AMMO by Mig describes their new acrylic Plasticator as formulated for sealing porous surfaces such as wood, plaster, or ceramic to provide a plastic-like finish. The Plasticator is applied directly from the bottle with a brush. AMMO’s website provides demonstrations of how Plasticator can be used over plaster, wood, and foam to allow finishing with enamels, oil paints and washes. The instructions say to let the product dry for 24 hours before priming and painting, but it seemed to be fairly dry after an hour or so.

Plasticator comes in two consistencies, thin and thick. The thick product is about the same consistency as fresh white glue. The thin Plasticator is more like the consistency of white glue mixed one to one with water. By comparison, Future floor finish is a little thicker than the consistency of water. I used water to clean the brushes after applying the Plasticator.

Laser Cut Paper Sample

I used both thick and thin Plasticator on laser cut cart wheels to achieve a consistent flat surface for the wheel edges. The wheels were made up of three layers of laser cut paper which created seams between each of the layers. I used the thin Plasticator first to seal some of the gaps, and then the thick consistency to provide a smooth surface for the tread on the wheel. The Plasticator did not conceal the paper texture, but allowed sanding of the paper to get a smooth surface. The result was a uniform consistent finish for the treads on the wheels.

Wood Sample

I also applied the Plasticator to basswood to see the difference it would make in concealing the wood grain. The thin Plasticator did a good job of concealing the wood grain in the basswood to create a base for painting the wood. The resulting finish resembled painted wood, obscuring, but not totally concealing the wood grain.

Comparison to Future

I compared the Plasticator to Future Floor Finish, which is also a clear acrylic coating. The Plasticator is thicker and did a better job of concealing the wood grain than Future did. The Future soaked into the wood more and didn't cover the wood grain.

Summary

Plasticator is a convenient way to seal porous materials so that they can be primed and painted. It can also be sanded to provide a smooth surface. It works well to create the appearance of painted wood surfaces in scale models.

Thanks to AMMO by Mig for developing these unique products and providing review samples to IPMS.