I am primarily an aircraft modeller so forgive me if Future floor polish comes up in this post. What i want to know is how do you guys do oil washes on armour over enamel basecoats? I know with aircraft you can put a gloss future layer between the enamel paint and your wash so the wash doesn't affect your basecoat. I thin my enamel basecoat with turpentine, but if I put a wash of oil paint on my vehicle, using paint thinner as the spreading agent, then the basecoat will just disinegrate. Is there a method or step I am missing. Please don't tell me to use acrylics as a base as I tried acrylics a few times and we just don't get along.
Any and all help is appreciated

JC Hayes

The same, use Future. You just have to spray more dull coat when you're done.

As Rob said, Future is used here quite often. Most often for a smooth finish for decals to sit evenly.
Have you tried using Linseed oil as a thinnning agent for the oils? It will take a longer time for it to cure, but should not hurt the enamel base coat. Do a test run in an inconspicuous area or on an "experimental" model.
Also, applying something like Future, at least for us armor modelers, helps the wash coat to spread more smoothly, flowing into panel lines and around rivits and bolt. Otherwise it can "stick" in areas of the model that we don't want it to, ie- flat armor plates.
I hope this helps.

Thanks guys, I have never heard gloss clearcoat or Future mentioned in an armour article, I thought there was a different method for oil washes!

JC Hayes

I know this thread is really old, but I must interject my profession into our hobby here. Please use caution when using linseed oil. I'm sure you all know to dispose of rags with linseed oil on them wisely. Linseed oil generates heat as it evaporates, and if disposed of in a trash can with other items, can and will cause a fire; usually many hours after being placed in the can. To make a long story short, be careful.
Sorry for reviving an old thread, but I have seen too many accidents.

Patrick

I use Model Master Enamals.

i sometimes use an enamal Wash over a glosscoat... to avoid having my basecoat damaged I thin my enamal paint with Testors brush cleaner.

The brush Cleaner is a milder thinning agent than their regular thinner.. and so far I havn't had any real trouble with it...

Remember alway to test first.

Hi JC, I apply my oil wash directly over my enamel base coat WITHOUT any of that clear coat stuff. I apply the wash after the final base coat HAS DRIED & CURED for 72 HOURS. I hadn't ever had a problem with paint lift, and I feel these "inbetween clear coat's " only add to "surface build up " and REDUCE raised detail and panel lines, leaving less to work with ..... I don't like that ! The less amount of finishes on a model = the more the detail to work with = the more effective the outcome ! The only time I use dullcote is the very last step I do to a model or with some aircraft it would be a glosscote, but I don't use them until the very end. I kinda like the " old way " of doing alot of thing's in scale modeling, because they have been proven many times over to work with quality results. I just find today, that some modelers just use too many unnecessary step's ( Just my opinion ).

- ralph