What order to do things?

[NOBLNG]

Ok, so I've got the body of my '68 firebird painted with Spaz Stix solid red. I will wet sand it a little to get it smooth, then...

Pledge, install windows, BMF or...install windows, pledge, BMF or.......?

[Bainford]

By Pledge, do you mean Future? If so, applying BMF before or after the clear coat is a personal choice. You can do it either way. Personally I prefer to apply the BMF after clear. Which ever way you choose, it's windows last.

[Force]

I also put on the BMF after the clear so it doesn't get dulled with a clear coat over it, but as Trevor says, it's a personal choice.
I haven't had any trouble with the BMF coming loose yet and I've used it for about 25 years now.

[NOBLNG]

6 hours ago, Bainford said:

By Pledge, do you mean Future?

Yes. How long would you let the Future dry before applying the foil? Can the Future be polished if it gets scuffed from all the handling during foiling?

Thanks for the replies.

[Snake45]

Future can't be polished (at least not by me). You also can't can't use rubbing alcohol on it to clean up BMF residue, as it will remove it immediately. 

I don't like or use Future for these reasons, but if you just MUST use it, then your order would be foil, cleanup, Future. If you're brushing the Future, then you can put the windows in either before or after Future. If you're spraying it, then put them in after. 

The only (model car) thing I use Future for is, to put a nice shine on one of my very old builds where the paint is okay but not shiny, and I don't want to risk spraying it with a permanent clearcoat. In these cases I'll brush the Future on, and then maybe in a few years I'll take it back off with ammonia and brush on a fresh coat. 

Future is made for putting a nice TEMPORARY and easily removed shine on kitchen and bathroom floors. It's not made for model use and IMHO it's not particularly good for model use. There are better products and better techniques available. 

[NOBLNG]

55 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

There are better products and better techniques available. 

Such as?? This is my first attempt at anything more than rattle-can paint and brush painting the trim.

[Snake45]

2 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

Such as?? This is my first attempt at anything more than rattle-can paint and brush painting the trim.

Oh my. Now you're asking for a complete painting lesson. 

[NOBLNG]

No, just point me in the right direction. What is your favorite alternative to Future? I'll figure out how to apply it if I decide I want to.

[StevenGuthmiller]

1 hour ago, NOBLNG said:

No, just point me in the right direction. What is your favorite alternative to Future? I'll figure out how to apply it if I decide I want to.

Clear coat & polishing will give you a beautiful shiny paint job if done correctly.

In my opinion, it will give you a much better & more durable finish than just putting a coat of acrylic over the top & leaving it.

I believe that there are few alternatives to polishing if you want a truly great finish.

 

 

Steve

[D. Battista]

5 hours ago, NOBLNG said:

No, just point me in the right direction. What is your favorite alternative to Future? I'll figure out how to apply it if I decide I want to.

Tamiya spray cans are they way to go in my opinion...  you can get a great glossy paint job right out of the can.. and they have clear also