Got a Mike Griffen ARF ringmaster and decided to change color. I had asked for white wings and red fuselage

This plane is probably going to hit dirt and suffer poor piloting for a while so I just stripped the fuselage mono Kote and started prepping for Blue paint and silver canopy with a foundation of CF and Sig Nitrate

Ended up using Top Flight's Luster Kote White primer, then Blue, wait a 2 days , mask and shoot canopy silver, wait a 2 days and shot clear.

Waited a week ( OK only 5 days) and then put felt cloth in the jaws of my Cheap HF version of a work mate to hold fuselage while aligning wing to glue in.  Once I got it level and square, pre glued with CA to keep position and when I removed the fuselage to set on end to Epoxy---

The felt left a pattern imprint in the LusterKote.... very very annoyed.

I am sure I can wet sand and then polish it out but what the F..... does this stuff ever get hard enough to handle without this kind of grief?

I have never used this product before...mostly a silk and REAL dope guy... never ever had REAL dope take in imprint like this after a few days gassing off and getting hard

Yeah, I've used the clear a lot, but I always have to give it the touch test, and when a reasonable touch without too much pressure doesn't leave a fingerprint, then it's done. If you do leave a light print from the touch test, it usually goes away. Strictly sport plane stuff, I think. I use it on my stunters, but after the initial beauty of a finished model, I usually don't much care what it looks like. The Lustrekote on my Yak is still beautiful after a few years though. It spider webbed on the Shoestring, and I think that's because I laid it on too thick. And punished it learning the beginner pattern.
Rusty

Got a Mike Griffen ARF ringmaster and decided to change color. I had asked for white wings and red fuselage

This plane is probably going to hit dirt and suffer poor piloting for a while so I just stripped the fuselage mono Kote and started prepping for Blue paint and silver canopy with a foundation of CF and Sig Nitrate

Ended up using Top Flight's Luster Kote White primer, then Blue, wait a 2 days , mask and shoot canopy silver, wait a 2 days and shot clear.

Waited a week ( OK only 5 days) and then put felt cloth in the jaws of my Cheap HF version of a work mate to hold fuselage while aligning wing to glue in.  Once I got it level and square, pre glued with CA to keep position and when I removed the fuselage to set on end to Epoxy---

The felt left a pattern imprint in the LusterKote.... very very annoyed.

I am sure I can wet sand and then polish it out but what the F..... does this stuff ever get hard enough to handle without this kind of grief?

I have never used this product before...mostly a silk and REAL dope guy... never ever had REAL dope take in imprint like this after a few days gassing off and getting hard

Fred,
Heat up the spray cans in steel pan filled hot running tap water.  Then shake the crap out of the spray can them place it back in the hot water for another ten minutes.  Spray on the color and place the model in a warm room and let dry.  I know it sounds crazy, but it works.  Do the same with the clear.

Later,
Mikey

Mikey filled in an important point we've missed so far. Shake it till your arm is about to fall off, and get it pretty dang hot. Purge the can's plumbing thoroughly before pointing it at your work too. And I shake it a little after almost every pass. If it's a plane that function outweighs beauty, you can fly it in 24 hours.

It's also really good for sealing Testors inkjet waterslide decals before you cut them out. They don't react at all, you can blast them as hard and fast as you like, and dunk them in water to apply in 30 minutes.
Rusty

I tried to talk myself into painting the fuse before putting the wing in a couple of days ago. Seems like painting would be easier, but decided against it because it'll invariably get dinged and smudged as I'm working on all he last details. Fred, maybe a hot hair dryer will smooth it back out. Not a heat gun though.
Rusty

No real problem fixing with 800 wet, mask, and shoot a quick coat of clear then go see if Sean McEntee can trim it out before I perform a perfect figure 9 with this RIngMaster


[/quote]


    Hi Fred;
   I don't know if Sean is back from his training mission in California just yet. I think he told me he would be back home some time after the first of the month. If you have contact info for him, drop him a line for the straight poop.
   Good luck with the new model!
   Dan McEntee

Bill mentions the most common Lustrekote complaint, that the spray sometimes spits. The heat helps minimize that, plus makes any spitball flow and level out. This is not a lightweight painting system. I always press the nozzle on each pass while aimed just beside my work target and most of the spittle will miss it. I do that with all rattlecan paint... you reading this Charles? In case you get another experimental bug in yer britches Lol.

I use it with 35% in my 1/2A planes and never had a problem. I don't pamper them though, just fly the crap out of 'em.
Rusty

Sounds like this stuff has a lot in common with Rust-O-Leum gloss paints.  They all work for a relatively fuel proof finish but otherwise somewhat similar problems but about half the price.  The clear though doesn't even pretend to be fuel proof.  Fuel takes it right off.