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Author Topic: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?  (Read 3799 times)

Offline Tim Wescott

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Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« on: August 08, 2014, 03:01:54 PM »
I'm working on a proof of concept beast for my timer project.  It's turned into a flapless profile stunter (I'm using Corehouse wings).

So what's a good finish that I can just slop onto the fuselage and have it be (a) not too heavy, (b) fuel proof, and (c) reasonably long lasting.  Ugly is OK, but cheap is desirable.  If I don't come up with anything else I'll use Polycrylic to stick on some silkspan, give it a few licks with some sandpaper, then brush on Rustoleum.  But I'm open to suggestions.
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Offline Greg McCoy

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2014, 03:05:00 PM »
Spray can epoxy appliance paint.
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Offline Brett Buck

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2014, 03:06:57 PM »
I'm working on a proof of concept beast for my timer project.  It's turned into a flapless profile stunter (I'm using Corehouse wings).

So what's a good finish that I can just slop onto the fuselage and have it be (a) not too heavy, (b) fuel proof, and (c) reasonably long lasting.  Ugly is OK, but cheap is desirable.  If I don't come up with anything else I'll use Polycrylic to stick on some silkspan, give it a few licks with some sandpaper, then brush on Rustoleum.  But I'm open to suggestions.

   I would use Klass Kote, sand it, spray one coat, let it cure, sand it again, put on another coat, good for 25 years. That's more-or-less what I did on the Skyray.

    Brett

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2014, 03:41:03 PM »
Wow just went and looked at the klass kote paint. Big $$$.

If your doing electric why are you needed to fuel proof it?

Unless your maybe doing a hybrid? In that case I would put thinned epoxy in the engine area and just put NAPA gray primer on it.
If you want color use rattle can rust-oleum and maybe a coat of clear  H^^
Paul
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Offline Tim Wescott

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2014, 03:52:31 PM »
Wow just went and looked at the klass kote paint. Big $$$.

If your doing electric why are you needed to fuel proof it?

Unless your maybe doing a hybrid? In that case I would put thinned epoxy in the engine area and just put NAPA gray primer on it.
If you want color use rattle can rust-oleum and maybe a coat of clear  H^^

Who ever said a timer had to only work with electric?
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Online Paul Taylor

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2014, 03:58:12 PM »
Who ever said a timer had to only work with electric?

Well for stunt I think the AMA has a rule against it. I could be so wrong on this.  H^^
Paul
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Offline RC Storick

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2014, 04:39:49 PM »
Zpoxy- prime  DC 540- paint
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Offline Steve Helmick

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2014, 05:12:28 PM »
Well for stunt I think the AMA has a rule against it. I could be so wrong on this.  H^^

Yep, you're wrong. Perfectly legit, and has been for a long time, if not forever.  H^^ Steve
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Offline Tim Wescott

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2014, 05:17:12 PM »
Well for stunt I think the AMA has a rule against it. I could be so wrong on this.  H^^

Not unless I'm missing something big.  We should probably each go off and read the rules.  Again.  Or just believe Steve, because if we don't he'll make us clean his bass boat bilge.

The FAI do not appear to rule out a timer, either, although there's some recent and ambiguous language in there about "pilot-actuated shutoff devices" that may or may not apply to fuel systems that are capable of shut-off loops, and timers that emulate that behavior.
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Offline Mark Scarborough

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2014, 06:09:31 PM »
.5 glass cloth and finishing epoxy,, done deal,,
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Online Paul Taylor

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2014, 06:18:35 PM »
Yea I figured I was wrong.
Maybe it had to with throttles. ???
Paul
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Offline Brett Buck

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2014, 06:36:47 PM »
Well for stunt I think the AMA has a rule against it. I could be so wrong on this.  H^^

   AAARGH! There has never been a rule that outlawed timers in the AMA rules. They were outlawed in FAI for no good reason but that, too, has been removed.

    Brett

Offline Brett Buck

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2014, 06:37:54 PM »
Wow just went and looked at the klass kote paint. Big $$$.

??? It's substantially cheaper than dope.

