Need advice on a finishing coat.

The primary thing ugly foam airplanes have going for them is their light weight, puting a nice finish on them is going to offset that advantage. The only thing I have seen that really improves the appearance is flat military colors sprayed on sparingly for appropriate models. The flat paints seem to hide the foam finish somewhat and the colors distract the eye, so from a distance they look ok.

Ed

Niadh wrote:

Waterbased clear polyurethane would probably be best. However, keep in mind that any added weight isn't good. You might need to compensate by selecting a higer capacity, lighter battery at some cost.

Jim - AMA 501383

Niadh wrote:

Most solvents used in paints will dissolve the styrofoam... forget about any "conventional" paint. I had a Sureflite Spitfire a long time ago and what I did to put a reasonably smooth scale finish on it was to brush on a coat of spackle (thinned with water), allowed it to dry, and then sanded it "just" smooth with 320 sandpaper. Then, I used Latex house paint to do the camoflage and it ended up looking pretty nice for a quick job.

MJC

thanks for the quick re:

Reading the other replies yours looks most sane. I thought about just grabing a can of flat black spray paint and having at it but i have one concern. "MJC" stated it best in another followup to the parent post, "Most solvents used in paints will dissolve the styrofoam... forget about any 'conventional' paint." Is there a special paint you used? or did you apply it so thin it didn't matter?

-N

When you say spackle I think of this

-N

A thin skin of epoxy/galss works well. But the finsih requires much rubbing down

PVA thinned a bit, followed by tissue or brown parcel paper is excellent, but still requires rubbing down and cellulose paints have a habit of leaking through.

My favorite is to simply use iron on film. After spackling the worst dents. Then I use prymol to scuff up the surface and spray with humnbol or tamiya enamels.

Quick, and much sexier than styrofoam naked.

Only cellulose really attacks it.

Latex paints, acrylic paints and oil based enamles do not. However teh point is to get a smooth surface firts. See othert postings. The paint-on-spackle-and-sand is not bad with latext type paints.

You know any websites detailing this process(the iron on film after spackling)? Sounds about like what i'm looking for. Although, ironing styrofoam does scary me a bit. Where can i get the film? r/c shop?

-N

There is a standard lightweight filler which I think is referred to as 'lightweight spackle' over there, and lightweight 'no sanding' polyfilla over here (UK)

It appears to be a compond of what feels like micoballoons, a little plaster type filler, and something that dries and sets HARD. Possibly some water based paste.

Its about the same weight as EPP, snad easily to a good finish and takes paints well.

You can buy a more expensive and slightly inferior version in any UK model shop.

And the filler too. In actual fact the film will melt before the styro.

Niadh, I didn't paint foam myself. one of the fellows at our club brought one to our meeting last week but I don't remember what kind of paint he said he used. Like another poster said be careful to use foam safe paint.

Ed