Dash7ATP

K & B Paints are still my favorite way to finish a good looking model. I still have a few cans of the primary colors and some primer left. When i'ts gone, I'll just have to learn a new pproduct line. I do have a small problem in the mean time. It appears I will run out of the K & B Thinner before I run out of paint. I have done some expermenting with other thinners with K & B but so fay, nothing seems to cut it properly to allow it's use while spraying.

Does anyone know of a product that will replace the K & B Thinner and work well with their paint? I have found a product that will cut it well enough for clean up but the pigment seems to settle out when mixed with it for spraying.

Thanks in advance. oh yeah..........if you have a can or two of K & B thinner and will consider selling it, please let me know.

Joe

pilotkelowna

My Feedback: (1)

Joe:

The products made by KlassKote are apparently totally interchangable with K & B. Like you, I have a few dozen full cans of K & B, but very low on thinner.

Contact www.klasskote.com

Dash7ATP

I suppose I should check them out! Thanks,

Joe

HalH

My Feedback: (12)

MECOA has the K&B ultrapoxy line of paint which isn't very good but they do have the thinner you need listed under accessories.

Dash7ATP

Thanks, I'll check it out.

JL

Jeff Foley

My Feedback: (45)

Hi Joe,

Don't take this as the final word, because I haven't tested it yet completely....but the reducer that poly-fiber sells with their covering system seems to thin K&B fine. It has many of the same ingredients of the old thinner and smells similar. I too am running low on the old thinner and will experiment with the poly fiber.

Jeff

Dash7ATP

Let me know what your conclusion is, Jeff. It sounds promising. I'm not familiar with the Poly-Fiber name. Do you have a link to a web site?

Joe

Jeff Foley

My Feedback: (45)

Try this one. www.polyfiber.com

Dash7ATP

Hi again, Jeff.

I didn't see any mention of their thinners. I'm sure they must have a line for thier products. I was surprised to see that the finish is vinyl.

Have you tried tthe finish they discuss on the web site? I'm not too sure how that would apply to models.

Joe

rcalfred

Try F & M Enterprises....they have reducer (thinner). http://www.stits.com/. The Polytone paint line can also be obtained at Aircraft Spruce. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/. Regards.

EdwardB

My Feedback: (6)

Put me down as another vote for KlassKote. I used to finish all my planes with K&B, and even though it was messy, and smelled pretty bad, it wasn't hard to get a nice finish, and was incredibly durable. I have a few partial cans of color and only a little bit of catalyst and thinner. I ran out a long time ago with enough to paint a whole plane. I've tried all the various alternatives, including latex, Nelson System Three, several brands of automotive, several of the spray cans (never again!!!), and nothing was close to good old K&B. I was really excited to see KlassKote. I talked to them at Toledo (really nice people!), and used it on my last project, a quarter scale Tiger Moth. I don't think it flashes dry to the touch quite as quickly as K&B, but everything else is as advertised, and exactly like I remember K&B. Sprays easily, flows out great, covers well, drys rock hard, is completely fuel proof, etc. I switched to HVLP, so I use much less than I used to with a pressure feed touch-up gun, plus it's a snap to clean up. It's not cheap, but certainly cheaper than automotive, and easier to use as far as I'm concerned. With the HVLP, I only need a few ounces for pretty large paint areas, so the cost isn't that bad. I understand it's 100% compatible with K&B, so you should be able to mix and match with what K&B you have, although I don't have enough K&B left to bother.

BTW, I've heard nothing good about the K&B replacement Ultrapoxy, and it's not compatible with the old stuff. A friend in my former club (who's a good painter) tried to paint his pylon racer with it, and it wasn't nice. He sanded it all off and went with automotive.

Dash7ATP

Thanks for the rundown on KlassKote, EdwardB. From what I've heard about that stuff, I'll be going with it next.