   Brett

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2014, 06:59:53 PM »
Tim for quick and dirty just mix carpenter's glue 50-50 with water and use that to0 cover the silkspan on the foam.  Then a couple of coats using the same glue.  When it dries hit it with your choice of Rustoleum spray paint. Just hit the body and other parts with the same paint. Works for me! The two Carrier planes in the attachment are still doing well after 5 years.   The grey one is 4 years old and still looks like it did the day I painted it.
Joe

Offline Douglas Ames

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2014, 07:05:47 PM »
Tim for quick and dirty just mix carpenter's glue 50-50 with water and use that to0 cover the silkspan on the foam.  Then a couple of coats using the same glue.  When it dries hit it with your choice of Rustoleum spray paint. Just hit the body and other parts with the same paint. Works for me! The two Carrier planes in the attachment are still doing well after 5 years.  
Joe

Good answer Joe.
Mine would be Minwax Poly and RustOleum Hi-Gloss rattle cans.
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Online Paul Taylor

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2014, 08:40:35 PM »
??? It's substantially cheaper than dope.

   Brett

Well I guess if you include the cost of primer and clear coats then I guess kk is cheaper.
I just looked at the cost of color and dope was cheaper.
Paul
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Offline Howard Rush

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #16 on: August 08, 2014, 10:30:47 PM »
Tim has a lot of TUT money coming in, so cost is no big deal.
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Offline Dane Martin

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2014, 10:53:41 PM »
Tim has a lot of TUT money coming in, so cost is no big deal.


yep. and i hear he has an ace pilot out there advertising for him....  :D

Tim, i use this valspar spray as a sanding sealer (fuel proof also). then a coat of lustrekote spray by monokote. cheap, quick and easy

Offline Randy Cuberly

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #18 on: August 09, 2014, 01:14:53 AM »
Econokote on wings or any other low temp kote, Zpoxy finishing epoxy on fuse and overlap slightly onto Kote.  Sand, apply Rustoleum Primer, then Rustoleum color.  The Silver is very fuel proof.  As are most of the Blues and Greens.

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Offline Howard Rush

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #19 on: August 09, 2014, 06:22:03 AM »
then a coat of lustrekote spray by monokote.

He did say ugly is OK.
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Offline Dane Martin

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #20 on: August 09, 2014, 09:05:37 AM »
He did say ugly is OK.


exactly. shoot it, an hour later, you're in the air. just get it in the air before your friends see it!

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #21 on: August 09, 2014, 04:42:57 PM »

yep. and i hear he has an ace pilot out there advertising for him....  :D

Tim, i use this valspar spray as a sanding sealer (fuel proof also). then a coat of lustrekote spray by monokote. cheap, quick and easy

Will it work on raw foam cores?
Joe

Offline Tim Wescott

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #22 on: August 09, 2014, 04:51:58 PM »
Will it work on raw foam cores?
Joe
I bet it'll "work" to melt them!

I got some SLC from Phil when I got the cores -- I'm going to cover the wings with that.
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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #23 on: August 09, 2014, 07:10:20 PM »
I bet it'll "work" to melt them!

I got some SLC from Phil when I got the cores -- I'm going to cover the wings with that.

God stuff and paintable.
watch the heat when you use it on foam Tim.
Joe

Offline Dane Martin

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #24 on: August 09, 2014, 09:10:26 PM »
Joe, the valspar eats through foam quickly. if you want to spray foam a cheap easy way, use krylon h2o spray.

Offline Paul Walker

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #25 on: August 09, 2014, 10:05:12 PM »
He did say ugly is OK.


Hey, you don't have time for this!!!!

Go get processed....:)

Offline Phil Krankowski

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #26 on: August 11, 2014, 11:48:24 AM »

yep. and i hear he has an ace pilot out there advertising for him....  :D

Tim, i use this valspar spray as a sanding sealer (fuel proof also). then a coat of lustrekote spray by monokote. cheap, quick and easy

I just tested the Valspar spray lacquers against Sig champion 25%...NOT fuelproof.  Washes away instantly, just like nail polish.  I tested all 3 colors, black, white, and clear.

