Polishing Testors acrylic clear???

[crowe-t]

Has anyone polished Testors acrylic clear(s) such as Acryl or CreateFX clear?

I tested polishing Testors CreateFX acrylic satin(it's all I had on hand to test) and it looks like glass.  However I don't know if it will hold the shine.  

Will water based acrylics hold the shine when polished?

Thanks,

Mike.

Edited September 3, 2015 by crowe-t

[SfanGoch]

You could polish any type (flat, semigloss) paint to a glossy sheen.

If you allow the acrylic clear to dry thoroughly, it produces a rock hard coat which will hold the shine without dulling. Just don't handle the finished model too much. Your skin oils will mar the finish. Use cotton gloves to prevent this from occurring. I've used Turtle Wax and Novus 1 and 2 to polish out acrylic clearcoats. The Novus is especially good because it provides anti-static properties to the finish,ie, it won't attract dust particles.

Edited September 3, 2015 by SfanGoch

[crowe-t]

Thanks for the information.  

BTW how long should I wait to polish the acrylic paint?  Is a few days long enough?

 

 

Edited September 3, 2015 by crowe-t

[SfanGoch]

I usually let the acrylic clearcoat dry for about a week before I attempt to polish it. But, hey, that's just me. I want to make sure that it's completely dry and hardened. Other modelers might tell you that a day or two is sufficient. Experiment on a scrap body or some sheet styrene to determine what works for you. Everyone has different results based on coat thickness, dilution, temps, humidity, etc.

[crowe-t]

Thanks again Joe!

Today I sprayed the Testors CreateFX on the actual model and will polish it next week.  It's not a car model.  I sprayed the clear over some window decals on a sci-fi model and after they are polished I'll mask the windows and spray the flat clear on.  

I also sprayed some more of the clear on a piece of scrap plastic and will test polishing it next week before I do it on the actual model.

When I did the first experiment today on the scrap plastic, I had a piece with some of the clear satin sprayed over a year ago.  I used micromesh cloths and some Novus #3 and McGuires Scratch-X and it looks like glass.  I didn't know acrylic water based paint could polish out so nice.  I can almost see it being used on a car body.

 

[fseva]

Will Future polish to a higher gloss, without damage?

[Tesla]

Will Future polish to a higher gloss, without damage? 

I've polished Future many times without any damage using a soft cloth and Meguiar's Show Car Glaze

 

Edited September 5, 2015 by Tesla

[jeffbrad]

Like Joe said, all of the good acrylics polish out beautifully. I've used Minwax gloss water base polyurethane for years. A quart at Lowe's is 11 bucks and will last you years. Cut it with windshield washer fluid if needed.  If you spray light thin coats it will usually go on dead smooth. If not I'll usually hit it with 2000 grit then Meguiars 3 and wax. Novus 2 is a good substitute for the Meguiars.

[Snake45]

When I've tried polishing Future it just flakes away. That's why I never use it on model cars, though I do still sometimes use it as a pre-decal treatment on airplanes (that will be getting a final flat finish anyway).

[fseva]

When I've tried polishing Future it just flakes away. That's why I never use it on model cars, though I do still sometimes use it as a pre-decal treatment on airplanes (that will be getting a final flat finish anyway).

I'm glad you spoke up, Richard - I just started a new project that features an acrylic on the body, and I was going to apply Future as my clearcoat. Now, I will not expect to polish it. I hope that several coats of Future will build up the deepness of the gloss so that it doesn't need to be polished.

[b-body fan]

I've actually brushed on a wet coat of Future and sealed it in a plastic container about the size of a shoebox over night. It retards the drying time and lets it flatten out nicely. It also keeps the dust off. The next day I sort of cock the lid sideways to air it out but still protect it from dust. I've gotten good results this way. I've never tried to polish it though. This would probably work for any acrylic, brushed or sprayed I would imagine. Hope this helps.

