I don't use dope anymore.

Right Then .

Used to be $ 30 for  4 gallons , from supplier  Brolite  New Zealand . Aircraft Dope .  back in the early 70s . Had to thin it 50 % or the brush would stand up in it . For Starters .

As we built mainly Combat Wings , youd throw 5 coats on in quick succcesion . With the zylene labled NZ stuff now , some cracking up with hurried application , you dont get with Sig Dope !

The stuff pictured is $ 30 a litre ( about a US Quart ) in Austrawlia now , $ 11 to $ 16 turn of the century .

Stuff shown gives a bit of a gloss . Labled as ' Nitro Cellulose Lacker ( fine print ) model engines brand here back then ( 2000) gave superior finish with less coats .

Thanks for putting us straight on that Brett . Theres a ' pheonics Lacquers ' Dope Here . Nitrate 7 Butrate shrinking & non shrinking . Theyre scared of the shrinking in places .
They also do a Nitro Cellulose Lacquer , which is Nothing Like the 70's Nitro Cellulose .
But , From the Horses Mouth , same as Nitrate with' more body ' . Blankety Nitrate drps to show the grain, a week after you think youve finished .

SO , I think its two coats of shrinking , for the Open Bays , and Their Nitro Cellulose for base . Then AUTO CLEAR . The #@&^* Two Pot put 6 Oz on the P 51 , so thats out .
The Dupli Colour CLEAR seems V fuel resistant , given a chance to harden /

Problem Is theres no Brodak , The Mnfg ( new Owners ) has messed with the Pheonics Formular ( no doubt to lower costs . ) PLUS its Not CLEAR Finish . light brown yellow tint .
Sig is $ 45 + a Quart ( NO Gallon cans ) and no Lite Coat , Unless theyve reponded to my harangueings , said theyd check it out , importer .

Summary !

Previous ' xylene ' labled was 10 coats no gloss , or shrink cracking . No Real Nitro Cellulose No More .

When it were $ 30 four gals/ 7.50 GALLON ,  $ 80 Gal for Pheonics or $ 250 Aus. odd per Imperial Gallon for Sig Here , you can see a worried man singing a worried song . 

NOW , if it were 1968 AGAIN , We Wouldnt Have These Problems !  and did I mention The Balsa Wood . 

For awhile, I used DuPont Acrylic Lacquer. Great stuff, very easy to work with and gave a brilliant finish, but was not even a little fuel proof and was wildly incompatible with anything but itself.

“Awhile “ for Randy could mean one coat. He was famous for never using consecutive coats of the same paint.

You can put butyrate dope over acrylic lacquer but you have to be careful to not flood coat the clear or it will float the lacquer underneath.  I did this back when you could still buy acrylic lacquer in Cali.