Building Tips and technical articles. > Paint and finishing

A Few Thoughts on Finishing

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Clint Ormosen:
I just wanted to mention that the OP here from Randy Ryan, even 12 years later, is still one of the best ways to do a traditional dope finish that can be found on this or any other modeling forum. I follow it pretty closely on all my models and it hasn't let me down. It's printed out and hangs on my shop wall.

Shorts,David:
Question for Clint, Randy, or anyone else. Why do we wet sand? Is it just to keep dust out of our lungs, because that's a pretty good reason...

Randy Ryan:
Straightening warped balsa is quite easy in must cases. First soak well with clear water, hot water speeds the soaking process. Remove from water and straighten the piece by flexing it opposite the warp. When it is straight suspend vertically and let dry thoroughly. I have done this many many times and never had it fail.

MikeyPratt:
Hi Guy’s,
I’ve been following this post closely about the different types of paint used for models.  Personally, this makes me very nervous to read some of the posts.  After more than 50 years building and flying them I myself have tried many different systems looking for something easier and faster.  I still haven’t found anything as easy and fool proof as dope, period!  After putting in months of work carefully building your new model, why risk your new world beater on a sub par finish.  To do a just a fare finish it takes as long as it took to build your new Stunt model in the first place.  I think it takes way longer to apply a good finish that it took to build it that’s why it takes a year.

OK just my opinion, why do all the work building you new model and screw it up with the paint job!  Some of you know my finishes pretty darn good and I’ve had many 18 to 19 point models at the Nat’s, so they aren’t too shabby.  They were all done with Sig Dope, later versions were cleared with epoxy or urethane finishes but they all used dope under that.  Now I understand if your don’t want the smell dope in the house, but it’s not any different than using the Duplacolor system, it stinks as well.  I’ve tried the the primer that Bob S recommend and that did fine as a primer under Sig Dope and colors.

One of my jobs at Sig was to handle complaints from modelers about our products, that includes dope products, and epoxy’s (including Epoxy-lite) and a few more.  I would have them send the product back to me so I could inspect and verify it was our product and I then used it on a test model.  Guess what, they always worked every time with the exception of a few cans of dope that were rusted on the inside (they were really old cans of product) but they were replaced anyway.  One guy even told me he was getting a reaction to some thing on his model and the dope wouldn’t dry, not even on the second coat.  I asked what he was doing before hand while he was painting it, “he said eating buttered popcorn”, go figure that one lol.

Lately, I’ve been trying model R/C car paints (water base) with some really good results so far, weight seems ok and it’s holding up pretty good for now after a clear coat of automotive clear.  I’ll let you know about that later if is good or not.

Later,
Mike Pratt 

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