins added .09 oz. It's about the same as spray paint. (I applied the polish with a foam brush.)

 

[Paul Howard]

OMG, I really thought the curse of "Yellow Waxy Buildup" from Floor Polish/Wax was eliminated and turned into a "thing of the past" back in the 70's when I was a kid watching the ads on TV about such things, Wow I guess in some cases that really turned out to be a pre-mature claim! Dang!

OK, my silliness above aside, for what it's worth, I've had pretty good luck with several coats of Shellac over spray paint, acrylic paint, Cyanoacrylate and various other materials and glues for a long time. I just make sure that whatever paint it's covering has had 2 or more days to dry, especially water-based paints like acrylic because the alcohol base of Shellac WILL to varying degrees dissolve and smear those paints.

The main reason I use it is I make my own wood bows and arrows and it works well on those so I keep a can of it around pretty much all the time. It's also fairly light in weight (as opposed to Spar Varnish). I also have taken a liking to natural wood finishes on wood fins and nosecones especially If the wood has "character".

Just my 2 Cents -Paul

 

[modeltrains]

Just remembered I have photos from 2019 of where Future/Pledge yellowed in the bottle while sitting forgotten in the pantry for several years.
In perhaps a bit of irony, the label was trimmed in yellow.

 

[cls]

Wow, there's the smoking gun... Maybe one of us should call Pledge and ask about this. They changed something, it doesn't smell exactly the same...