Painting

[Rotten]

Do you have to cover a plane with silkspan first before painting or can you just paint over the wood?

[Rotten]

Thanks Ty, I want to paint my Magnum, However I would like to paint it with PPG automotive Laquer. What should I use to cover the flaps and elevator? I was thinking of using the iron on fabric and painting over that. I do not fly in any competitions but want the plane to be contest worthy. Is dope and tissue compatible with the paint I mentioned? Or should I just do the whole plane in dope?

[Mark Scarborough]

Please be advised that any acrylic laquer (automotive laquer) that I have seen is NOT fuel proof and will require a top coat.

[Will Hinton]

Mark is right, and also the automotive lacquer does not remain very flexible and will eventually begin to develope little checks where the ship flexes. 
Will

[Rotten]

I guess Dope it is. What are some good sources for clear and colored dope besides Brodak. Butyrate or Nitrate? What is the right procedure to do this?  How many coats of clear?  Please help.

[Bootlegger]

  I have had a local auto paint shop mix Lacquer color in to clear dope and used that for color.
 It isn't as heavy as just lacquer, and puttin' in the dope makes it somewhat fuel proof. As fuel proof as dope is...
  Hope that this helps..

[Louis Rankin]

Top Flite dope is the most fuel proof dope that I have ever found.  You can put pure nitro on it with no problems at all.  Thinner and acetone will not harm it either.  The best part, it only takes one coat to fill and hide most wood grain.

[Jim Oliver]

Louis---you're trying to lead us astray!!

Jim

[Zuriel Armstrong]

Lou,

I Googled Top-Flite dope and didn't get any hits...what gives?

[Louis Rankin]

Z,

Try asking "Jeeves", he knows everything.  Or just go to the attached link.  Top Flite has been making dope on a roll since about 1966.

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0095P?FVPROFIL=++&FVSEARCH=monokote

[john e. holliday]

But, that predried dope shows grain once in awhile.  Shows bubbles also if not properly applied.  DOC Holliday

[Will Hinton]

I've always used either Randolph or Cooper when it was easily gotten, Sig is my next choice!  You can usually find the first two at the local airport and I've always been able to purchase it at a more reasonable price than the model suppliers.
Nitrate fills the grain more quickly due to more solids in it, but it ain't fuel proof at all, so you must then apply butyrate over it.  Don't try to apply nitrate over butyrate, it will attack, and it will win!
I like to apply silkspan or carbon veil over the solid areas and of course, the silkspan over open bays.  I stop applying the clear a little before the ship starts to "shine" from it.  That is usually a couple of coats early but the blocking coat usually finishes it off enough that the final color shows no grain or otherwise.  I do most of my sanding (ugh) on the blocking coat, I use platinum grey for that, and then repair the areas where I sand through to the clear.
This is by no means a complete finishing lesson, but it sounds like you needed a place to start so this is quite brief but will supply that starting spot.
Blessings,
Will