dakoris73

Hello everyone;

I've recently acquired an older pattern plane that was painted with a non-fuel proof paint, and its kinda "gooey" and sticky as a result of the use of Nitro fuel. I've recently been told to use some denatured alcohol to clean up the stickyness and to remove the fuel residue, lightly sand fuse to a smooth finish, and then use finishing resin to fuel proof the fuse.

As i've been doing some research, this finishing resin almost seems to be similar to the 30 min epoxy that is used to fuelproof the firewalls and engine compartments of our planes..... So my question is this: can I use the same 30 min epoxy, thinned out a bit to make it a more spreadable mixture to fuelproof the fuse? or is there a specific property that finishing resin contains that makes it more ideal than the regular 30 min epoxy used in kitting planes?

Thanks.
Mikey

RBACONS

My Feedback: (3)

Mikey,

Couple of thoughts.

1. The denatured alcohol may not be a strong enough solvent to remove the stickiness very well. You may need to go try acetone or some other solvent, depending on what the plane was originally painted with.

2. It sounds like your intent is not to remove all of the original paint, just the stickiness. If that's the case, then I think what you want is a fuel-proof clear coat as opposed to epoxy. Brushing epoxy over the paint (particularly the regular 30-minute) will be much heavier and produce a much less satisfactory finish than spraying a clear coat.

3. Even if you intend to take all the original paint off, epoxy (either 30-minute or finishing resin) is not the way to go. You would simply prime, paint, and clear coat. No epoxy should be necessary in refinishing the plane.

Tony

dakoris73

RBACONS - Thank you for your response to my inquiry. You are correct that I don't want to remove the original paint at this time. I'm simply trying to remove the current stickiness that is on the plane now, and preventing any further stickiness from happening on this plane for now.

With your mention of a clear coat, are you refering to like a Krylon Clear Coat Spray can to use on this? Will this be enough to fuel proof the plane and prevent the nitro from making the plane sticky again?

Thanks.
Mikey

RBACONS

My Feedback: (3)

Mikey,

Yes and no. Yes in the sense of a rattle can clear however I'm not sure if Krylon or Rustoleum clear is fuel-proof or not (and sometimes these types take a few weeks to cure fully enough to be fuel proof). Someone else will probably chime in regarding the hardware store clears. The safest is a two-part automotive type paint or Klass Kote paint. A hobby shop clear like Top Flite LusterKote would also work.

Be aware that there is a possibility of some incompatibility between the type of paint that is currently on the plane and what you use to clear coat. Without knowing what the plane is currently painted with, you're best off trying the clear on a small, inconspicuous part of the plane and giving it time to fully cure before you proceed with covering the whole plane.

RCPAUL

My Feedback: (1)

Rustoleum clear is not fuel-proof! I don't think Krylon is either.

jester_s1

If the paint is sticky then it's been chemically changed by the solvents in the fuel and ruined. Once enamels go soft from solvents they don't dry back to a hard finish anymore. So sadly, to have a good looking finish that will last, you will need to take that paint off and start over. Acetone will probably be the best stripper so you don't have to do much sanding, but be aware that it's so strong it can also dissolve some plastics. It won't attack epoxy or polyester resins, so if the fuse is fiberglass you're ok. There are a few different choices in fuel proof finishes going forward. You can use latex house paint with a fuel proof clear like Klass Kote, you can use Systems 3 water based poly with the crosslinker either as color only or as a base/clear, you can use Lusterkote if you want a rattle can paint job. If you're keen on spending money for a more durable finish that glosses better there are the various 2 part urethane automotive finishes that are base/clear as well. Reviews are mixed on hardware store rattle can paint. Some guys have had good luck with the Rustoleum colors, and some have not. I get the impression that the chemical composition changes from time to time or from color to color, so there are no guarantees. It's easy enough though to make a test panel and let a puddle of fuel sit on it for a day or two, then blast it with exhaust and let that sit for a few days to see if it can handle the fuel.

jaka

Hi!
I would use Acetone to remove all the paint and then cover the plane with Oracover plastic film.
Otherwise cover the fuselage with 24 hour epoxy (professional stuff not the hobby shop variety) and 25g glasfiber weave and spray paint with 2-part automotive coulors (Standox, Sikkens etc).I most of the time fuel proof the engine comparment using 2-part auto laquer...or Ca glue or just epoxy glue, all workes fine.

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

Rattle can clear that you buy off the shelf is not fuel proof with a few exceptions Lustrekoat clear http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXCZW5&P=7 is fuel proof and so is most lacquer based spray clears.

the trouble with Lacquer is when sprayed over many paint types it works like a stripper because the solvent in it resembles acetone,if you haven't started the cleaning process then denatured alcohol and water mixed 50/50 in a spray bottle works well as a starter the water acts like a buffer so the solvent isn't so "Hot"and burns the finish, alcohol will work like a stripper when used full strength on non fuel proof paints.

if the paint has had excessive exposure to fuel it may be past the reclamation process and like others have said you might need to strip it completely,I would use full strength alcohol and some paper towels to wipe off the bad paint and sand it liberally,then start with some fuel proof paint to begin with.

once the fuel has been cleaned off then a spray of lustrekote should be fine to fuel proof the plane if you can get rid of the gummy surface.

pitts150hp

if the enamel went soft .Iwould recomend to use paint remover or acetone to remove paint sand and start all over with a auto paint

rv9-a

I have had very good results with Rustoleum on both the plastic films and fabric. It has always been over new material not previously painted.

good luck

drac1

My Feedback: (4)

This is what i do so as to not add too much weight. Brush on a couple of coats of dope sanding smooth between and let dry for a couple days. Coat with finishing resin and when dry sand smooth being careful not to sand through to the wood. Recoat if necessary.
Use auto acrylic primer and sand most of it off. Paint top coats with auto acrylic paint sanding between coats. Acrylic is easy to use and dries quickly. A 4 or 5 colour scheme can be done in an afternoon. Let this dry for a day and clear coat with auto 2 pack clear. This needs to be in a dust free environment for at least a day as the 2 pack is slow drying. Let cure for a few days and should be good. The entire model is then fuel proof and will have a really good finish.

dakoris73

Hey Guys;

Thanks for all the input on my current dilemna. It sounds like my options are limited, and that stripping the plane and restarting is the best option for this plane. Not exactly what I had planned to do, but sounds like the best and safest option for saving this plane.....