[fseva]

If you allow the acrylic clear to dry thoroughly, it produces a rock hard coat which will hold the shine without dulling. Just don't handle the finished model too much. Your skin oils will mar the finish. Use cotton gloves to prevent this from occurring. I've used Turtle Wax and Novus 1 and 2 to polish out acrylic clearcoats. The Novus is especially good because it provides anti-static properties to the finish,ie, it won't attract dust particles.

Novus 1 is not really a polish. From my understanding, it's simply a weak plastic cleaner. Novus 2 is a fine compound, and Novus 3 is a coarse compound. I no longer use #3 for polishing - it's just too gritty for me. I prefer Tamiya's compounds, starting with their Coarse, then Fine, and finally Finish. Some times my paint is pretty good looking and I start with Fine.

[SfanGoch]

You're right, Novus 1 isn't a polish. It's a cleaner and antistatic which leaves the surface very shiny and prevents fingerprint smudges and repels dust. We used it on flight helmet visors and plexiglass helicopter windows for those reasons and why it's it's great on models with a gloss finish. No. 3 is not for use on coated, i.e. painted, plastics. It's used to remove very heavy scratches. Novus No. 2 is great for removing fine scratches from parts after any sanding work. I also use Flitz Metal Polish (aka Blue magic in the States) for scratch removal and polishing parts prior to using Metalizer or Alclad products. 

[fseva]

You're right, Novus 1 isn't a polish. It's a cleaner and antistatic which leaves the surface very shiny and prevents fingerprint smudges and repels dust. We used it on flight helmet visors and plexiglass helicopter windows for those reasons and why it's it's great on models with a gloss finish. No. 3 is not for use on coated, i.e. painted, plastics. It's used to remove very heavy scratches. Novus No. 2 is great for removing fine scratches from parts after any sanding work. I also use Flitz Metal Polish (aka Blue magic in the States) for scratch removal and polishing parts prior to using Metalizer or Alclad products. 

OK - let's see if I have this right - Novus products are more for unpainted models, before a primer? If so, you then have to carefully wash the models after they've been "smoothed"? Do I have that right? And Novus 2 is really the only one that could be used as an after-paint polish?

[SfanGoch]

OK - let's see if I have this right - Novus products are more for unpainted models, before a primer? If so, you then have to carefully wash the models after they've been "smoothed"? Do I have that right? And Novus 2 is really the only one that could be used as an after-paint polish?

In a nutshell, yes. However, there are oodles of other uses Novus products are good for, including polishing acrylic paint. As far as washing the parts, you're going to do that any way in order to remove mold release and skin oils so primer and paint adhere better, right? Novus 2 is perfect for polishing painted parts and Novus 1  is the "finishing" step. Not much different, and fewer steps required, than using micromesh pads to achieve the same results. I've used Novus for over 30 years and prefer to polish up paint jobs over the micromesh pads. Besides, you can polish those hard to reach crevices found on some bodywork, using Novus 2 and a Q-Tip, that are impossible to do with the micromesh without possibly removing the paint on raised edges and corners. This is just my preferred method, which works for me. Other modelers have their own. I find it easier this way. I'm a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. principle.  

[fseva]

In a nutshell, yes. However, there are oodles of other uses Novus products are good for, including polishing acrylic paint. As far as washing the parts, you're going to do that any way in order to remove mold release and skin oils so primer and paint adhere better, right? Novus 2 is perfect for polishing painted parts and Novus 1  is the "finishing" step. Not much different, and fewer steps required, than using micromesh pads to achieve the same results. I've used Novus for over 30 years and prefer to polish up paint jobs over the micromesh pads. Besides, you can polish those hard to reach crevices found on some bodywork, using Novus 2 and a Q-Tip, that are impossible to do with the micromesh without possibly removing the paint on raised edges and corners.

Yes, I also gave up on the 12-step Micromesh process. Just don't see that much difference between it and my low-tech use of Tamiya Compounds. I also don't like the idea of having to apply 3 or more coats of clear, to keep from sanding through the paint and leaving a divot.