Interesting conversation today

[RC Storick]

OK I'll let the cat out of the bag. I had an interesting conversation with John Brodak last night and today. We did not talk politics at all we talked model airplanes. The first thing we talked about was dope. When I was a kid I used some Randolph dope and didn't much care for it. I mostly used Aero Gloss,I expressed this to John. We talked the differences in dope meaning toluene base and MEK base (the latter meaning Aero Gloss) He said that he would send me a sample. I am going to hold off painting my Satona till all the dope he is sending me to try. I will use it and give a unbiased report back to all. He had stated it had been re-formulated and I would like it.

[Mike Clark]

Hi Sparky,
You are going to love the Brodak Dope products.

Mike Clark

[Bill Sawyer]

Robert, 

          Was there any date given as to when the paints were reformulated and was there any discussion of compatibility with the different formulas?

[RC Storick]

Robert, 

          Was there any date given as to when the paints were reformulated and was there any discussion of compatibility with the different formulas?

I was not given dates. However I asked a question about the fuel proof problem. John said something to me that made allot of sense. Dopes are lacquer base (TRUE) and none are impervious to NITRO. As I thought of this he is right. If your put raw fuel on Urethane it will eat that too. It just depends on how long you leave the fuel sit there.

The only paint that I know of that is impervious to NITRO is SUN FIRE made by Sherwin Williams.

[Leester]

Sparky: Last year while flying my RSM Ringmaster I nosed it in doing a lazy eight. I got 10% nitro raw fuel all over my Brodak finished plane. I didn't get all of it wiped off till later that day, and more leaked from the tank onto the plane. It DIDN'T hurt my finish one bit.
  Your milage may vary but as far as I'm concerned there is no problem with it's fuel proof ability.
   
 

[peabody]

One of the famous Toms that hail from this area allowed as how, after trying Brodak dope, he would pour everything else on his wood pile.

[Ted Fancher]

I believe I can vouch for the current formulation re its fuel proofness.   My Tucker Special which was built for VSC 11 was my first paint job with Brodak paints.  It did, in fact, have some problems around the front end and as it sits on the wall now the paint is pretty much gone from the area around the intake and there is some staining around the fuel filler tubes.

On the other hand I just finished painting my Ruffy (with more recently urchased Brodak paints) a month or so ago and flew it at VSC with 15% nitro fuel.  I made no particular effort to keep the fuel from contacting the paint, just the usual amount of care you would take to insure you don't spill a tankfull all over it.  There appears to be no deterioration in the area that was badly damaged on the Tucker.

My only caution for taking this as gospel was that I used Randolph's clear bought in bulk from Aircraft Spruce for the clear coats but it is my understanding that that is the base for all the Brodak dopes. 

Ted