Still kinda hoping that some other suggestions become available, and thanks again for all your suggestions.

Mikey

jester_s1

There's the option to just sand/scrape through the gummy paint and then sand it smooth before repainting with a fuel proof paint that is compatible. The epoxy paints mentioned above won't attack that enamel, nor will the water based poly or any rattle can auto primer if there are any worries about the opacity of the new paint. The two problems with doing that though, assuming you put the time in to get that old paint perfectly smooth which isn't easy, are that you are doubling your paint weight and the fact that you are depending on the physical integrity of that damaged paint for your new paint job to stick to. So the best case scenario is that you'll be a full paint job heavier than the plane already was, and the worst case is to put the time and money into repainting it just to have the new paint flake off a few months later.

speedracerntrixie

My Feedback: (29)

There are several reasons that the current paint jos should be completely removed. One it has been oil contaminated, two it is not fuel proof. Being that it is not fuel proof means that spraying anything on top of it that is fuel proof will cause the original paint to wrinkle and blister. I recently had a project that I had to get done quickly. I sprayed down an epoxy primer and then Rustolium Epoxy white. After 3 days I went over it with Lusterkote clear. In areas the Lustercrap blistered the Rustolium and the spray quality was crap as well. Lesson learned. The airplane has been sanded down to the original primer. Quality paint is on order and will be done this week. When it comes to painting you have to stick with chemical chains that work together. Not knowing exactly what is currently on the airplane makes your rate of success of saving any of it almost impossible. In the end the less time consuming method would be to sand all existing paint off and start at square 1. Here is a link to some super easy to use and fuel proof paints. The page is of the clear but they sell colors and primer as well. The airplane pictured had it's cowl, canopy and wheel pants painted with this system



http://www.66autocolor.com/Spray_Max...pm-3680061.htm

Rudolph Hart

As you can see there are lots of different ways to go about it.

A poster here recommends spraying 2k clear over acrylic paint.This is almost never done because the clear eventually peels off in a major fashion.

drac1

My Feedback: (4)

I have a model that I painted this way over ten years ago. Hundreds of flights later and no peeling whatsoever. That's using 30% Nitro as well.
Just because you say it doesn't work, doesn't mean it doesn't.

Rudolph Hart

Hi mate.The nitro content does'nt matter much with most 2k clears.I was talking about the amount of solvent that gets trapped under the clearcoat and gets popped off.

drac1

My Feedback: (4)

I let it dry for at least 2 warm days in the sun before clear coating . I don't paint if it's cold as I paint outside.
It is a very light method too. My 2 meter pattern ship fuse, 4 colour scheme only added 4 oz's for paint. Including the clear coat.

dakoris73

Hey Guys;
I just thought I would post this update on my progress on my plane. I appreciate all of the suggestions that have been posted, and after doing some initial light sanding to see how deep the gummy paint went and it appeared that this went down to the wood through most of the front of the plane. I've finally sanded down the majority of the plane, taking off the initial top layer of paint, and have filled in some of the areas that were the most gouged and deepest penetrations. The sanding is almost done and the finish is almost smooth enough to begin to repaint this plane again. I'm still not too familiar with how the auto paints work, but still looking into this option. I've also looked at the possibility of using Lustrecoat to spray the plane, and possibly get this ready to fly sooner......... I'll update this post as I get closer to my decision and prepped to paint.

jester_s1

I can tell you that Lusterkote does work, and it will be a hard an glossy finish when you're all done. However, it's a pain to use because it comes out of the can so thin, and it will be expensive. Even the primer doesn't get opaque until 4-5 coats because the stuff is so thin. So for a .40 size plane I'd expect at least 3 cans of primer and 4 more of color to finish the job, and then if you want it glossy you'll need probably 6 cans to be able to build up a thick enough layer to be able to polish it.

dakoris73

Jester -- thank you for the heads up on the LustreKote and the possible costs involved with using this. I didn't realize that it might be this costly as I've never painted a plane before...... Guess I may have to rethink the options on this, and maybe take a closer look at the auto body paints to see how these might work..... I'll post updates as I get this all figured out.

sensei

The automotive base coat/clear coat systems will be by far the most costly to use, but can yield a show finish that will last for many years once you become proficient using these systems.

Bob

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Take a look at the Klass Kote two part epoxy paints. and compare the prices. KK is high dollar too but it is easy to use and bullet proof when your finished.

jester_s1

The user "scale only for me" has talked about using Systems 3 water based poly on glow planes several times. It should come out cheaper than either Lusterkote or KlassKote, and you have the option to just go with a basic "get color on it and fly" finish or to clear coat it to really make it shine. I'd message him and see how much paint he's had to use before with his projects and any tips he has for using it. One really big plus is that since it's water based it won't attack anything that you spray over like Lusterkote will, but of course there could still be adhesion issues with an unknown base.