ORIGINAL: billberry189
Richard,
I filled any visible imperfections before I glassed the fuselage. I used two coats of clear to lay on the glass, sanded with 180 grit followed by two sprayed coats of clear. Now I will block the clear and if it sands out clean (no imperfections) I will paint without having to use primer. If there are imperfections after blocking, I will apply two coats of primer and then reblock everything. Remember the goal is to get as smooth and straight a surface as possible without too much weight build up. In this case ''less is best''. That is why I won't be using primer unless I absolutely need to.
Bill,
I apparently misunderstood the purpose of the primer. I thought it was to find the imperfections. And I suspect that my version of a "medium" coat was much heavier than your definition. I've now reduced the amount significantly on the remaining tail surfaces. It almost sounds as though I should have filled any visible problems and then applied the carbon veil, rather than doing the primer bit on bare balsa.
I finally found some PlastiKote lacquer. Unfortunately, it's white, which doesn't show up as well against the gray primer, and it's not made in yellow. (Since I did find a place that stocks the brand, I sent a message to PlastiKote asking if they have anything non-enamel in other colors.)
Cheers, Richard
PS: Being a bit tired of still playing with the tail surfaces, I've decided to take a break and start on the fuse.