I've often seen references to using Future for "setting" decals ... can I show my ignorance by asking: what is the technique? Do you use Future instead of water to release the decals from the sheet, and to apply them to the model, do you apply Future to the model and apply a (water-released) decal to the wet surface ... or what?
Cheers John
lay a coat of Future and one dry n glossy decal as normal, later add another coat of Future
I use Future as a decal setting solution on a model with a flat coat of paint that I'm too lazy to spray a gloss coat on. What I do is dip the decal in water as usual but I apply a liberal coat of Future to the area where the decal will go. Make sure to cover the entire area or larger. Apply the decal but be careful to get it as close to the position where you want it a possible. Also, just lay the decal down lightly. Future is a little sticky so you won't be able to slide it around as much on the application surface as you normally would. After the decal is in position, I blot it down with a wet tissue to get it to conform to any ridges or panel lines underneath. Brush another light coat of Future over the decal making sure to get the edges. After letting this final coat dry for about two minutes, I blot up the excess Future with a wet tissue. After the Future has dried, about 20 minutes, spray on a flat or semi-gloss coat to finish the process. This technique works surprisingly well.
Martin
I don't usually use Future as asetting solution unless the decal absolutely refuses to lay down on the Future gloss coat I've already put on the model. This can be a problem with the decal's adhesive, and dilute white glue can be used to correct that, but I have found that Future works too, and is an especially good way of avoiding silvering. I lay down a generous amount of Future (practically a puddle) and lay the decal on top, working it to force out any air bubbles. Once it is in position, I blot it down with tissue to flatten the decal and soak up the excess Future. I immediately coat the top of the decal with Microset, then let the whole thing dry. I then treat the decal with Microsol to get it to lay down as much as possible. The result may not be as good as the standard Set/Sol sequence, becasue Future might fill the underlying panel lines, but it seems to work well on flat surfaces like wings.
Mark Schynert
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