Building Tips and technical articles. > Paint and finishing

Profile Fuselage Dope Finish

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Robert Organ:
I know there have been a lot of threads on this subject, but in the fifties and sixties I remember using balsa fillercoat followed by 2-3 coats of   butyrate color and then 2 coats of thinned butyrate clear (sanding between all but the final color and the final clear coat) for a very good finish on the fuselage and tail feathers of the many Ringmasters that I built and flew in this era. Do I remember this right and what can I use for fillercoat that is compatable with Brodak butyrate dope, I am wondering about minwax waterbase ? I am open to any suggestions on this subject, including any better alternatives to this procedure. I just remember that it worked very well at the time and was pretty easy.  Thanks, Bob

Wynn Robins:
take a look at Warren Leadbeaters post just down a bit - he has a simple finishing technique that would be ideal for profiles

Robert Organ:
Thanks Wynn for your reply, I really thought that I would get more response to this as so many build profiles. I have been in RC off and on since the sixties and the only building I have done in a long time is of the ARF variety. I think my main issue is I really want a different solution than covering the airplane with paper but if thats best than I can do it that way. I think my main question is the compatibility of dope and poly fillers. Thanks again, Bob

john e. holliday:
In my experience the poly fillers work great under dope.  Do not use them over dope unless the dope has gassed out for a couple of weeks.

Balsa Butcher:
If you are going to use dope anyway, why not just use it and avoid any comptibility issues. A few coats of clear, apply Med silkspan - I think it adds to the stiffness of a profile fuselage, (and tailfeathers) others experience may differ- some filler coat, paint, clear, fly. Not as labor intensive on a profile as one may think, especially if the wings are done in monokote.  8)

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