Automotive Base/Colors

[Zuriel Armstrong]

True to the hobby I am trying to complete and airplane to fly in Dallas Fathers Day weekend.  I have seen much written about auto clears but very little regarding the base and color coats.  What is the best types of paints (Brands) and how much time between colors.  I will have the airplane ready for colors by Sunday night and need all the help I can get.

Thanks very much in advance.

[Paul Taylor]

Hey Zuriel,
You may want to tap Arlan or Kreth. The Shark looks good.

[Oregon_Flyer]

Hi Zuriel,

Both Robert and Randy Powell have a lot of experience with paint other than the dope most of us use.  Also Bill Little is no slouch either.  From what I have seen posted here Robert and Randy use 2 part clears almost exclusively.  Perhaps an email to Robert is in order, or post your request in the building tips section of this forum.

Marv

[Bill Little]

True to the hobby I am trying to complete and airplane to fly in Dallas Fathers Day weekend.  I have seen much written about auto clears but very little regarding the base and color coats.  What is the best types of paints (Brands) and how much time between colors.  I will have the airplane ready for colors by Sunday night and need all the help I can get.

Thanks very much in advance.

Z-man,

I use Dupont Chroma Base for the colors and Chroma Clear for the clear.  It ain't cheap, but I have painted three planes from one pint can of color and have some left, enough to do at least one more 35 size plane.  It takes about 4 mixed ounces to paint an Argus with the light green all over.  That's one to one paint to "basemaker", so 2 oz. of paint.  I mix up about 6 at a time, and what isn't used I cap tightly in 2 oz. jar to use as touch up.

The Clear has a hardner added so it sets up after about 4 hours in the mixing cup. 

The colors are just about ready to tape off for the next color as soon as you are finished sparying it.  I painted all four colors on an Argus and clear coated it in one Saturday.  That's th eone I posted on SSW a while back.  It's on the PAMPA site under District 4 pictures.

Bill <><

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Thanks Bill.  There is a Dupont Auto Paint store just down from where I work.  I guess if I have the paint to do three planes I need to get busy.

[Bill Little]

Hi Z-Man,

One think about the base coat colors.  You cannot put any dope over the raw colors.  it turns it into peanumt butter! 

The clear, however has never reacted to dope.  I have NO CLUE as to why you can put dope over the clear and not over the base colors.  This is for repair work purposes. 

I found out on my Argus that dope would not go over the colors, but it always will go over the clear.

Bill <><

[RC Storick]

Because the clear is catalyzed and the color is not.

[Bill Little]

Because the clear is catalyzed and the color is not.

Makes sense to me! 

[frank carlisle]

Z-man,



  I painted all four colors on an Argus and clear coated it in one Saturday.  That's th eone I posted on SSW a while back.  It's on the PAMPA site under District 4 pictures.

Bill <><

This ARGUS Bill?

[Bill Little]

This ARGUS Bill?

That be's the one!
  

Mint green, dark green, red, and gold.

[Bill Little]

I have that one just about repaired.  Needs a little "finish" work done, repainting and such.  I now have my canopy mold back and some canopies, so the plane can get back into the air!  Plug went south at the intersection of the square eights as I was going vertical from the outside, inverted.  I can't run as fast as  used to! 

[frank carlisle]

Are the colors dope or auto paint?

[Bill Little]

Are the colors dope or auto paint?

Colors and Clear are Dupont "Chroma system" Chromabase/Chromaclear.  The colors were dry enough to remove the tape as soon as I would be finished spraying them!  Never have fully rubbed out the clear...........

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Bill,

That's a beautiful Argus.  I will have the wings and fuse covered tonight and will be ready for paint on Wednesday.  I hope to fly it before driving to Dallas on Friday.  I was reading an "Old" stunt news today and it mentioned your flying the Zero for it's first flight on an official.  Must have been fun.  I really want ti fly this one before my first official since I haven't flown in about a month and a half.

[Bill Little]

Bill,

That's a beautiful Argus.  I will have the wings and fuse covered tonight and will be ready for paint on Wednesday.  I hope to fly it before driving to Dallas on Friday.  I was reading an "Old" stunt news today and it mentioned your flying the Zero for it's first flight on an official.  Must have been fun.  I really want ti fly this one before my first official since I haven't flown in about a month and a half.

That was the prototype Zero I built for Brodak's.  Mike had done a pencil drawing of the fuselage and stab/elev.  It used the regular Warbird wing with different tips, so I felt it would be a good flyer.  I had an older OS 35S on it wit a tank that worked, so what the heck!  Pull test, set the needle and go fly an official!  Fortunately it was pretty good off the board.   

I wouldn't suggest that sort of thing as an everyday occurance! 

But it was fun.

Bill <><

[john e. holliday]

I myself after building several of the warbird series of Brodak's, would say I would have no qualms of doing an official first flight with one of them.  So far each one has flown the same as the others.    DOC Holliday

[Bill Little]

I myself after building several of the warbird series of Brodak's, would say I would have no qualms of doing an official first flight with one of them.  So far each one has flown the same as the others.    DOC Holliday

HI Doc,

As you know, the original Warbirds designed by Mike Garmon all use the same slightly reduced Green Box Nobler wing and same basic moments.  Trimming seems to run pretty easy if they are built straight and within a resonable weight range.

I did need a slight handle bias to even the insides and outsides for my second official, but that's just due to me! 

That old Zero was the best flying profile I have had to date.  Just hit a good combination right off the bat!

Bill <><