discussion Johnson Wax Klear Vs Pledge Multi-Surface Wax

[Guest]

I once dipped a motorcycle fairing screen in Kleer and it worked beautifully however just about everything else I do is with Tamiya clear in the bottle. It's just simple to me!

Was that dipped, brushed or AB, BB?

I never had much success brushing tamiya acryls including clear though they spray excellently.

 

[Ian M]

M1ks; You have understood my point. Why when there are so many alternatives, do people still pay silly money for a bottle of floor polish when there are a) cheaper floor polishes that do the same. b) "Proper" clear varnishes that are just as easy to use, just as thin and give the same or better results.

One thing baffles me still. Klear will remove clear, as we all know. Make a botch job and just dip it again to remove the first coat and then give it another go. How does it work when you give some thing two or three coats, to build up the shine? Does the first coat not get lifted by the next one???

Ian M

 

[Guest]

Was that dipped, brushed or AB, BB?I never had much success brushing tamiya acryls including clear though they spray excellently.

Smaller parts are brushed but larger surfaces I tend to use small spray cans. I'm just lazy and hate taking air brushes apart to clean them.

 

[Guest]

One thing baffles me still. Klear will remove clear, as we all know. Make a botch job and just dip it again to remove the first coat and then give it another go. How does it work when you give some thing two or three coats, to build up the shine? Does the first coat not get lifted by the next one???

Ian M

This only happens if you brush excessively, once the first coat has dried off you can brush on a second and as long as you swipe it on quickly and don't go over and over with the brush it won't lift, it has to have time to dissolve in itself, so with a canopy that's been messed up you'd have to dip and wipe.

Typically as it's so runny and self levelling you're only laying a quick thin second or third coat on it with brush or AB.

 

[stona]

Right then,all the answers are spread about the thread.

We started using Klear (Future for those across the pond) because it did the same thing as gloss acrylic varnishes much more cheaply. Buying a bottle for fifteen quid defeats the object of the exercise.

There are alternatives and the cheap ones include other acrylic floor polishes which various modellers have given a thumbs up to.

Many products that we put on our models,either by spray or by brush,will dissolve themselves and hence eventually remove themselves. For example any brush painter will be able to educate us on the pitfalls of "dragging" enamel paint about when applying subsequent coats. Klear or anything else needs to be thoroughly dried before re-coating.

The 16 bottle hoarder is a good friend of mine,Nigel a.k.a. Lampie,a managing editor of Aeroscale and P-47 authority. He had a "bit of a moment" when he heard that his beloved old formula Klear was to be discontinued and over reacted......slightly! If anyone is daft enough to offer fifteen quid for a bottle I'll have a word with him for them. His intention was not to profiteer or enhance his retirement fund but for silly money he would probably part with some of his stash. I've been asking him how he intends to live to be 250 since he revealed the stash to me. He's also one of the slowest model builders I know! It took him more than a year to build his superb Vintage Fighter Series 1/24 scale P-47.

There are lots of threads on forums all over the internet about Klear (Future) and I think this sometimes gives the impression that it is some kind of wonder product or panacea. It isn't,it's just a cheap and easy to apply gloss varnish. I love the stuff and will use it until my stash (only three bottles which is about ten years worth) runs out,however I'm open to silly offers. I know others who don't use it yet still produce great models,once again it's each to their own.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Guest]

Quite seriously steve, tell him to get at least ten of those bottles on ebay, i guarantee having watched several auctions in utter amazement he can't possibly get less than a tenner a bottle so theres an easy £100 for him there which would buy him a very very nice model or two.

Personally i'd struggle to use up 2 bottles in ten years but then I use it selectively, not on everything and i'm not a quick builder.

Johnson Klear wax 500ml unopened | eBay

Currently 6.59 over a day to go

Johnsons Klear Original Floor Polish, unopened, new | eBay

Currently 6.00, over 3 days left.

JOHNSONS KLEAR 500ML UN-OPENED, BRAND NEW | eBay

Sold listing, £23, yes really and this is an old and cloudy one.

Johnson KLEAR | eBay

Sold listing, £21

Johnsons Klear Original Floor Polish, unopened, new | eBay

Sold listing, another, £21

JOHNSONS KLEAR 500ML UN-OPENED, BRAND NEW | eBay

Sold listing, yet another, £23

I could go on but you get the idea. Show him these links or mug him, LOL

I'm going to add to this, £20+ for 500ml of gloss acryl varnish, what idiot thinks its worth this?

The hannants xtracryl comes in 100ml pots for £3.25 and thinned (water) will at least double that if not triple.

Y'know i'm half tempted to sell my 3/4 full bottle.

 

[stona]

Those links are a revelation! There is indeed a sucker born every minute. Maybe I'll nip round and burgle Nige's house!

Cheers

Steve

 

[Bugatti Fan]

I wish people would not refer to Klear as polish. It isn't.
Although when applied it leaves a nice shiny finish, it is a clear acrylic sealant, not a wax.

 

[Tim Marlow]

That thread is over ten years old Noel………they may not all be still listening

 

[BarryW]

LOL. I saw the title and wondered why people still go on about this and only realised it’s an 11 year old thread towards the end…..

For the record AK produced a product specifically designed for dipping and I am sure there are others. No need to worry about floor polish at all now…