I'm putting together a U-Key as our club "Trimming Trainer". A clear dope finished fuselage with appropriate dabs of color elsewhere would be nice, and not too difficult.

Actually, the fuselage is a pretty decent looking piece of wood, and I was thinking of putting some cherry water based stain on under the clear butyrate. I know dope won't adhere to regular stain. But how about the water based ones?

I suppose there is the wet teabag option also, but that idea belongs more in the flower-child 60s as I recall. Or maybe a weak dye, sort of like dyed silkspan? Or??

The search function here didn't find anything on staining as an (on purpose!) part of a finish. Seems like I've seen it before, tho.

Larry Fulwider

Awhile back, on a sheet wing 1/2a plane, I used some minwax stain that was compatible with polyurethane and then finished it with clear ployurethane instead of dope.  Thae finish seemed fuel resistent, but the airplane didn't last long enough to know long range results.

Since I have tried the SLC covering for underlayment on planes, I have also thought maybe staining the bare wood of a plane and covering with the SLC.  When seams are put down can't hardly see them let alone feel them.  Having fun,  DOC Holliday

Doc --

Great idea! I'll steal it, but not for this particular project. The SLC has to be a bullet proof and light solution, as I see it.
   Since the SLC is (advertised, I haven't tried it) paintable / dopable, shouldn't be a problem no matter what you have in the adjoining areas.

I decided to do some other tests (already started), and start a new thread. Shoot, wish I had seen your suggestion first, I would have done the test differently. Ah well, I've never set up a test of anything that halfway through, I didn't say, "Well, I shoulda . . ."

Larry Fulwider