Washing panel lines - suggestions for new approach

Dear All,

Have until now used the following approach for washing panel lines:

Mix distilled water and artist acrylics

Add tiny amount of dish wash detergent

Apply to panel line with fine brush using relevant laws from hydrodynamics to let surface tension do its job.

Clean off excess with moistened Q-Tip (just by breathing on it).

My models are almost always painted using Polly Scale acrylics and covered in Future prior to the final wash.

My main problem is that the Q-tip removes almost everything including the desired paint in the panel line.

For this reason I'd like to consider alternatives that would bind the paint more thoroughly - something along the lines (following technique from Brett Green in his BF 110 book):

Thinned Tamiya paint (brown or black)

But then again:

What should the paint be thinned with?

How do I remove excess wash and avoid a major disaster on the underlying nicely painted surface.

Somewhere, somebody suggest using window cleaner for removing excess, but that contains ammonia which dissolves the Future layer - so isn't that gonna fail.

Let me know if you have suggestions, experience that could be of help.

Best regards,

Mads

Mads Ipsen wrote: : : Have until now used the following approach for washing panel lines: : : * Mix distilled water and artist acrylics : * Add tiny amount of dish wash detergent : * Apply to panel line with fine brush using relevant laws from : hydrodynamics to let surface tension do its job. : * Clean off excess with moistened Q-Tip (just by breathing on it). : : My models are almost always painted using Polly Scale acrylics and : covered in Future prior to the final wash. : : My main problem is that the Q-tip removes almost everything including : the desired paint in the panel line. : I have had success with a product called "The Detailer". "The Detailer" is water color, so it is NOT recommended that you apply an acrylic flat finish over it (I did, and I had a panel line run. Fortunately, that area was covered by another part that I had yet to install.)

Initially, I was wiping "The Detailer" off shortly after applying it, but I missed a line, and noticed it more than an hour later. Out came a "q-tip" that was dipped in water, rubbed down so that all excess water was removed, and the q-tip was nice and tight, and I addressed the line. It was in an inside corner, so I used a jabbing motion to remove the excess. That worked quite nicely, much better than waiting for a few minutes, in fact.

"The Detailer" comes in 9 colors plus a mask, and is available on the 'net. Google "the detailer", and you will find the page.

Bruce