I was doing some searching and found the KBS Diamond Finish clear coat paint.

http://www.kbs-coatings.com/diamondf...clearcoat.html

According to the manufacturer, it's impervious to every solvent in the world, even acetone, it's temperature resistant to 500 degrees, it can be sprayed or brushed, and it's one part so there's nothing extra to buy. The price is right too at $34 a pint ($10 cheaper than Klass Kote). The manufacturer says it cures harder than most 2 part epoxy clears and remains flexible too. I asked them about applying over latex and they said that's a common use for it. Unless I'm missing something, this should be the end all product for clear coating our painted finishes. Unless I hear something negative about it, I think I'll be using it on my next project.

Sounds pretty good. A little on the expensive side considering you can get Ultra Xtreme High Solid Clear for about $74. a gallon with a qt of activator. Mixed with the proper amounts of Reducer and Activator they make about 1 1/2 gal. It needs to be reduced to a 4 parts clear and activator with 1 part reducer.

This is one of the best clear coats I have found. Only other thing you need is Reducer . I have personally used this and I like it.

http://www.paintforcars.com/clearcoat_xtreme.html

Here is what they say about it:

<font size="-1" face="Arial, Helvetica"><font size="-1" face="Arial, Helvetica">For the Ultimate in base coat clear coat automotive finishes, use Xtreme Urethane Clear coat with 1 quart Activator. This true "whitewater" Urethane Medium Solids Clear Coat offers the highest durability and gloss as well as UV protection against fading. Flash dries with activator in only 10-25 minutes.

Urethane Clear Coat offers very high hardness for the ultimate in durability. Can be applied over any single stage or base coat auto paint. Ultra Xtreme Urethane Clear Coat dries to an incredible gloss with no buffing. Mixed with activator 4 to 1 ratio. Compare and save. You can't beat our prices for clear coat and auto paint supplies.</font></font>

Frank

The fact that it can be brushed makes it a lot cheaper for me. For the guys who have invested in spray equipment, a respirator, and have built a spray booth it's certainly not a worry, but for me that's a big deal. I also like that it's just one part. That leaves only one container to store and eliminates a step in the process.

Read the instructions carefully:

<ul> <li class="double">If painting in conditions of high temperature and/or humidity, thin DiamondFinish ClearCoat more than normal to avoid gassing. <li class="double">Do not use UV or bake lights to cure DiamondFinish ClearCoat. <li class="double">DiamondFinish ClearCoat will take 4 days to become hard under normal conditions and will continue to harden over the following weeks. <li class="double">In spray booths, use low air flow and moderate temperatures for curing. <li class="double">DiamondFinish ClearCoat can be cut and polished as a normal ClearCoat after 24 hours under normal conditions.[/list]This product sounds alot like POR-15.

Frank

Yes, it kinda does. I saw that the POR-15 cures by reacting to moisture in the air, which the Diamond Finish also does. Is there a negative you know of with using either of these for model applications?

are you clear coating the exterior of your plane, or just fuelproofing the motorbox area?

I have experience with the POR-15 and have found it to be very heavy, plus it is very toxic (as it states on the can). Otherwise it is very tough and resists chipping. I would probably be great for fuel proof engine and fuel compartments.

Frank

zx32tt - I am looking at it as a clear coat for the whole plane. I'm planning to do a plane in Coverall this winter and am considering latex paint to save some weight and make getting colors easy. Lusterkote attacks the latex so it's out, and I like the convenience of a single part clear.

I'm no chemist, but how can something be "impervious to every solvent in the world"?  It has to have a base, right?  Water-based, oil-based, whatever..... there has to be *something* that'll reduce it, right?  And if the "price is right at $34 a pint" more power to you guys.    If I was building a model to go in a museum and someone else was picking up the tab, that price might be right, but.....  Geez......

Have you priced the two part epoxy or urethane paints lately? This stuff is cheaper than most of them. A pint is enough for at least two .40-.60 size planes IIRC, or one big scale model.

Yes, it does have a reducer for spraying but enamels can't be re-dissolved by the same solvent used to reduce them. Household latex is the same way. You reduce it with water but it doesn't wash off once it cures.

Countilaw- is it the high solids property that makes it heavy? I was thinking that I'd be removing a fair amount of the coating during the polishing process.

Yes it is the high solids of the paint that makes it heavy. In most cases when paint dries the solvent evaporates leaving only the solid pigment behind. You add a solvent to the dries paint, it becomes liquid again.

Much like plastic airplane glue, the acetone evaporates and the glue becomes solid. Mix a little acetone to the glue and it become sticky glue again. Unlike epoxy, or eurathane which must have a catalyst which bonds the molecules together in a chemical reaction.

POR-15 cures by the exposure to moisture, not by evaporation of any solvent.

Sanding some of the mass will reduce weight, but not really enough to make a difference. When you sand, you are really just sanding off the bumps and getting the surfave of the paint level (smooth). A smooth level surface is what makes the paint glossy.

When ever you brush paint, you will leave brush streaks, thus the surface is very rough. With a product like POR-15, the paint goes on so thick and cures so slow, that it flows out to become smooth and glossy, only by the build up of the paint and the leveling effect of the slow cure. That is where the weight comes from. When you sand it, you are only sanding off the bumps and imperfections. Then you have to buff it to remove the micro scratches left by the sand paper.

