That is good info Dean. Do you use the 3M respirator? what is the part number? Or you use supplied Air??

http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3...glJCKBBMVJWQbl

Srekar,

I don't have the original bag that it came in, but I do use the 3M Organic Vapor respirator that I got from my local Auto Color paint store. They have two versions one that is disposable for about $20 and one with replaceable cartridges for about $30, the replacement cartridges are about 8 bucks. The only number on the mask is 6001. But it is labeled as the "3M Organic Vapor" they sell the same exact mask at home depot or lowes but it was almost 10 bucks cheaper at the professional auto paint store.

These masks only provide the minimum protection. If you are painting inside you need plenty of circulation, an exhaust fan to keep pulling the overspray out is needed. You will be standing in a cloud of paint without it. Also get the full on paint suite, with hood and booties (less than 10 bucks at the paint store), I also where latex gloves when I paint. goggles are a good ideal as this paint effects your eyes too.

The hvlp guns minimize overspray and your exposure.

The link is correct that is what I am using in this picture.

You guys should get a laugh, but here I am with MiniJet in hand shooting base white on the Red Plane last summer.....

I also work part time as an Easter Bunny during the holidays

enjoy

These pictures are a little divergent from painting, but I just had to show them because they are such cool shots. There is a heck of a lot of work represented here, and I enjoyed almost every minute of it

Anthony
NSRCA #759

Good stuff!

I actually had to take some time and CLEAN my shop yesterday. it had gotten unbearable. I ain't gettin a toothbrush out on the baseboards or anything, but JEEZ I can make a mess in a hurry.

Now I need to get my camera back up and operating...

-Mike

PS Anthony if you need another one you know where to get it [8D]

WOW!!!!!!!!


gary

Hi Dean,

I know this might be stepping ahead just a little but what do you use to buff up the clear coat on your models?

Cheers
Jason.

Hi Jason,

I am using PPG 2002 clear coat. it's a slower curing high solids clear which wet sands, buffs and polishes really well.

First I wet sand the clear with 2000 grit, then buff with a small 3" pneumatic buffer using a foam buffing pad, I use 3M Perfect-it Buffing compound and 3M Finesse-it polishing compound. The 3M products are a bit expensive but work very well. The 3M products are available at your local professional auto paint store.

There is an art to clear coating. With the PPG 2002 and a good air gun you can get a perfect gloss without buffing - but when you spend the time buffing/polishing it will really shines and make your colors look really deep - I am reducing the 2002 with 50% reducer.

what part of Australia are you from?

cheers mate!

Dean

a quick update...

It's been a bit too cold here the last week to do much priming - It's been below freezing for a week I guess. I am back on finishing the base sanding on the fiberglass base and should get my rimer rolled out later. I post some pics soon.

G'day Dean,

Thanks for the info. I take it the paint you're using is 2-Pack?

To answer your question, I'm from western Sydney.

Cheers
Jason.

HI Jason,

I am using PPG DCC and DBC paints - the DCC is a single stage but I am clearing it so it's really a 2-stage in this application. The DBC is designed as a 2-stage (base coat - clear coat). I also have some really cool 3-stage PPG Vibrance paints that I will be using on the VF3.

It's going to be primed in PPG K-36 primer. I just finished sanding the fiberglass base - 150 grit works the best and has a great cut- I finished it with a little 220. It's cold out side about 39 F. Too cold to prime, I did my sanding out side and it was uncomfortable, we've got winds gusting to 20 mph here....

My wife and I spent 3 months in Australia in 2005 about a full month in Sydney. Really enjoyed your country mate. Here's a couple shots of the beaches north of Sydney and Bondi Beach...

We really want to go back soon....

Dean

Just weighed the the plane in the fiberglass base at this stage of sanding and I am at +2.6 oz - way better than I ever imagined. and after inspection I have just a little more sanding to do. it's not going to be into the 50's (F) until the weekend so. she may just rest until then.

So if I can go into primer at +2.5 oz then I am thinking primer and glaze could add about another 1 1/2 oz - well I would be very happy with that.

I took off a lot of weight sanding the microballons with the 150 grit....

I'm interested to see how much it takes to fill the weave and get it smooth enough for paint from this point. if you can do it with 1.5 ounces, you're definitely onto something. That's ambitious but doable I think. The question will be pinholes and how thirsty that weave is. if it's solid, you da man!!!!!

