DF_Flyer

I was wondering what kind of fuelproof Hobby paints you are using and what kind of success you're having. I am primarily interested in the non-automotive type finishes. Thanks in advance.

Earl

Roby

checkout all the latex paint threads that have been posted.
I've switched from the dopes and 2 parts to exterior latex
house paint and i'm getting good results.

Roby

seafury_fb11

Roby,
I thought I might try latex on my current plane, but after I reread Roy Vaillancourt's article on MAN dot com... well, I guess you could say I "haired out". The thing that worries me is that the way he describes the process, it sounds like ten times the work over just using model paints. Here's a quote from the article:

Sheesh... Is it really that much trouble?? I can see wanting to save some money on the paint itself but like I said... sheesh!

I'd really like to hear your experiences and any tips you may have.

Thanks,
Russ.

Roby

Russ
I did a lot of practice on old airframes etc. to "find" a method
that works for me. I used Ray V's article as a bible during my
learning curve.

Most of the spraying was done in my cellar at about 55/60`,
at that temp you must go slow and light, at warmer temps
the process speeds up a little but you still want to go with
several light coats rather than one heavy coat.

This is what I do
1. get the covering on(super shrink,lite fab,koverall,etc)
2. spray balsarite thinned 50% with acetone over entire area
3. apply pinking tape (optional)
4. apply a very light well thinned coat of latex primer
5. let completely dry. dry means if you can smell the paint
it ain't dry, KEY NOTE ....when the oder is gone not only
is it dry but it's fully hardened
6.apply color, here you can recoat when it's dry to the touch
only put on enough to do the job. Don't lay it on too heavy

7. If you plan to do a multi color scheme, plan it out so you
don't paint the same areas several times with other colors.
The weight can and will build up quickly.

8.when painting stripes ,markings etc. make sure the color your
over is completely dry. spray a lite coat of the base color your
going over, let it dry to the touch, then apply the final color.
this helps prevent bleeding under the tape. (use drafting tape}

9.let it all completely dry and litely spray with a clear latex
polyurethane ...again ..let completely dry......done

10 the drying is VERY important.....at first I wasn't getting real
good results, but "Bigbri"(RCU member)is the one that pointed
out that the paint may be dry but it may not be fully cured
(hard).......I allowed more time for drying BINGO !

I'll help you any way I can ....if you have any additional questions
post them on this thread,Ill follow this one for an extended
period of time

I sounds much more intense than it really is, try it
Good luck Russ

Roby

seafury_fb11

Roby,
Thanks for the info. As I said, I have already gone with model paints on my current plane, but I have another on the board also. When the time comes, I will give this a try and let you know how it's going.

Thanks again,
Russ.

Graham-RCU

Hi Guys...

I am trying to gather some knowledge on what people are using for painting their models. I do not own a compressor or spray equipment.
I would appreciate some input..on what equipment is needed etc. I assumed this was all done with a small compressor and an airbrush.. but maybe not?

Please advise if you will.. Thanks.

seafury_fb11

Graham,
I have a Pasche airbrush (forget which model) and it works great. I use the #5 tip to quickly block out the main camo pattern, then go back with the #1 to sharpen up the edges of the different colors afterward.

My compressor is fairly large - way overkill for airbrushing, but I also use it for other things. For airbrushing, you don't need that much volume, and I generally spray at about 40 psi. Even a small compressor should be able to handle that.

Also, a few extra spray bottles for the airbrush helps. That way you can have a few different colors mixed and ready to go all at the same time.

Russ.

Graham-RCU

Thanks Russ..

This airbrush...with the number 5 tip.. this allows you to paint large areas...like the wings and fuse ? or do you use a different gun for that?

seafury_fb11

Yes. The #5 tip will open up to about a 3 or 4 inch wide spray to cover large areas. It actually works better than a spray can because the paint comes out much more evenly. The #1 can be dialed down to almost a pin point. On a really fine setting, it works great for putting a tiny spot of white on the canopy to simulate the sparkle of the sun. (I don't have clear plastic canopies, I just paint the fiberglass to look like a canopy).

Russ.

Graham-RCU

Thanks Russ..

I am just looking into the AirBrush stuff.. appreciate your response.

I am going to follow the threads to hopefully find out how people finish their aircraft.. ie: with fiberglass etc. Up to now I have really only used coverings..mostly Century 21 Fabric.

Thanks Again

geink

HI,
I hope someone can help me. About 27 years ago I built a sig Komander, I covered it with a lining material put on with dope and sanding sealer made with dope and talcum powder. I then spray painted it with Varathane paint in spray cans.the paint held up for quite some time ,but is now @#$%.the model is still in good condition and the covering material and dope is an good as new.does anybody know of a paint stripper that will remove the Varathane and not the dope. ( a buddy suggested 80 grit sandpaper ,i like not to have to go that route).Thanks