ianober

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Sometime ago (several months) I got a F-18F as payment for doing some builds for a friend but it came in the Blue Angels scheme. Well everyone has a Blue Angels 18 and I don't so I am going to be refinishing it in a different scheme (to be disclosed later). I decided to open a thread just for the heck of it, we'll see if it is worth while or not but I thought some of the info on removing the existing finish may help some others on here so off we go.

I went online and purchased some various products for paint stripping based on some others suggestions. My buddy Scotty R. suggested I try Dekote from Eastwood and so far it has been pretty good. Its water based, non-toxic and very safe to use without any special respirators and what not. So far I have most of the plane stripped with the exception of the fuse, which I may get to today.

SPLIT S

Looks like that stuff works great!!!!

Dan

ianober

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I am pretty pleased with it so far Dan and at $16.99 a quart a very cheap way of removing paint. Any way you slice it this kind of thing is going to be a messy job but I think it will pay off in the end. Here are a few more pics of how I have been pulling the old paint off. I am just using an old credit card as a scraper and then using some denatured alcohol and rags to wipe off the excess paint left.

Some of the base coat is still left in areas but I am going to sand everything down with some fine sand paper to level it off and then dust a light coat of primer on the surface and I will most likely need to burn in some new rivets and such but so far a lot of the detail is still there.

ianober

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I few more pics of the progress so far. Moving on to the final step, the fuse!!!

t_burley

My Feedback: (59)

Ian

great stuff. how do you think this stuff will work with a glassed
balsa framed fuse? I ask as you of course are working with an
entirely glass fuse. I assume you dont need to wash off the residue
just wipe it clean? so therefore water wouldnt be an issue with balsa?

ianober

My Feedback: (12)

I think you would be fine Todd. I am cleaning the little extra bits of paint off with shop towels and some Denatured Alcohol. The stripper wears off pretty quick and is absorbed into the peeled paint and then removed when you scrape it off. You can wash it off with either water or alcohol.

t_burley

My Feedback: (59)

kewl, thanks Ian. was just checking on how easy it is
to remove. I know in the past with other strippers, I had
to use water to really wash it off.

but this appears to be not that way, which would be good
on a balsa framed re-paint.

keep up the good work[8D]

ianober

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Cool beans Todd, the only drawback that I have seen with this stuff is the time, it takes longer than other paint strippers I have tried, but the trade off is safety and water soluble. But hey, I got nothing but time.

If I can ever get this finished I can then get back to work on my Ziroli P-40 so I can come to some events and play with you and Evan!!

t_burley

My Feedback: (59)

kewl, Evo may be out here for Chowchilla this year,
Nigel is heading down from Canada with his new Savoia
and Goran is flying in from Sweden. should be fun.

I think I am going to pick some of this stuff up. looks like
a decent alternative to use. I have a couple re-paints
coming up to do.

dubd

Looks good Ian!

ianober

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Thanks Dantely, wait till you see the final product. When are we going to go maiden your hornet?

ianober

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I am just waiting on another Quart of stripper before work continues.

GSR

My Feedback: (145)

Hey HerrOber- They sell it in gallons also-It seems to keep forever I have had my last gallon for a few years now and it still works the same. Scotty

ianober

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Yeah I saw the gallon Scotty, but since I was trying it out I didn't buy a whole lot of it in case it was not up to snuff. That'll teach me never to second guess Scotty R.!!! I just barely need a little more than a quart, arghhghhgh!!

ianober

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Does anyone have any super close pictures of the formation (picture below) and position lights on an F/A-18F?? So far I can tell they have a nose gear light, 2 top fuse position lights (port and starboard), and a red position light on each outside vertical.

Are there any other strobes or rotating beacons?

I just noticed that there is an anti collision strobe or what not on the top of the right vertical.

Awesome, well Dan from Details4Scale got back to me about the lighting arrangement and said he has everything on hand:

Here's the lighting arrangement:

Right vert fin: 1 fixed white pos. light, 1 strobe (white, clear lenses)
Outside vert fins: 1each Red Strobe Beacon anti-collision light (red lenses)
1 each red, green fuse stake pos. light (red and green lens)
1 landing/taxi light with fixture and lens


Thanks for the quick response Dan!!

ravill

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Ian, that's way too much work....

Raf

ianober

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When I think about it I don't think so. I think all the little tid bits I am gonna do will pay off in the end. But I am also taking a Raffy approach to this plane in making it a flyer. I want it to look good on the ground but it will be built to be flown....a lot.[sm=thumbs_up.gif]

ianober

My Feedback: (12)

I decided to play with some flite metal on the tail cones, with a little paint and dirtying up I think they will turn out ok.

dubd

Hopefully it'll maiden before Jan is over. Damn rain... (I know we need it).

Are you going to apply a clear coat to your hornet?

ianober

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I am most likely going to have to because I am going to use some Model Master enamels on it. I usually use them for the weathering.

ianober

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And the stripping continues, unfortunately its in my garage and not where it should be. I ordered some goodies from Dan Gill at Details4Scale so hopefully I will see it this week.

FL510

My Feedback: (8)

Ian,

Looks good man! I'm feeling your pain on the stripping. It never seems to end!![:@] Hows the denatured work, I used 91% rubbing alcohol on my F5 after the stripper, which also cut the left over residue.

Jed

ianober

My Feedback: (12)

Thanks Jed, yeah, I know your feeling it like me. The denatured alcohol is working pretty good but I think I may try the 91% like you used. I noticed that your surface came out really nice. I have a lot of spots of some of the base primer left that I am now sanding off with my B&D Mouse sander. Not much work but if I can get it off with the alcohol I would rather go that route. This may be that last plane I strip paint off of, but all in all it has not been as bad as I thought it would have been.

Jed, which brand of alcohol did you use, just regular rubbing alcohol?

FL510

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It was CVS 91% rubbing alcohol. It got most of the remaining paint off. I had to use a little sand paper in very small places. The paint stripper would not even soften those spots.

Jed

ianober

My Feedback: (12)

So I got the fittings and what not I ordered from Todd at Dreamworks for my fuel tanks. All the fuel tank fittings that the China ARFS come with are almost useless in my opinion so I decided to upgrade mine. Todd has a fitting similar to the BVM ones only larger so a Super Clunk fit through them. I have also decided to use Festo fittings on my vent lines. Below are some pictures of the install and assembly.

I roughed up the outside of the holes and then cleaned them with alcohol. I also roughed up the housing for the fuel fitting and cleaned it as well. I used a little trick that a buddy of mine (DP) showed me. Take some Hysol, mix it up and then slip it into a baggy, then cut the corner off and you use it like a pastry bag to "pipe" the glue where you need it. This way I don't waste glue in the mixing tubes.