crazychris46dividedby2

figured id put a general post on here answering questions for people like myself. only im not answering a question but asking one. what is the BEST paint to use for painting foam planes? best being for flat and gloss finishes, and also what can be safely used to remove existing paint from these foam birds, thanks, chris

Flypaper 2

For spraying I use the Testors line and brushing, the water based acrylics. Apple barrel brand etc, from the dollar store

Tyler P

I've had good success with polycarbonate paint for lexan RC car bodies. It has worked on Elapor for me. The adhesion is decent. I've heard also that the water-based spray paints available at most craft stores work well.

rmenke

My Feedback: (13)

Chris:

I use water based paint from the hobby and crafts store. You will get a dull finish even with the gloss paint with a light mist coat. For gloss, you will have to pay the weight penality of multiple coats, not worth it in my view. Was supprised how good a finish you can get with the stuff either sprayed with a air brush or atomotive toutch-up gun. Beats rattle can finishes except good old Dupli-color. ENJOY

proffcharlie

Foam pretty much requires acrylic paints. Years ago there was a brand of paint I think Coverite made called Formula U that was great on foam and had a rock hard finish with high gloss. I don't see it in hobby shops or advertised any more and that's really a shame. It stuck to just about anything and was also glo fuel proof. Any way, if you are shooting with a gun or air brush use some Mimwax Clear Polyurethane first to seal the foam and then most paints are ok. Just make sure you get good coverage with the Mimwax. Any where you missed could be damaged by mosy enamels. Some people have said they get good results with Krylon's Short Cuts. The label on the can says for use on metal, wood, plastice and most craft foams. I'm told it is best to spray at max distance for the first few light coats to seal the foam then you can get closer to increase the gloss of the finish. I find it is hard to find any paint that sticks to foam well so be careful with using masking tapes as they will most likely peel the fresh paint off on multi-color applications. That being said the best way I have found to remove paint from a foam surface is to use the stickiest tape I can find and peel the paint off like women do when Waxing their legs. After you have as much of the paint off as possible lightly sand the surface with a medium grade sand paper.

Charlie

downunderdog

I don't know if this is what you are referring to, but I found this with a google search for coverite formula U... (some coverite paints, and a different manufacture that has something called formula U)

http://www.hobbiesr.com/137.htm

proffcharlie

Ahh yes the Pactra Formula U was the one I was talking about. But way back when, it was available in a spray can with a high quality nozzle that really did a great job. It had a larger selection of colors also. You could find a match for just about every color Monokote made. Took a long time to dry, about 45 min. to dry enough to lightly touch and about 24 hrs to be cured enough to handle normally. But once it was completely cured it was rock hard and high gloss.

Charlie

Tommygun

My Feedback: (2)

Seems the most universally accepted method for painting a foam plane without a huge weight penalty is to sand all the dimples off, then spray it or brush on with a foam brush the Minwax WBPU (thin it 50/50 with windshield washer fluid or windex if spraying from a detail gun/airbrush) let dry, then shoot the acrylic (also thinned with either washer fluid or windex). You can speed the drying of either with a heat gun. When using multiple colors, tape, then apply a layer of Minwax over the tape seam to prevent your paint from bleeding under the tape. Finally, you can shoot the completed finish with another coat of Minwax for some gloss. The first coat of Minwax aids in adhesion, the second coat gives it a gloss and protects the paint. I've seen in threads that some people are using "Future Floor Polish" as the primer/topcoat instead of Minwax. I've tried it, and it seems to work alright. Really adds a deep glossy realistic look to canopies and other clear plastic. For that matter, you could probably even use some sort of clearcoat, since the surface is now protected. I've heard some people will cover the foam plane in "00" silkspan, using Minwax to taughten it instead of dope. I tried it on a few sample foam pieces, it came out okay, but I'm not sure if the "juice is worth the squeeze," although the finished product seems to accept ANY paint I can think of without causing foam distortion. And you're right, Formula U was awesome, too bad it's not available anymore. I think it would add a stiff weight penalty though. Whatever method you think you might want to try, spend a lot of time testing it on scrap pieces before painting the actual model.