Klear floor polish, where did it go
I'm missing a trick here. 20 odd years ago I would use Klear for my canopy on models but for the life of me I can't seem to find the equivalent available today in UK
What are you guys using now?
What happens if I were to just clear coat over the canopy when adding my clear coat would it damage it at all
Would really appreciate any input please
cheers all
@iwantedwings, After applying a clear coat, I remove the masks on the canopy, polish it gently with toothpaste and leave it like that. No coat on the clear parts.
@johnb thank you John so is there no equivalent product for Klear anymore in the UK do you know
@iwantedwings, I'm not from the UK so no idea what could be an equivalent for this product. Could Pledge or Future be the same?
Maybe AK Gauzy can be an alternate here - https://ak-interactive.com/product/gauzy-agent-glass-coat/
I strongly wouldn’t recommend to do this.
Hey Dmitry @starfar, i bough AK Gauzy a while ago and frankly i am not that convinced- seems like it just adds a layer of whatever it is on top of the canopy, making it somewhat smooth but not necessarily crisp and clear. To me the effect looks odd.
@fxrob Hi Felix! Yes, it works the same as Future or Klear – adds a thin layer of a self-levelling clear coat. This is my results with Gauzy. Before applying:
After applying:
Hi there
I have tried Alclad Aqua gloss. In my experience it works just as floor polish. It can be brushed or used for dipping. Pricey but works fine.
But here in Australia there is also a cheaper alternative, Pascoe floor polish which you can get from the major hardware chain, Bunnings.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/long-life-1l-self-shining-floor-polish_p4460498
For all intents and purposes it is just like Johnson's Klear, and it gives you the ultra-shiny canopies.
This may not be immediately useful to you given the distance (unless you have a friend traveling to Australia who would not mind bringing you a bottle), but my point here is that I just tried whatever floor polish was available in the shops, and got a good result. It may be useful to get some spare clear parts and try what you can get there.
I hope this helps.
In a very limited experiment, I used Tamiya TS-13 (gloss clear) and it had no negative effect on clear sprues. I decided not to gloss any of the decals on my Honda Repsol in order to keep them looking like they are vinyl decals applied to the bike. I had read in another forum that there are modelers who do use TS-13 on clear parts with no issues. I'd try a test on some spare parts. I wouldn't try anything that isn't made for modeling though. Some of the other spray paints are really 'hot'.
Check HyperScale discussion of this subject at their Plane Talking.
Hi Martin! Having also read some net discussions, basically Pledge or whatever is locally called is a good alternative.
thank you for all your input I will go and see what we have in our local Asda working towards making my first model again
I am now using Quick Shine by Holloway House. Very thin and be brushed on with good results. Caution with air brushing.due to thinness, it can easily pool and run. I am using it for the first time on a Banshee vacuform that I am working on presently. Good luck. Oh, I found it in a local Walmart. Not sure if other stores.
SC Johnson discontinued Future / Pledge / Klear in January of 2022. From my internet research, it seems most modelers consider Quick Shine to be the best substitute (mentioned by Steve Oakson above).
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.
I researched the formula ingredients for both Future/Pledge and Quick Shine and they are very similar. I am still using a 15 year old bottle of Future with half remaining so It will still be a while before I need to transition. I usually apply it as a clear coat thinned as follows: 50% Future/40% 91% IPA/10% Mr. Color Leveling thinner and airbrush at 20-25 psi for clear coating with excellent control. For canopy coating I use Future thinned 40% with cheap vodka (vodka by law is 40% ethanol and 60% water).
Supposedly Alclad's Aqua Gloss does the same tricks. Have some but haven't tried it on canopies.
Future/Klear/Pledge w/Future - all discontinued by Johnson and Johnson a couple years back.
Exactly what Tom @tincla mentioned, production was discontinued a few years ago.
Happy I scored a couple of bottles back in 2020 when I picked up scale modeling again! 😊
You know I never got on with dipping canopies in Klear, gauzy agent or whatever. I use gauzy agent now just for attaching canopies after polishing with Tamiya plastic polish...much like the Goddards or greygate we used on the full size. Much easier to remove any mistakes from a polished surface and it repels dust better as well but I guess what works for one doesn’t always work for another😉