Since we cannot buy K&B or Hobby Poxy paints and the only other manufacturer is Chevron,where can I purchase fuel proof paints in 8 or 16 oz. containers. It seems Chevron does not supply their full line of Paints to Tower Hobbies or Sheldon's and they (Cheveron ) will not respond to E mail or FAX quires.
I am in the final stages of completing a Bristol Beaufighter which requires a Med. Slate Gray( upper surface) and Sky color(lower surface) scheme. In addition it will have the black and White invasion strips. All colors will be dull or matt.
Is there any one who can direct me to a source that can supply fuel proof paints in matt surface,either here in the states or even overseas. I look forward to a response and thank you, Don Panek

I recently faced this problem when finishing my Nieuport 28. I used to love K&B Superpoxy, but that's gone, and their Ultrapoxy is lousy IMO. I ended up doing my seven color camo with Rustoleum, available at most hardware stores in a variety of colors that can be mixed to match just about anything. Very fuel proof, and non-catalyzed, so you can dump it back in the can when you're done. It's a little slow drying compared to the K&B, but not that bad. The finish, at least on my fabric, is more satin than gloss. I suppose you could spray flattner over it if too glossy.

Hag

I had heard that Rustoleum spray paint is fuel proof. Are we referring to the regular Rustoleum spray enamel in the spray cans or some thing different?

Hello,

Regular Rustoleum paint is model airplane fuel (alcohol/intro based) proof, all except silver. There might be other metallic colors that could give you problems but I have no experience with those. Keep in mind that the drying time (gas out so that it can be sanded) is much longer with this product then K&B or Hobby Poxy. Epoxy based is about 24 hours and Rustoleum takes about week. When I did my DH-1 Chipmunk, the cowl was done in Bright Yellow Rustoleum which matched the Monokote cover fairly well and the flat black antiglare panel adhered to the cowl and Monokote with out a problem. I have used a variety of Rustoleum paints on other models and have no complaints, just prepare yourself for a longer drying time.

Don, Contact Clark Industries as he has water base acrylics in the exact colors you need. These work great and when done get some flat clear from Nelsons and fuelproof it. Also British airplanes have more of a semi-gloss finish rather than flat. Don
clarkindustries.on.ca
nelsonhobbies.com

Again, are you talking about Rustoleum bulk, in cans, or spray cans ?

How about gasoline proof ?

I can look up Chervons phone number tonight when I get home. I think I still have it. I like the paint and have used it on several projects. I also have recently bought Clark Industries paint. Its an exterior latex paint that is water base. I painted some roundels with it and it works fine. You have to be patient with the drying thought. Mine took 3 weeks until the "rubbery" feel left the paint. I plan on using it to paint my P-47. I would add that the blue he supplies for the roundels does not match my color chips from the RAF Museum. His blue is too light according to all my sources. I darkened it by adding a black paint tint purchased from Home Depot. Regards BobH.

Rustoleum paint

I have used rustoleum on my last 3 planes and 2 boats. I use the cans and thin with mineral spirits per can directions to spray. I have gotten very good results with it. I would not say that it is fuel proof though. It is resistant to raw fuel, but I have seen staining (on white) from exhaust residue that dripped onto a heli canopy that I also painted with rustoleum. I have used the spray cans, but was not pleased with this as I don't think it dries as hard as paint from a can does. I also let it dry for at least a week before touching it. Even then I see marks in the surface from my plane holder and from the fuselage where it sits on the wing.
Hope this helps.
Keith

One source for colour matched paints I have found helpful is a finish supplier to the cabinet trade. The guys at the local shop are very helpful and wizards at matching finishes. They don't mind dealing in small quantities such as we use either. For my last project I used a two part polyurethane put out by Chemcraft International. This is available in various sheens and infinite colours. The catalyst can be very hard or softer as used for exterior applications. Prices were reasonable - less than hobby paints.

PPG Concept automotive paint is fuelproof without a clearcoat. It is available in smaller quantities and in custom mixed colors from Radio South. This paint can be wetsanded or taped in less than an hour of cure time. Great stuff.

The Charles River RC site has a table showing the "mix" for PPG paints to match Ultracote and Monokote colors:

http://www.charlesriverrc.org/articl...paintmatch.htm

--Bill

Don, why not use Testors spray enamels? The are both FS 595 and BS matched. So "exact RAF colors" is not a problem. I shot two layers of the Monocote clear over a blue/white F-6F and it still looks good 4 years later of hard flying.

HTH
Tom

I have about 25 cans of K&B paint in various colors. It's all about 7 years old. What I have left is all in unopened cans. What's the shelf life of this stuff and do you think it's any good at this point?

Most probably yes! What colors do you have and do you want to sell it?