"Future Floor Wax" Topic

Hey!

I've seen a few posts recently pushing future floor wax as a varnish coat for figures. Some use it right out of the bottle, some add paint to it.

What are the benefits of using Future - and why add paint to it? Does it work like a top coat wash with paint added?

Thanks

ARG

Future is a clear acrylic floor polish. When added to a wash/ink it decreases the surface tension which allows the pigment to flow into the folds and recesses of the figure without too much staining of the highlight areas. Which is good. As well as this it does a fantastic job of sealing the paint and creating a great, tough coating. It can be a bit shiny so people usually drybrush after it and the usual dull coat finish will take care of it.

For vehicles I sometimes will do a final clear future coat to give that enameled look.

Great stuff all round, it even shined up my bathroom floor when used in its intended role!

Future works as an blending medium; in essence it's basically the same as the clear acrylic "liquid" into which the microscopic paint "chips" are suspended. Think of it as a cheap version of acrylic medium and you won't be far off.

I occasionally use a blend of Future,Rubbing Alcohol and Dura Color Float (an emulsifying agent) as an extender for wet-blended paint jobs. I find that using Future by itself is less beneficial than using it in my mixture. It is rather thick - adding the alcohol and color float make it thin enough to work with.

Generally, the benefits from incorporating Future are the same as using any extender/blending medium: increased "flow" control, extended drying time.

Adding Future will not make your paint jobs "tougher" (i.e. you still need to seal them with a true varnish sealant). In fact, my experience is that having the Future in the paint actually makes it softer and easier to scratch (but this maybe due to the presence of color float in my mixture.)

Summary, you can use Future floor wax like any other <blending> medium - it is not a varnish.

It is water-based, water clean-up. Use it as a final, clear coat, followed by a matte sealer, to dull it down.

Mixing it with paint/ink/pigment, is formally known as the "Magic Wash Technique." It is a water-based alternative to the "Dip Technique."

For an idea of what this technique can do, search TMP for threads on these key words, "Magic Wash," and Dip Technique." You can also see my painting guide to see what it can do for common, plastic army men figures, as far as bringing out details:

link

My site will also inform you as to how to perform the Dip Technique; the Magic Wash technique is slightly different, but this will be covered in the TMP articles, along with the links listed within them. Cheers!

"Adding Future will not make your paint jobs "tougher" (i.e. you still need to seal them with a true varnish sealant). In fact, my experience is that having the Future in the paint actually makes it softer and easier to scratch (but this maybe due to the presence of color float in my mixture.)"

It most certainly is your cocktail that makes your stuff soft. Future has made my figs nearly armor plated in toughness without loss of color. For example, my PTO USMC and IJA are often toe to toe in jungle combat, wich means there is lots of figure contact. And since I lay fallen figures down there is often fighting on top of them. I haven't had even a hint of a scratch on any of the figs that are futured and dull coated. Others that I did prior to futuring, with just final dull coats, were getting pretty ragged looking so I when I touched them up I futured them, no more problems with it!! And I'm not all that careful with my figs anyway, so if they can sustain their paint doing duty in my games I think its a rousing endorsement for the future!

I use it straight out of the bottle for a number of years, now, and I love it! Its a great wash. Unless you are using a three-year-old bottle of Future, its very watery. You have to sort of eyeball the ratio of paint to Future. I mix mine in soda pop caps and get the mixture right based on how well it gets into the molded letters and numbers on the bottom of the cap. The only thing that you have to be careful about are bubbles. You need to check for those as soon as you apply the wash because it dries pretty fast. I agree with DJButtonup. I've never had a problem with it getting scuffed up. After all, it is meant for floor traffic.

Future is also perfect as a gloss undercoat before applying decals. Apply Future, let it dry, apply decal, let it dry, apply top coat of Future, let it dry, then Dullcoat. Decals look like they've been painted on.

I've got a dropper bottle filled with a 1:3 mix of Future to water, which I use for thinning paints. Works pretty well.

[begin mini-rant]
Can I just say that I absolutely HATE the term "Magic Wash" with a passion? I don't know why.. I guess using it just makes one sound so.... uneducated. Gah. Makes me want to do bodily harm to the doofus that came up with the term.
[end mini-rant]

Ok, I feel a little better now. Sorry.

Pewter, use that lighter on 'em. That'll make 'em stop saying "Magic Wash" :-D

Future is great stuff. I sue it 50/50 with water for washes (mix in paint/ink to taste) and in the aforementioned role for decals. One bottle goes a VERY long way. Great stuff.

You can also use Future Floor Wax to help make clear plastic bits appear clearer, such as canopies on aircraft or the face places on the new Mongoose MI. It fills in the small scratches and imperfects which causes light to refract. Works pretty good!

Here is a link to an article about Future:

link