You really won't sand off much material, therefore you will have a heavy paint job. By spraying paint on, you get a more uniform thickness and glossier surface that requires less sanding.


Frank

It sounds like you really know your stuff. So do you have a recommendation of a clear coat that is better at close to the same price? I don't have spray equipment and certainly don't have the proper booth and respirator to safely spray the really nasty polyurethanes and such. I suppose an auto shop would do it, but I doubt it's cheap.

Just for fun and giggles check with a body shop. Ask them to clear coat your plane when they are doing another job. that way they will use "leftovers" in the gun. It doesn't take much do a medium size plane. Also ask to "go lite" on the paint and explain that weight is the enemy especially at the rear of the plane.

If you have a shop you've been to for your car, they might be more friendly towards you.

Ken

It's definitely worth a try. I haven't had any body work done in about 11 years, but I suppose a box of doughnuts and the offer of a free test flight on the trainer wouldn't hurt would it? If a body man were in the mood to do a favor I could see if being simple enough for him. Leave the plane there and just before or after he does a car he shoot a couple of coats on the plane and charges me for the actual paint he uses. Some would consider it an aggravation to do it but I suppose there are a few who would think it was neat to do it.

I was thinking about it the other day when I was sanding on a cabinet (you know how your mind wanders when you're doing manual labor LOL) and I guess in the grand scheme of things, the price is not that bad when considering the overall cost of a model. Especially a larger scale bird that you've put blood, sweat and tears into. Thanks for the solvent explanation, makes sense. Yes, maybe con an auto body man into joining your club, ideally one who owns his own shop so he won't be chastised by his boss.

Also, what about the local tech school? If they do body work there, they might be willing to do it for some practice on the gun while they're doing a car. You might have to remind them not to be heavy-handed, but they'd probably be more careful than someone whipping something out in a "time is money" mindset. Most of those kids turn out really good work because they still care and there's the "wow" factor people get when seeing one of our birds up close for the first time. Might be worth a shot.<br type="_moz" />

Now that is one heck of a good idea!!!!

Might be a good way to get a "fancy" paint job also, you know flames and all that stuff. As said, remind them to go light on the paint.

Ken

Strange thing about clear. There is no light going with it. You must apply it heavy enough that it flows together and flows out to a nice shiney gloss, yet light enough it doesn't run.

That's why we call it a "controlled run" when apply clear coat to a car.

Napa auto parts carries a paint that is called "Wanda". It is made by Sekkins in Argentina. This is the same paint that is used on the exotic automobiles.

A gallon goes a long way and it's not really expensive. You can also brush it on bare balsa and use it as a sealer.

Frank

Sounds like some handy stuff. So all things considered (especially cost), which paint would you recommend Countilaw? It's a big plus in my mind to be able to use latex as the base because it's cheap and easy, and available in any color we want.

Just drop by your local Napa or Parts Plus auto supple store. Ask the salesman you need a high solids clear with activator.

I made a mistake in the last post, Napa carries Martin Senour, and Parts Plus carries Wanda.

The last time I checked Parts Plus had clear for about $35 a gallon. You can get it in quarts also.

Frank

Any of the automotive clears have to be sprayed though, right? And don't you need a respirator (or whatever it's called) to protect your lungs? I know you're a professional auto man Countilaw but I'm doing this in my backyard. I could see buying a spray gun and can borrow a compressor, but building a paint booth and getting all the safety equipment makes this a really expensive project.

This little item will work for you. You mix your paint and pour it into the glass jar. Then spray your plane like you would with a rattle can.


http://shop.preval.com/collections/preval-sprayer


You also get these at Home Depot.


This is a cheap system to operate. And you can spray latex with it.

Get the 6 oz glass jar and mix your clear with the activator and spray your plane. Let the clear dry for 15 minutes and spray another coat and repeat again for a third coat. Then clean the glass jar with with lacquer thinner and spray some clean lacquer thinner through the system.

Any place that you can spray with a rattle can, you can spray this.

Frank

The little compressors at Harbour Freight are pretty cheap,, like $60, and they have some nice little paint guns with the plastic container on top for about $20.  I have used my assorted ones a lot over the years for planes, and motorcycles, hot rods etc.  You don't need a booth if you do it outside and wear a fairly good carbon filtered mask for about $30 to$40.  A nice dry warm day is good.  I haven't used a paint spray can for many many years.

I've seen the Preval kits and have heard good things. The sprayer really isn't a worry for me though. It's the safety concerns that I was more asking about. If I need a fresh air system for me then I probably should do this in my backyard with neighbors' houses 25 feet away. But if the basic automotive clear isn't hazardous, or at least not hazardous enough to cause a problem with this kind of application, then I'm good with it.

You just to have plenty of fresh air. The hazard comes from being in a closed room such as a garage and it's fogged with over spray.
And breathing this over spray is lethal.. If you are going to paint in a closed room at least use a fan to evacuate the room and wear a carbon filter mask to filter out the particulates and vapors.

Spraymax 2k urethane in a spray can. This is a two part urethane that you activate just before use. You can find it at auto paint stores