Mike, I wrote Barnstormer, not Chizler. I know you used HOK dyes later, but pigment's probably less trouble, easier to clean out of the gun, and not that much weight. Also depends on what you have layin' around the shop vs. got to order, pay shipping (and maybe HAZMAT or ORM?) and wait for it to arrive. I bet Larry has a bit of red dope or can get a bit of red pigment at the local auto paint store.  Steve

No Steve, my Chizler was done with Polyspan and finished with House of Kolors candy apple dye, in this case Orange (Tangerine).  The trim colors were all Randolph and clear coated with Omni two-part clear polyurethane, AKA "death paint".  Unfortunately it had an untimely end at last year's Golden State Championships.

Higgins Fadeproof ink dissolved in Denatured alcohol and sprayed on with a Preval Sprayer (that you never use for another color again). Spray, allow to dry, turn it reversed and spray again.  Keep going 'till you get the color you want.  Then put more of the ink in the thinner you use with the dope.

YES   I think so  I will double check in the morning

Randy  678 407 9376

Yes  I do and I have more than one alternative, stock or PA type

Randy   678 407 9376

First off, I wouldn't suggest silkspan. It tends to split in a few years. Polyspan is the way to go.

As for 'dyed silkspan', you can use just a bit of pigmented dope mixed into clear dope. If I can find the picture of Mike Haverly's Barnstormer, you'll like it. I can't tell the difference, and I've done and seen lots of dyed tissue and done dyed silkspan on my own Mathis Excalibur. You really don't want to do that!!! Well, I found a picture of Ed Ruane's Zilch X. You do not have to make it that opaque. Ed says he uses about 10% pigmented dope/90% clear. Mike said he just added a little orange at a time until it started looking "orange" and started spraying. Spray spanwise, then chordwise, spanwise then chordwise. Don't forget which way you went last, and when you are happy with the tint, stop. And of course, you could use just a little pinch or two of dry pigment from the auto paint store mixed in clear.

Pete Peterson, the master of transparent finishes, uses dye from House of Kolor...I'm sure you've heard of them! If he has a goober in a place that needs to be "clear", he paints that area with balsa colored pigmented dope, then follows with the dyed clear. Call or email him for details, of course. Phone is a bit frustrating, 'cause his hearing is even worse than mine!  Steve

The NW Skyraiders have moved away from our "pull test machine" (our own Bob Emmett designed one of the first "pull test machines" for VSC). Gary Letsinger designed and built the one that we used for some years, but it was a problem to transport. We're now using "bow scales" from Cabela's, one or both hang in our shed at Auburn Municipal Airport, so we can do pull tests during our practise sessions. About $35 each, I believe, and they're easy to use and very easy to transport to other venues.  Steve

My question is how hard is it to make the color look uniform?  If you spay it heavy in one area is it darker (more solid) looking?

Shawn

An example you can see locally is the Imitation Plus series by Larry Wong using yellow Higgins drawing ink in clear dope. Colorfastness seems good several years after application. Not sure how darker colors would hold up. Sprayed over polyspan. No primer. Result is translucent, even transparent, allowing structure to be visible. Of course you need to be a decent builder to pull that off ...

Tom is a great guy with great service.  Never puts a invoice in the package.

He did announce last year at a contest that if you feel you own him money just keep sending him money until the feeling passes.   

I did ask him on my last order if he took PayPal. He said no, cash, check or food stamps.

He's a real funny person.