I have been away from the hobby for a few years, and I don't see two part epoxy paint in stores anymore. K & B or Hobby Poxy are both absent.

I have a fair amount of Hobby Poxy on the shelf, but I don't have any thinner.

Is lacquer thinner a suitable substitute ? The Hobby Poxy can lists the contents having MIBK, and Xylol, which I assume are the solvents / thinners. I think Xylol is Xylene, and perhaps MIBK is Methy - - Ketone or something ? I think I have a can of MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) around the house that I could try. Xylene I have had, but would probably find it hard to get these days, as alot of solvents are now controlled.

Thanks

Your EPA has effectively done away with both K & B Superpoxy and Hobby Poxy paints. If I were to go with any thinner I think I'd try the MEK (methel ethel keytone). Let us know how it goes.

I have used Martin Senour #3094 acrylic laquer thinner with K&B and Hobby Poxy. It works most of the time. I have had the paint curdle if I use too much thinner. I use about 1 part thinner to 1 part paint and 1 part caralyst.

The K&B thinner is still available from www.modelengine.com
Click on the K&B engines tab then on accessories then on Ultra Poxy look for 8120 thinner.

Hal

Do an RC Universe search for Hobbypoxy/Superpoxy thinners. Sometime back in a similar thread someone posted the exact replacement reducers and where they could be bought. Didn't think at the time to write it down!

There was some info about a year ago on RCU, and I printed it out in case I had an attack of CRS.....
You can get a very good catalyst for these paints from:
Norm Douthit Aero
167 W. 49th St.
San Bernardinao, CA 92407
888-811-2232 or 909-883-2232

The product is Epoxy Primer Catalyst, part # EP-430

I called them....very pleasant to work with.....and ordered a quart which I split with my buddy. I can report it works as well if not better than the original K&B or Hobby Poxy catalyst.

The gentleman posting this info also said that Sherwin-Williams Auto Acrylic Lacquer Reducer works fine for thinner.

So--there ya go!

Clair

Clair,

The catalyst you are mentioning would replace the part B Hobby Poxy Correct?

The part B is the next thing I will run out of.

I had heard that lacquor thinner / reducer would work as thinner, but I haven't tried it yet. I'm still a couple of weeks away from using the paint. I have some Dupont on the shelf, but I also contacted Pettit Paint company to ask them if they had a recommended substitute for the Hobby Poxy thinner. It turns out they still make two part Epoxy paints for boats and they tell me to use Pettit 97 thinner available at most marine supply stores. I checked the West Marine web site and they carry it for about $8 per quart; so my current plan for thinner is to get the pettit stuff.

It would likely turn out that many solvents would work OK as thinner, but may effect how well the mixed paint brushes out or sprays on. In reading the Hobby Poxy "paint tips" brochure I have had around for years, they talk about solvent trapping - probably if the solvent is too slow to evaporate. We know that wouldn't be the case with lacquor thinner, but might be with say alcohol or a slower evaporating solvent.

The use of the catalyst from Norm Duhit Aero is great information to have as I'll bet there are thousands of cans of part A Hobby Poxy sitting around on modelers shelves.

Thanks !

Sincerely,
Ned

I shot a lot of that paint a long time ago. I always used MEK to clean it up. Worked better than anything else. Other stuff looked like it was working, but the guns never got clean. Good paint. Wish it was still around

Yes, the catalyst I mentioned replaces the part B, but I forgot some additional information: it was about $15 a pint, BUT the mix with it is 2 parts color (Part A) to 1 part catalyst, rather than the old 1 to 1 ratio we used to use. So a pint does what a quart used to do. I have used it at this recommended ratio and it works fine.

The info on the Petit thinner is good to know too.

Clair