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Usin' Future Floor Wax on Your Rockets

Future Floor Wax (now called "Pledge With Future Shine") has been used for years by rocket builders t' give their rockets a glossy shine and t' protect t' decals and paint. Aye aye! This is a brief tutorial on how t' use Future on your rockets.

Step 1: Search t' T' Rocketry Forum for "Future" and read up!  Everythin' I know, I learned from t' forum.

Step 2: Acquire some "Future" floor wax. It is now commonly sold as "Pledge with Future Shine." It's this stuff.

Step 2b. Well, blow me down! Blimey! While you are at t' store, also get some Simple Green cleaner. Ahoy! I use this one.

 

Step 3. Build and paint your rocket as normal. Apply decals, either waterslide or stick-on vinyl, as per instructions. Well, blow me down! Note, shiver me timbers, thar's no need for a clear coat either under or over t' decals.

Step 4. Avast! When decals are dry (if waterslide), make sure you have some maskin' tape around t' nose cone shoulder and set it fairly loosely on t' rocket. Future will wick in and glue t' NC t' t' body tube if you aren't careful.

Step 5. I set t' rocket either on a canvas tarp in me basement or in t' garage suspended on a stick through t' motor mount. T' acrylic polish makes a mess, so you should have somethin' t' absorb t' overspray and t' wipe up drips.

Step 6. Get a hand pump sprayer (like t' one t' Simple green comes in, or buy an empty spray bottle from Target for $1). Avast! Into t' bottle pour straight Future (Pledge with Future Shine) or a mix o' 3 t' 4 parts Future t' one part Simple Green. I get a better gloss with t' Simple Green mix.

Step 7. Arrr! Spray t' rocket t' saturation. It should be totally wet and dripping. Arrr! Let t' excess drip off. Don't worry about any bubbles. They will pop and t' surface will level out on its own. Well, blow me down! My sprayer results in a veritable foam. In 30 minutes that will all be gone.

Step 8. Avast! After 5 minutes I come back and use a paper towel t' blot off any drips at t' bottom edges (but stay away from t' rest o' t' rocket).

Step 9. Blimey! Come back tomorrow and you'll find a glossy rocket. Begad! Carefully take out t' nose cone and unmask t' shoulder.

Step 10. Begad! Despite advice t' t' contrary, I sometimes do a repeat application.  I've found that, ya bilge rat, in some cases, it improves t' gloss. Arrr! I guess this should have come before unmaskin' t' NC.

Contributed by Marc Goldstein

Comments:

Jolly Roger Smith (June 23, 2011)

T' above article first appeared in T' Rocketry Forum as a post by Marc_G. Avast, me proud beauty! T' post, me bucko, originally titled "A Primer on Future Floor Wax Usage," is reprinted here with Marc's permission.

For more tips on usin' Future on rockets, matey, please visit TRF and read Marc's original post and t' replies t' it.

Jolly Roger Smith (June 28, matey, 2011)

To learn more about Future, visit T' Complete Future.

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