Phil

Offline Bruce Perry

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #27 on: August 11, 2014, 12:40:42 PM »
Tim,

Will your device allow for IC throttle control?  If so, will it be able to apply throttle for a timed segment of the flight?  Or will it be able to decrease throttle at the beginning and ramp up at the end like Howards electric?

I'm interested in seeing if this could be of any benefit in the wind.  The low level maneuvers all occur early, the higher HP tricks later.  It wouldn't need to be much.  Clearly, the systems work as they are now.  Just curious about where it "could" go.

Thanks,

B

Offline Dane Martin

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #28 on: August 11, 2014, 02:27:55 PM »
I just tested the Valspar spray lacquers against Sig champion 25%...NOT fuelproof.  Washes away instantly, just like nail polish.  I tested all 3 colors, black, white, and clear.

Phil

i apologize for misleading anyone, but that's what i use on my half a planes which i run 25%. I've only ever used the clear, not the colors. I've found that it can't be sprayed over anything else. but i have several 1/2a planes that are just clear for use as a test bed for trying engine setups.

Offline Tim Wescott

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #29 on: August 11, 2014, 02:52:25 PM »
Will your device allow for IC throttle control?

The short answer is yes.

In fact, I'm doing the testing using an LA-46 for a power source.

The long answer is that in its formative stages I was taking input from Howard, Dave Trible, and my own desires.  We were basically three customers who each wanted obviously desirable things that were also obviously mutually exclusive.  The upshot is that I designed the timer so that it is very customizable -- basically, someone who can program embedded computers at a hobbyist level of competence can program Tim's Universal Timer to do a wide variety of things.

If so, will it be able to apply throttle for a timed segment of the flight?  Or will it be able to decrease throttle at the beginning and ramp up at the end like Howards electric?

I'm interested in seeing if this could be of any benefit in the wind.  The low level maneuvers all occur early, the higher HP tricks later.  It wouldn't need to be much.  Clearly, the systems work as they are now.  Just curious about where it "could" go.

It currently does apply throttle for a timed segment of the flight, and it decreases the throttle for takeoff.  I'm not sure just how valuable that is, because electrics just seem to take off more suddenly than IC ships do.  At the moment I'm mostly using that feature to test the software thoroughly.

It could also be programmed to apply scheduled throttle adjustments during flight -- this is exactly why I made it easily programmable, by the way: customers # 1, 2 and 3 each wanted something different, so I figured that every one approaching this would have some other quirk or trick they'd want done.

Ultimately I hope to out-Igor Igor, and strictly control the inertial speed of the aircraft for both electric and IC engines.  In that event a model equipped with this should chug through all the maneuvers at the same speed as level flight, with only momentary acceleration or deceleration.  Whether my sensors and I are good enough to accomplish this is still an open question, however, so don't hold your breath.
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Offline Phil Krankowski

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #30 on: August 11, 2014, 03:56:35 PM »
i apologize for misleading anyone, but that's what i use on my half a planes which i run 25%. I've only ever used the clear, not the colors. I've found that it can't be sprayed over anything else. but i have several 1/2a planes that are just clear for use as a test bed for trying engine setups.

What was your cure time?  I was at about 18 hours for my test.  I was hoping it would be fuel proof as it seems to go on very light.  Maybe you should look at the fueling spill points and see.  The paint might be exhaust proof, I did not test for that.

Phil

Online Larry Renger

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #31 on: August 11, 2014, 06:32:11 PM »
30 minute epoxy thinned to brushing consistency with denatured alcohol. Sand lightly, 2nd coat, done deal forever.
Think S.M.A.L.L. y'all and, it's all good, CL, FF and RC!

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Offline Randy Ryan

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Re: Quick & Dirty finish for a test pig?
« Reply #32 on: August 12, 2014, 06:13:02 AM »
30 minute epoxy thinned to brushing consistency with denatured alcohol. Sand lightly, 2nd coat, done deal forever.


Ya beat me to it!!!!!!
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