And if not, you're still way ahead of the curve. primer can be really heavy. I wonder how mixing in a slurry of microbaloons with the first primer coat would work, to fill the weave? That's about the only thing I haven't tried that I theorized may work.

yeah it's cold. It's a shop/sanding/sheeting day for sure [8D]

-M

The last couple planes where I rolled on the primer I seemed to not have a single pinhole. I was able to sand off 85% percent of the first coat of primer. and sprayed a second primer coat and not a pinhole appeared.

So I am thinking I may try rolling on one good coat of primer - sand it all off and go right to a medium coat of white DCC base sprayed on with my minijet. Just a thick enough coat of white to get an even coat, wet sand that with 600 - and start shooting color.....

if it works....it doesn't get any lighter than that! I will put the popcorn in the microwave, keep us informed

-M

On my last pattern ship I used automotive laquer, and used the primer to fill the weave, the unfortunate thing is that the paint shrinks, and so does the primer.


After filling the weave with a heavy coat of primer that was sanded off, she was baby's bottom smooth, but now, 5 months down the track, you can see weave in certain spots. woe is me.

that's the thing about automotive laquer, but urethanes shrink some too, there are more solids in the DCC paint that we are using than almost any other. I have been told that DCC paint have the most solids and is one of the heaviest paints available. My paint store guy was surprised and impressed that we are even using DCC because of the weight issues... I think he told me the Omni line has less than half the pigment solids that DCC has.

So maybe the shrinkage issue is not so bad with DCC in a 2 - stage application. Plus you can help hide the weave with an extra coat of clear and wet sand it. Clear coat is designed to help hide surface defects and the stuff I use sands really well.

Mike will reply too, but if you can see just a very faint weave that is a good thing, that is what you want - as you know you sanded the plane well. and it's a very light paint job.

Omni is not even close to the product the DCC concept type paint is. Ask Bryan Hebert about the white LOL (That could get me shot right now...)

The beauty of concept vs omni (for instance) is exactly what Dean describes...more pigment so less of the paint is needed. Less paint equals less weight and less chance of a run or sag. Yeah it costs a lot more. But is it worth it? Personal preference. I vote yes on my personal planes.

However there are literally hundreds of paint formulations out there. if you are inexperienced, stick with what works: concept. (See all disclaimers about ventillation, protection, respiration etc). But it's the easiest there is for what we do. if you have some experience and confidence, try something new...like the HOKs, Auto air water based colors, nelson paints, klass kote, SEMs, you name it....but if in doubt, use a GOOD reliable clear coat unless you are running electric. All it takes is one stray piece of gravel to ruin your plane.

I like to see the weave slightly when my plane is done. And I do mean a hint, not looking like a shirt or something. When it gets in the sun more of the weave will show, but you have to get really close to see it. If you use a good polish and wax and buff it out nicely after the clear, it lasts a lot longer and it JUMPS out. It looks soaking wet and 10 feet deep. And weighs practically nothing.

Practically that is....

-M

Oh beleive me I have that finish, strangely enough the weave only shows up on my my white panels, but the metallics are joyous bits of kit with a well cut clear coat.

Does anybody have any pic's they can post of the servo compartment on how the servo's are installed,I am more concerned about the Elevator servo mounting. I am wanting to mount the Elevator to were the arm is stright up an down.Servo needs to lay flat, with that dobne it looks difficult to install the 4 servo mounting screws.

Wendell,

I'll get some pics of my VF3 with the DEPS setup. You can offset the servo slightly to one side so that the arm is in the middle and get the same affect. Works fine, no problems..no reason to worry about mounting the servo on the side.

Mike might even have some of these,

Arch

Here are a couple pics of what I came up with for the DEPS. I went an installed the servo on the side. The only problem which is not much is when the servo needs installed or removed are the servo screws. I will have to use the button head type along with an allen wrech. I will use this type setup on all my planes.

Mike, question for you about film coating the fuse. How do you handle the transition between the cowl, which is c/f and film on the balsa body?

<<The only problem which is not much is when the servo needs installed or removed are the servo screws. I will have to use the button head type along with an allen wrench. I will use this type setup on all my planes.>>

A solution to this is to make the servo mount itself removable. The screws for the mount could then be oriented vertically for easy servo removal.

Paint the cowl as you would if you were painting the whole airplane. Tape it off at the rear of the glass, but make sure to sand and fill the gap nicely.

Now just overlap the monokote about 1/4". You have to be careful...it has to be stuck down GOOD, without burning it. It's not too hard but you have to pay attention.

This makes a seam there. Answer? Graphics. The prototype was done this way. It's an artist's trick, you simply divert the attention away from that ugly seam and onto the pretty graphics. And no I've never had a problem with the seam coming loose.

That's all there is to it.

-Mike