Right now, I'm fussing over an ARF I have decided to un-ARF. Put another way, taking two months to do a GSPs P-40. I bought the kit over two mnonths ago and it looked so nice, I decided to redo the paint scheme to match a full scale P-40 in the local area. I know the guy that flies it so I can have access to it for photos, etc. The paint on the model is a green camo and the full scale is the Flying Tiger Olive Drab. It's a flat finish and I wanted to match colors, so the guys gave me enough of the paint used on the plane to repaint mine. Only problem is it's Imron. Nasty stuff. Next time, I'll get a sample and try to get the color matched with something else.

This brings to mind a question. Pettit Hobby Poxy was a pretty good paint when it was available, but not as hard as K & B. One good thing they did was make a color mixing chart for many of the common FS colors. That was a real plus for them. I built a Ducted Fan F-4E in Viet Nam Camo and used the Hobby Poxy to make the colors. The plane looked/s great. It took a lot of colors to make the desired colors, but hey, I still have some of the paint and use it once in a while. Does KlassKote have a similiar mixing chart for the standard colors? Considering all of the colors they do have, It would be nice to be able to mix the FS colors ourselves.

Thanks again for the endorsement of KlassKote.

EdwardB

My Feedback: (6)

Check the KlassKote website, if you haven't already. They have all the standard colors shown, and any can be done with gloss or satin. I used the satin catalyst on my Tiger Moth for both color and clear, and it's very nice. On the website, it does talk about mixing custom colors, and there's a reference to a Dave Platt video. That's all I know. You might want to try to call or email. Hopefully they would be as helpful as they were in person at Toledo. BTW, I also have had good experience with their on-line ordering and shipping. Service is quick, and packaged well.

warbird51

My Feedback: (12)

You can also use Hobbypoxy thinner and hardener as they will intermix with the Superpoxy. When K&B stopped making the Superpoxy I bought a supply of Hobbypoxy hardener and thinner so I could use the rest of the K&B color that I had.

Dash7ATP

Thanks guys,

I hafe the DAve Platt video and it is helpful in mixing colors, but it's still a hit or miss when tring to achieve a particular color. I know the Hobby Poxy thinners would work with K & B, but alas, I ran out of that a long time ago.

This seems to be a pretty good thread, so I'll ask another question: What is the best substitute for the K & B primer? It's hard to find a white primer that sands as well as the K & B. I haven't use the K-36 (I think that's the name of it), and I bellieve that is gray anyway. I used to use the primer as my white, and just shoot clear over it as a final finish. Worked great! Comments?

Joe

RCPilot100

My Feedback: (4)

PPG makes a primer called K36 - I use it exclusively now - I think it is as good as or better than the old K&B.

Dan

EdwardB

My Feedback: (6)

The serious painters in my previous club (I've had to move due to job relocation) used Sikkens primer as a replacement for K&B, and said it worked well. I don't have a personal experience with it though. If you're looking for something quick and pretty easy, I've had excellent results with Coverite 21st Century primer from a spray can. It's about $4.00 a can. Fills pretty well, dries quickly, and sands to powder with little or no sandpaper filling. I use it exclusively for small paint jobs, like cowls, wheel pants, misc. parts, etc. I've had zero compatability issues with KlassKote and also PPG Concept Urethane. I know most serious painters don't seriously consider anything from a rattle can, but this stuff is actually pretty good.

dennis

My Feedback: (90)

Petit Paint alias Hobbypoxy is still in business and still making paint. Their primary product is for the marine trade so you should be able to get the thinner at any marine outlet. By the way the old Epoxy formulas were 'leaded' and carcinogenic so that kind of did them in for the 'civilian' market

Chip_Mull

My Feedback: (1)

If you want to try the POly Fiber reducers we can sell it in quarts without a hazmat fee for shipping. The reducers are temperature stabilizers and come as "R65-75 and "R8500". It stands for 65 to 75 degrees or 85 degrees and higher.

check out http://www.stits.com