billinpa

I want to repaint an old Hobbico Starfire someone gave me years ago. It flys great, looks awful. The owner clear coated the fuse over bright orange paint and the surface is very gummy as is the tail section, right side especially. I have a TT 46 BB w/ a 10-7 MAS. Any tips how to remove this sticky gummy junk and what's a good durable fuel proof paint? Spray epoxy paint? Rustoleum?
Thanks.

Bill

TomCrump

What type of surface is the clear coat sprayed over ? If paint, anything that will remove the gunk will remove the paint, too.

jester_s1

It may be more trouble than it's worth. If you scrape and sand the gummy clear coat off, you will probably find that the base color has been damaged too. And if that's the case, since you don't know what it was painted with originally, you don't know what will be compatible with it. So the base color will need to come off too. What will probably make more sense is to remove the covering entirely and start over with Sig Koverall or Stits fabric and then paint using a known fuel proof paint. Butyrate dope is the traditional choice, and it's light and looks good. Nelson's or Systems 3 water based polyurethane with the crosslinker added is a good option too, especially since it doesn't smell and the reducer for it comes from your kitchen faucet. And Klass Kote epoxy paint has served the hobby well for years as the most durable option.

Rodney

While quite expensive, the most foolproof and long lasting finish would be Klass Kote. That is a two part epoxy paint which you can either spray or brush on. It flows out so well, brushing it on leaves no brush marks so you do not need a sprayer. It is as close to a permanent fuel proof finish as you can get as well as being very durable.

jester_s1

And it's worth mentioning that going with Klass Kote now is considerably cheaper than using the wrong thing and having to do the whole job over.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Anything you use to remove the gummy stuff will remove the paint too but if your going to repaint anyway try using acetone, it has worked for me a time or two. Once it's gone and the old paint is sanded then Klass Kote paint, it's bullet proof and easy to work with. The price is a bit stupid to say the least but I really like the stuff.