How does one prepare Master Air Screw glass-filled nylon props for painting the tips so the paint doesn't flake off when they encounter grass? (Yeah, I know. Keep it on the runway!) But other than that?

Chuck.

Grass?? What's that? All we have are tumbleweeds and small bushes at the edge of our field. The desert dust (sand + stones + dirt) chews up the prop too, not just the paint. I use Testor's White Enamel from the small square bottles and it seems to work OK. [8D]

I just use rubbing alcohol to make sure they're clean. Nothing will prevent chips from prop strikes, but grass shouldn't chip the paint. It's up to the dirt to do that! Choosing a paint that has a flexible dry film helps, but I don't bother. I use cheap nail polish, tips are easy to touch up.

J

I use rust-oleum in the small can. The one you can brush on. I figure by the time the paint chips off the prop should be re-balanced anyway.

I'm an old fart so I still use dope. After you've taken off the sharp edges with the back of a #11 Xacto blade, take the shine off the tips with 400 grit. Thin the dope down about 30-50% with acetone in a small mixing cup. Dip the tips and wick off the excess on a paper towel. I prefer yellow, but it works best with a base coat of white. The nice thing about dope is that it doesn't add much weight and the acetone bonds well with the the plastic of the Master props.

There's no way to avoid chewing up the tips on a grass field, but dope and acetone can keep your tips in shape without having to rebalance the prop every week.

I first balance the prop, then prepare like JGspeed, and then mask off the area to paint and rebalance. I use Lustercoat out of a spray can, several coats, about a minute apart. Then re-check balance.

If you set it up so the mask doesn't change the balance then you can be sure your painting won't throw it off.

Mine do not flake off, but they do wear and get a little greenish after awhile! Somebody else must be borrowing my airplanes.

I like to paint a pretty big proportion of the blade, not just the tips. It looks good when the prop is spinning.

Jim

Rustoleum Epoxy Appliance paint in the spray cans work really well and resists scuffing a lot better too. MM

Raid the wife's or girlfriend's (or both) nail polish basket and apply nice even coats. Looks & works great! I even bought some at the dollar store... with a disguise on. I figured since I had the disguise on I might as well grab a couple of the metal nail files - 100 grit sanding sticks with a plastic grip for 25 cents each? you bet.

De-bur area to be painted. Clean area. Mask off the area with masking tape. Apply polish. Remove tape when tacky. Blow dry/cure with heat gun - not too much heat now!

Balance prop with CA finger-smears. It gives your finger an exoskeleton for a few days but it can be removed with the nail files you just purchased.

check for balance and identify light blade and then paint that one only, rechecking for balance. Might be necessary to paint both tips. I use white/yellow paint for plastic models - generally stays on OK.

John

I use rustolem...tape off the ends..rough up the area with sand paper..clean with alcohol...prime it, paint it, then use a clear coat...then i balance the prop..by removing material from the trailling edge from the heavy side