solartex painting
 

I have made a discovery covering my 1/4 DR1. Painting using Acrylic Enamel Craft Paint from Wally World works great. The clear Enamel Spray paint found in the Wally World paint department will spray over the latex without making it run. This paint is only $ 0.98 per can! This clear coat WILL NOT stand up to gas, but WILL stand up to 10% glow fuel. I let the glow fuel stand overnight on this and it just wiped off. To bad I am using a gas engine!

Hope this helps someone else though,

JEB:D

RE: solartex painting
 

Hi BPS read your remarks regarding using clear Wally spray over solartex. I have been looking for a clear to put over solartex that does not turn yellow such as most urethane clear do . Have you noticed a yellow cast over say---- white . would like to know .Thx Bob D.

RE: solartex painting
 

I am sorry that I can not address this issue. I just found this looking for an inexpensive spray for my project. Testing should be done to deturmin this effect. I would doubt that this spray would yellow as it is an enamel, not a urethane. Yellowing seems to come with the territory with urethanes.

JEB:D

RE: solartex painting
 

Top Flite LusterKote clear works great on Solartex and will not yellow. It's an acrylic lacquer, and if you've painted the Solartex with anything else you need to test for compatability with the LusterKote first. It comes in a high gloss and a flat; the flat comes out more of a matte finish. It works great over latex paint, and of all the fuel resistant and fuel proof paints I've tried, it seems to hold up the best. This stuff is fuel proof to 15% nitro or better, I haven't had it break down on any of my planes in 3 years. It's also very fast drying; a misted coat can be handled in about 15 minutes, a heavy coat in less than an hour.

RE: solartex painting
 

Lusterkote is lacquer based, Ultracote is enamel based. I have used both over Solartex with no problems (or so far, no yellowing). You can use enamel over lacquer, but not the other way.

FWIW - Water base polyurethane (Minwax Polycrylic) does not yellow with age. HOWEVER, the waterbase poly is fuel RESISTANT, not fuel proof. My experiences with the polycrylic have shown the following:

Let the final clear coat sit on the plane for at least 7 days before exposing to fuel.

As long as the residue doesn't sit on the finish longer than 4 hours you are OK. After about 5 -6 hours the wipe cloth starts to "drag" as the finish is softened up some. After cleaning (when softened) the polycrylic hardens up again.

As long as you adhere to the above caveats, you should have no problems with the polycrylic.