Finishing Stage on the new Bandit

[Airacobra]

Oky guys, I am at just about the stage to start putting the finish on my new plane. Traditionally, I have used Sig products, but wanted to try something different this go around. I have always and will continue to use Sig Nitrate as the base coats on my models, but wanted to try something different from the primer on. Any suggestions?

[Crist Rigotti]

If it were me, I'd stick with the SIG products.

[Airacobra]

Crist, Sig I know will work well, but when it is time to shoot the color I have to send the family away due to the odor. I was wondering if there were any alternatives out there with less odor.

[frank carlisle]

ALL PAINT FUMES ARE OBNOXIOUS TO WOMEN......... Except nail polish......GO FIGURE........

[Eric Viglione]

That smell is a good warning that you and your family that you shouldn't be breathing it.  I switched to epoxy, which is pretty low odor, but it's very dangerous to get anything 2 part with a hardener into your lungs, so I shoot out doors with special head gear and still have a fan at my back. Can't be too careful with some of this stuff, even CYA. If you're getting good results and the family just doesn't like the odor, I'd be tempted to stick with what you got and find a better way to ventilate your shop while you paint, or wait until the girls are out getting their nails done... 

BTW - Awesome woodwork and great lines on the Bandit!!!
EricV

[Gordon Tarbell]

What is the diameter of the cowl , what engine, how about the rest of the specs? It is very nice looking ship. I am planning something similar but with a slightly more rotund fuselage.

[Airacobra]

Gordon, the cowl is 4 1/2 inches wide. Years ago Joe Reinhard and I built two Clippers. That was a plane easy to construct and used R/C Radial mounts. Joe of course made a built up wing and I used foam on mine. He powered his with a ST .51 and the plane flew pretty well. Mine used a Merco 61 and then was switched to a ST 60. That plane bit the dust, but got me into Advanced. My Clipper also had a round cowl, as a matter of fact I used the template from the Clipper to build this one. The power in the Bandit will be a Tom Lay tuned ST. 60. I have had really good luck with stock St.60's but I thought I would give Tom's a try on this one. The nose is 10" and the tail moment is 18 1/4". Very similar to the P-39 (Thumper) design I have. The wing panels are each 29/ 1/8" with about an 1 1/2 " tip on them. If my math is right, it comes out to 61 1/4" wingspan.

This whole project started out as a sorta "Critical Mass Sea Fury" That quickly changed when Al did his marvelous job on his Critical Mass. I then got the eraser out and started messing with some stuff. The stab in this is also foam, simply cut a piece of foam 1/2" thick added an 1/8" ply spar and sheeted with 1/32 balsa, super simple.

The paint decision has not been made yet, but I still have some time to make up my mind. Ty, your right, nail polish sticks up the house just as much. I have three girls in my house and one boy. Cole and I don't have a chance!!!!! 

[Crist Rigotti]

Keith,
I understand about shooting dope.  I can't offer much help because all I use is SIG.  Looks like a very nice job you've done.

[Steve Helmick]

Use Dupli-Color spray cans for all the color and top coat. See your local auto parts store.  Steve

[Airacobra]

Steve, tell me more about Dupli-Color. Once I have the Nitrate down, then do I shoot the primer associated with Dupli-Color? Will it need a clear coat of some sorrt over the color?

[PatRobinson]

Keith,
If you are looking for paint with low odor and low harmful VOC's I have 2 sources for you.
Check out  www.nelsonhobby.com     Nelson Hobby Specialties carries a water-thinned paint. There is a epoxy primer in white and grey and  also polyurethane colors and clear top coat. It comes in colors to match most of the iron on coverings and lots of scale colors plus a 190 other colors.

The other source is   www.autoaircolors.com  These folks sell low voc auto paint in a lot of show car colors and but I don't think it is water thinned because they reference a lot of reducers and additives to make their paint
flow and level.  The good news is you can buy their paint in 4 oz., pints & quarts so you buy trim colors in smaller sizes.  There is a lot of color choices.
Auto-Air is sold at dealers around the country so you might find a local source
that could give you advice on selecting and using the product.

Edit: I checked Auto-Air website and it did say their color paint is water based paint but it is to be used under regular urethane clear top coat.

 
                                            Hope this helps'
                                              Pat Robinson

[Bill Little]

Steve, tell me more about Dupli-Color. Once I have the Nitrate down, then do I shoot the primer associated with Dupli-Color? Will it need a clear coat of some sorrt over the color?

Hi Keith,

Did you get my email reply about the Duplicolor?  They now have a "pre-thinned" paint line of lacquers in quart cans.  Maybe $15 a can, and you will still need to thin it some, probably.  It is the "Paint Shop" line of Automotive Lacquers.

Their usual line of Truck Van and SUV big cans of acrylic lacquer is what we used on Aaron's Satana.  Right out of the cans.  It does get brittle over large open bays of silkspan over time if you use it right out of the spray cans, but not too awfully bad.

I clear coat with auto urethane, two part, normally, but Sig Lite Coat Clear I have also shot over it!

[Airacobra]

Bill, I did not see your email, but I will be looking for it. I was hoping you would weigh in here. Thanks for the information, I will be looking into several alternatives. Thanks for the info.

[Steve Helmick]

Mike Haverly is our local Dupli-Color expert, but I pay attention. He starts with clear dope (Certified butyrate, usually), then NAPA spray can lacquer primer (per Sparky), suitable grey Dupli-Color blocking (light or dark, as appropriate for colors), then Dupli-Color spray cans for color and trim, followed by either 2-pack clear topcoat, or more Certified butyrate clear.

Since some spilled fuel ate a lot of the 2-pack clear off the nose of his Ornamental Plus, I don't think he's quite so hot for that stuff anymore. I think it's gotta be a bugger to repair a hole in the silkspan, after using the epoxy topcoats. Maybe Mike will add his thoughts and correct my errors. You can also do a lot worse than just going with Brodak dopes. They're not supposed to smell as bad/long as others, tho the color chips leave a lot to be desired. Repairability is important to me, and ol' fashioned butyrate dope is easiest, but it appears that Dupli-Color is essentially the same thing.  Steve 

[Mark Scarborough]

IIRC Duplicolor is Acrylic laquer. This is NOT fuel proof in my experience. However some say it is. I believe it smells just as bad as our dope personally but thats my sniffer not your wifes... IF my recollection is correct it would need a fuel proof clear so back to the dope or urethanes cataysed product.
as for Acrylic water based, they definetly have their place, I think Randy has some experience with them. the require a different spray technique than normal paints or you can have a disaster!. Again they need fuel proof topcoats.