I am forced to airbrush only acrylic paints due to Mrs Brandydog objecting to enamel thinner fumes. I have found a range of acrylic paints that airbrush nicely (Hannants Xtracrylix) but I just can't find an acrylic matt varnish that dries completely matt when airbrushed. They all seem to have a slight sheen.

However I read that mixing Tamiya Flat Base with Future would do the trick. Has anyone tried this and if so were the results good?

There's a discussion about this at FSM. Apparently if you don't get the mixture just right, the milkiness of flat base comes through. Then again, if there's too little, the gloss of the Future remains, Maybe Harry Potter or an alchemist can help you out.

Hi there Martin!
I just bought an acrylic matt varnish from Talens!
I haven't used it yet! I hope in the next week i'll get a spray off it in my Mi-24!
Also Winsor&Newton has a range of Acrylic varnish!
Maybe they'll do the job!
Cheers!

Actually there was a write up in an old FSM awhile back on this exact fact. It even had the mixing ratios for the Tamiya Flat base to Future so that you could get different sheens to the mixture once it dried.

If I can find it, I will post the mixture ratios....I have tried it myself and it works ok...I still prefer to use the Testors Enamel Flat coat...but each to their own.

OK..I am back and I found it...

FSM March of '04, article called "The Complete Future"

Quote from the article:

Future Flat

Future can be made into a clead flat overcoat with the addition of a flattening agent. Some modelers mix talcum powder with Future; others combine a "flat base"(liquid flattening agents made by Tamiya and Gunze Sangyo) with Future and airbrush that for a flat finish. Recommended mixing ratios are:

1 part flat base to 3 parts Future = dead flat
1 part flat base to 10 parts Future = flat
1 part flat base to 15 parts Future = satin

That along with a multitude of other stuff that Future can be used for like glueing Photoetch, making puddles, cockpit instrument glass, etc, etc.

If you have the issue, its a really good article!!

I just recently tried it, and I have to say, the results were something less then stellar.. I ended up having to break out a can of Testors Dull-cote to finish the job.this is the link to the Future articleFuture


Dave

I haven't tried the future +tamiya flat base recipe yet, but have been pretty happy with the Model Master Acryl flat as airbrushed.

Mike

Thanks for the help and info, especially the mixing ratios Scott. I was told by the guy at my LHS that Vallejo matt varnish in an aerosol dries really matt but I'm not a fan of aerosols, no control over the flow rate.

I tried Vallejo matt from the bottle diluted with Liquitex airbrush medium but it wasn't a totally matt finish.

I will try the flat base/Future and see how it goes.

Martin

I have tried the FSM ratios for satin and flat with Shine Magic which is supposed to be the Australian equvalent of future and both have worked well. I use the satin on aircraft and tried the flat on some armour (don;t remember which one). Personally I would make the flat a bit of a stronger mix as there was still a bit of a shine to it.

I like the satin on the aircraft (WW11) as they did try to keep thempolished and clean to reduce drag.

I haven't tried the dead flat ratio yet as I am a bit worried about getting a whitewash effect.

Brian

I use acrylic Polly-S Dullcoat- goes on milky blue, buts Its really FLAT!