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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: Matt Brown on August 29, 2018, 09:52:29 AM

Title: How much dope etc do I need
Post by: Matt Brown on August 29, 2018, 09:52:29 AM

I’m thinking about painting my Sig Magnum. Between covering with whatever I find similar to silkspan and sanding sealer, how much clear and color dope will it take? I’ve not used dope since mid ‘70s so I have little memory of doing it. I will likely start with a white base color and add trim colors to it. I figure if I go ahead and order the dope now, I won’t bail out and cover with film when I get to that point.

Thanks, Matt

Title: Re: How much dope etc do I need
Post by: Randy Powell on August 29, 2018, 04:07:47 PM

Depends to some extent on your finishing method and the size of the plane (in this case, say a 650 square inch wing). Generally, if you are covering with silkspan (GM or SGM) it will take about a quart of clear butyrate lacquer, possibly a pint of filler (I use clear and talc with a bit of gray paint in it), a pint+ of base color (depends on the color - more transparent colors take more paint) and however much trim you need. If stripes, probably not much. About 3 pints of thinner and I use some retarder in humid conditions to allow moisture to escape.

I generally buy clear, non-taunting Randolph's or Certified in gallon cans along with thinner in gallon cans.