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Building Tips and technical articles. => Paint and finishing => Topic started by: Mike Griffin on August 29, 2022, 10:20:51 AM
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What method have you used to get the smoothest finish on a profile fuselage before painting?
Mike
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Hi Mike,
I use Z-Poxy Finishing Resin. Apply to the wood and scrape off and wipe with paper towel. Sand and repeat. Spray with Harbor Freight grey primer, sand off primer and then paint.
Dennis
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Thank you Dennis. Does this pretty much eliminate the wood grain?
Mike
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Use light weight fibre glas with the epoxy. D>K
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Thank you Dennis. Does this pretty much eliminate the wood grain?
Mike
Yes. Whatever the Z-Poxy doesn't cover the gray primer will take care of the rest. Make sure to sand the majority of the gray primer off as it is heavy!
Attached are photos of my plane after spraying primer, what's left after sanding the primer and the finished plane.
Dennis
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Yes. Whatever the Z-Poxy doesn't cover the gray primer will take care of the rest. Make sure to sand the majority of the gray primer off as it is heavy!
Attached are photos of my plane after spraying primer, what's left after sanding the primer and the finished plane.
Dennis
That looks really good Dennis.
Mike
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What type of paint do you use over the zpoxy that's fuel prof
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What type of paint do you use over the zpoxy that's fuel prof
Hi Gary,
For bare wood, after apply the Z-Poxy and sanding smooth, I spray with Harbor Freight gray automotive primer. I seal the gray primer with RANDOLPH: 9701 CLEAR BUTYRATE TAUTENING DOPE.
For the base color (white) all my planes are done using RANDOLPH: Q-1050-BQ COLORED NON-TAUTENING BUTYRATE DOPE. Trim colors use same type of dope different color.
For the clearcoat I used CERTIFIED COATINGS: Part# 09-10500 MFR Model# CCP-B182-RG.
All products are available from Aircraft Spruce & Supply Co. https://www.aircraftspruce.com/ (https://www.aircraftspruce.com/)
Dennis
Dennis
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Use light weight fibre glas with the epoxy. D>K
USE 3/4 OZ CLOTH...IT HARDLY WEIGHS ANYTHING....I USE CLEAR DOPE AND TALCUM POWDER FOR FILLER
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Mike,
Lots of good suggestions and I’m sure they will all work, what I’ve been doing is using Glass-Coat clear onto the bear balsa and wiping it off as much as possible with paper towels. When the paint cures sand with 220 grit sandpaper, then apply a second coat Glass-coat again wipe off with paper towels. When cured, sand again the 220 and you will notice that the grain is filling really fast, now you can use silkspan, Glass Cloth, or some primer to finish it off.
I’ve used the Z proxy before and it didn’t penetrate into the balsa as well as the Glass-coat epoxy paint did, consequently making the balsa much stronger for close to the same weight.
To paint the colors is a breeze, you can use anything you like that is fuel proof, dope, epoxy, don’t use any thing with enamel is it. I’ve used this same precess on carrier and racing models and it works great.
Later,
Mikey
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i have thinned epoxy with acetone and it penetrates the wood more than just epoxy unthinned,it also slows down the drying process too.
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I have used one cost of medium CA that I spread thin with a paper towel for first coat (only do one coat of this as more coats may take a long time to cure fully). This seals the wood and toughens it (let it gas off at least overnight), then cover with either 3/4oz glass or silkspan using clear dope. Three coats of clear then one coat of clear with zinc stearate (Randy Smith Aero 1, ~ 1 tablespoon for 8oz clear dope). Sand lightly with 220 then 3-4 coat of clear it should be ready for block coat paint (I use SIG - Dianna Cream).
Best, DennisT