**** DONE: 1/72 De Havilland Sea Venom FAW 53 – Carrier Aircraft GB

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No worries, as long as work is progressing (I've run into sanding issues with my Zero so I can attest to not posting in a while, if you posted all the steps in sanding a aircraft, at times it'd be insanely boring )

I love the color it turned out great remember to use Future Floor wax, let it dry 2-3 days, then apply the decals, then varnish after they dry the Future makes the decals Silvering (bad stuff) disapear because the Future is a gloss. It needs a good 2-3 days to dry but when it does its magic for decals, not applying it to the aircraft is dangerous and could result in silvering of the clear part of the decals (Silvering is horrible and can't be removed
 
one thing i forgot. The nose is not yet glued in place, and Ive had to fit a ton of lead in the nose, because the model is very tail heavy.

Rogi (and everyone else), regarding the prefinish before decalling, i wish i could get my hands on "futures" here in Australia, but it is not available. Ive had a bit of a look around in the local hardware and supermarkets for something that might be similar, but Im just not sure that anything actually is the same here in Aus.

I was down in Canberra over the weekend and had a good look in the hobby shops. Bought a couple of products from "Monaro Models" in Fyshwyck...(Ill post the proper product names tonite) but they say they do two things...one is a surface conditioner applied before applying the decal, and one is a semi gloss finishing agent which hopefully will do what you are describing about avoiding that horrible silvery shininess that can really ruin otherwise good decalling jobs. I will need to test these products first, of course. But thats about as good as I can do really....
 
Any gloss coat will help with the decal application. It doesn't have to be Future. The semi gloss should be OK applied over the finished decals but you will want a high gloss before application of decals to prevent silvering. Also, make sure the semi gloss product you bought is compatible with with whatever you put it on to avoid a reaction. If it's lacquer based, be careful.
 
Vic can probably verify, but I think the Australian equivalent of Johnsons's 'Klear'/'Future' is called 'One Go', or something similar.
But as stated, any gloss varnish will do the job over enamels, although an acrylic varnish should be used for a model painted in acrylics, to avoid reaction with paint and varnish. (I still sometimes use gloss enamel varnish, over enamel paint, but finish with a mix of 'Future' and Tamiya Flat Base, to achieve the desired finish, from full mat to semi-gloss.)
I guess the only reason many modellers use 'Future' is because it's cheap, very cheap, compared to 'proper' modelling acrylic varnishes, and is versatile, for use on canopies and so on.
 
Exactly what airframes said, its so cheap, we feal like were robbing the store (like those VW commercials )
 

As usual, fantastic advice. I have acrylic varnish, both in a semi gloss and full gloss. I would expect to apply it as a final sealant over coating after the decals are applied.

Ive tested this new sealer that I bought on some test sheets. Instructions said to apply as a pre-coat, and then after the decals are applied. I did three tests, a control with no sealer above or below the decal, a test with just an undersoat of the sealer, and a test with undercoat and over coats applied.

With the first test there was definite evidence of silvering, and one of the decals used in the test actually began to lift at the edges. I could not tell any real difference between the 2nd and 3rd tests, but assume if one coat is good, two is even better. Whilst the solution was wet, it seemed to reduce the surface friction for the decal, thereby making it easier to apply the slide. Conversely, once dry, there was no evidence of lifting, so I assume the sealant does work to improve adhesion after dry.

I think I will apply a base coat and then a top coat of this stuff after decal application. Then I think I will apply a thin coat of semi gloss varnish to finish the process off.

One small complication....RAAF "flying kangaroo" roundels (at least the ones i have), come as a two stage application. The backing roundel is applied, followed by the "Flying Kangaroo" element of the image. I think at this stage, I will apply a base , the main roundel and then a top coat sealant for the background. Then I will apply the flying kangaroo element, and finally a further top coat of sealant. Finally I think it best to apply a final top coat of semi gloss acrylic varnish to lock everything down nice and tight.
 
I can confirm that 'One Go' was the Aussie equivalent to Future but alas this has also been taken off the market and I'm unable to find a suitable replacement as yet. I do however not the Future has been re-introduced in America so maybe with a bit of luck we will catch up some time.

If I ever do come across a replacement product, rest assured I will be letting the Aussie contingent know.
 
Yep, it disappeared in the UK too, then cam back, in slightly altered form, as Johnson's Pledge Klear.Looks slightly 'milky', but clears when applied.
Personally, if it can be had easily and at a reasonable price, I would prefer to use gloss acrylic varnish for the decals stage, then use the 'Future' mixed with Tamiya Flat Base for the finish coat, if it's not full gloss, in order to produce anything from full matt up to nearly full gloss.
 
Hi all

As can be seen, there has been a very long break for me since my last diary entry. nothing at all to do with the build...have sold my house, finished the building of a new one, packed and moved everything, including my unfinished Venom) to a new house. Had a fight with our version of the IRS, won, and now have finally got some time to do a little more to the build. Not much, but its a start. I had left off with the model more or less finished. there was some silvering of some decals, but I think the application of a topcoat of varnish of some description will address that.

I have just about finished the sanding and shaping of the canopy, which I have decided to do buttoned up. The canopy is not a natural fit for the Frog Kit. There are subtle differences in the hull shape of the Frog and the kit for which the Canopy was designed, that require some careful adjustments to the bottom lip of the canopy. Im just about there.

From there I have only a bit of finishing off with ordinance and a general tidy up. With luck I may even meet the deadline (which is the end of November correct?)

I will post some update shots soon guys....when I find my camera....
 
Nice to see you back Michael, trust the move went okay and glad you're good with the tax department, I suspect GST refund problem on the home build.

Looking forward to the pics as well.
 
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