How to Brush Future: Hurricane Part 12

This model kit was supposed to be an “easy” build after a rather difficult project (the Revell Golden Hind). It’s supposed to be a “shake the box” kit from good old Hasegawa. It was supposed to be relaxing and fun.

Anyway, I’ve put on the decals, which is my favorite part of building a plastic model kit. Decals are great.

Anyway, here is how you apply Future with a brush.

You add a drop or two (or three) of a “flow enhancer” or whatever it’s called. Here’s the type I use.

This stuff will stop the Future from beading up. This beading up thing is a problem when brushing it on, and can sometimes lead to runs and drips. Get some “flow improver” and save yourself the headache. Put the Future in a one or two ounce bottle and add two drops of this flow improver and stir. Then dip a large, flat brush into the future, and run the brush over the edge of the jar to remove as much as you can. You want to apply the Future with an almost dry brush.

You can remove a lot of Future from your brush, and STILL cover half of a 1/72 fighter with one “brush load.” You’ll want to scrub that Future on there. Dont’ try to “flow” it on as if it were paint. Now is your chance to be Mr. Frugal and make that Future last! Super thin coats of Future will “build up” into a high gloss. After four coats, you’ll have a “showroom finish”–if you want one.

“Kinda shiny” is good enough for me here. This is two coats.

The decals are the original Hasegawa decals. They took a long time to soak off of the backing (like fifteen minutes) but then they worked great. You put a puddle of spit on the model with your finger. The decals should ALL be cut out separately. Take up one decal at a time and push it onto the model, into the spit puddle, with a small, stiff brush. Move it into perfect position with the tip of a metal file.

After the decals are all applied and have “set” for an hour, get some Micro Sol and a small brush and apply it over the decals (just over the decals) as if it were paint. Just brush it on.

Let the model sit overnight to allow the decals to “snuggle down.”

I cut the wing walkway out of black decal (sold as “trim film”). I don’t see any real problem with these Hasegawa decals, but I’m not looking for trouble. In a few spots, I had to poke a hole in the decal with a knife to allow air to escape.

I know that this model is not authentic. Some things I just couldn’t be bothered to mess with. I got the guns wrong (see prior post) but I’m covering them up with this nifty decal.

How perfect is that?

4 Replies to “How to Brush Future: Hurricane Part 12”

  1. Nice! I’ve never used any flow aides for future. I’ll give it a try. I use a small foam brush to apply future. Do you use the flow aid for anything else?

    1. In the past, I’ve used it in Tamiya acrylic paint, but I stopped doing that when I started using Windex to thin the Tamiya paint. The Windex seems to contain a “wetting” agent that replaces the flow aide.

  2. Future isn’t a thing to get in Denmark – got mine in a mart in Sweden which has added oil… makes it great for applying on enamels but doesn’t really go on acrylics; makes for a spotty surface. Its been reserved for enamels work!!!

  3. Your Hurri looks nice. To me the applying of decals really makes the model “come alive”.
    There’s quite a difference in decals even within makes. I’v used old Airfix ones that just needed pressing a damp paper tissue to make them go into panellines and snug down on rivets; others needed the help of decal setting and making holes to let out air.
    Why bother with each and every detail – I’m not building scale replica’s; I’m building models.

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