I have been using both Nitrate and Butyrate dope and their respective thinners for a long time. I think most people who use these products know by now that you can apply Butyrate dope over Nitrate but not the other way around.

Yesterday I found something else interesting in a phone call I made. I had wondered if you had Butyrate dope but no Butyrate thinner could you use Nitrate thinner instead with not adverse effects. So I picked up the phone and called Aircraft Spruce where I buy my Randolph dope and asked them that questions. No one there knew the answer so they gave me the number of Consolidated Aircraft Coverings and I spoke to a tech who didn't know the answer either. OK this might shake your confidence a little but he said if he could put me on hold he would try and find out. Keep in mind these are the people who make the stuff. After a few minutes on hold here is the answer I got. Nitrate thinner is the "Universal" Thinner and it will work with both Nitrate and Butyrate dope. Only Butyrate thinner will work with Butyrate dope.

This might be common knowledge in our hobby but I did not know it and thought I would pass it along in case somebody else didn't.

Mike


"If you are not a liberal at age 20, you don't have a heart. If you are not a conservative at age 40, you don't have a brain".

Sir Winston Churchill

Hey Jim

I posted this on Stunt Hangar also and some guy over there posted that the information I got was exactly backwards and that Butryrate Thinner was the universal thinner according to his contact at Consolidated Aircraft Coverings.  You get all kinds of information on these forums and most of it is very good and helpful, but when you start getting conflicting answers from the manufacturers who make the stuff, that is a real problem.  You could really mess up a project big time.  I know one thing for sure and that the stuff has gotten out of sight on pricing.

Mike

I have been using both Nitrate and Butyrate dope and their respective thinners for a long time. I think most people who use these products know by now that you can apply Butyrate dope over Nitrate but not the other way around.

Yesterday I found something else interesting in a phone call I made. I had wondered if you had Butyrate dope but no Butyrate thinner could you use Nitrate thinner instead with not adverse effects. So I picked up the phone and called Aircraft Spruce where I buy my Randolph dope and asked them that questions. No one there knew the answer so they gave me the number of Consolidated Aircraft Coverings and I spoke to a tech who didn't know the answer either. OK this might shake your confidence a little but he said if he could put me on hold he would try and find out. Keep in mind these are the people who make the stuff. After a few minutes on hold here is the answer I got. Nitrate thinner is the "Universal" Thinner and it will work with both Nitrate and Butyrate dope. Only Butyrate thinner will work with Butyrate dope.

This might be common knowledge in our hobby but I did not know it and thought I would pass it along in case somebody else didn't.

Mike


"If you are not a liberal at age 20, you don't have a heart. If you are not a conservative at age 40, you don't have a brain".

Sir Winston Churchill

Hi Mike,

Have you tried using the nitrate thinner with the butyrate dope?  If you have, did this application work out? I usually buy DuPont thinner but this last time I bought nitrate thinner for the nitrate dope. It would be nice to know how it worked for you. I noticed you posted someone else posted the opposite. Wouldn't be surprised if both of the thinners worked with butyrate. Thanks for the information and your input, Gary

I'll make the standard caution here. You should use what the product was designed to be used with. Butyrate dope should have thinner designed for butyrate dope. That's not to say you can't go down to the local Home Depot and get cheap lacquer thinner and have it work. But it's a crap shoot. Might work, might not or it might work this time and not the next. You pays your money and takes your chances.

Hi Randy,

I believe you're correct, its hard enough to do the paint job correct in the first place. I believe its a lot harder to redo because your trying to skate bye a little cheaper. So I bit the bullet and ordered the correct product. I ordered today and I'll receive the product tomorrow. Can't beat aircraftspruce's service. My wife alway called me a cheap a$$ but she has to remember (can't say I bought and paid for her!!! But I'm still paying?) ha ha. Thanks for your input, Gary