borna

Hi Guys,
I just finished covering my Chipmunk and with Ultracoat. I want to know if it is possible to paint the whole plane with Clear coat paint to kind of protect the covering.
I mean to kind of protecting the edges of covering from pilling off after been expose to fuel and cleaning agents for a while? Also am I going to add lots of weight by doing this?
Thanks
Borna

Tall Paul

I've seen the models at trade shows obviously clear coated, but in practicality the coating makes repairs.. messy..
The iron melts the coating which smears onto the shoe of the iron.

Campy

My Feedback: (1)

Why not use a trim iron on the seams ? You will need to experiment to find the proper heat/speed, but the way to do it is to jack the heat up on the trim iron so you are almost melting the covering. It makes a great seal, but does take some experimenting with heat and speed of moving the iron.

Another possibility I have heard about is using clear nail polish on the seams to seal them. It is (as far as I can tell ) applied with either an extremely fine brush or the tip of a toothpick.

borna

clear nail polish is a good idea. Is it fuel proof?
Thanks
Borna

Dave Wilson

I've used clear polyurethane to seal the edges of decals (especially those which have long pointy things which come off easily when you are wiping fuel residue off the surfaces). Haven't tried it on the whole plane though, seems like overkill to do that.

Dave

Campy

My Feedback: (1)

I don't know. I have heard about using it but have never tried it myself. I use the trim iron with the heat jacked up on the questionable seams.

For the majority of the seams, provided you are applying the covering properly, you don't need to worry about the fuel getting in there and lifting them. It is the seams that are not held down by the airflow that I use the trim iron on.

For instance, the seams where the horizontal stab meet the fuselage. Warbirds inparticular, typically require the installation of the horizontal and vertical stabs during construction and are then covered after assembly.

kdc

Clearcoat is made specially for coating edges of covering film etc. The suppliers in England are the manufacturers of Solarfilm and Solartex etc.
You do not use it all over -just the edges and they also suggest coating the engine bay etc before covering. They also suggest ways to use it
It is an excellent product the only problem is the smell - use it outdoors or with good ventilation.

Safebet

My Feedback: (12)

Campy:

Can this product be bought through Horizon or Tower? I would like to have some.

Thanks

V2PLUS10

I am just finishing an Apache Aviation Chipmunk and was going to clearcoat the whole thing with Nelson satin clear polyurethane. The kit designer/manufacturer advised against it because it can add a lot of weight. Imay just do the fuse or I may not do any of it! the solartex seems to seal pretty well on its own.

borna

I covered my whole plane with Oil based clear polyurethane paint (miniwax from Home depot). I sprayed about 7 oz of paint. So when paint dries, how many ounces will evaporat?

JoeAirPort

My Feedback: (41)

I bought a can of clear Lustercoat at my LHS. I use it to seal where I use covering to seal the hinges. I also use it on decals, then they never peal. I swear by it. Yes it's fuel proof, dries very fast. I usually spray it into a little glass jar outside and then carry it downstairs and just paint it on the seams with a little brush. Just be careful, the Lustercoat will melt many containers so a glass jar is best. Also the paint brush has to be a Testor's one or equivalent. It can melt some paint brushes. One time I used a baby food glass jar and got a little bit of Lustercoat on that little yellowish rubber seal on top and it bleeded into the clear coat. Gotta watch that. It does not harm the decals or the covering.

michpittsman

My Feedback: (11)

Whatever you do, DO NOT USE Ultracote clear paint on a white airplane! It appears to be nothing more than good old-fashioned clear (yellowing) urethane varnish. I now have an expensive white and pale yellow airplane I am ashamed to take to the field. It doesn't even smell like the color paint of the same brand. I am extremely disappointed. Jim

V2PLUS10

So what percentage of the total weight of your plane is 7oz? If it were a 15 lb plane it is a small part, but for a 2 lb plane it is a large part.

highroller-delete

I applied Cheveron Perfect Paint Clear polyurethane over Monokote without scrubbing the coverning film and it provide a good protection, I was surprised that the paint as not chipped or peeled but unfortunatly it became yellow over time.

borna

My plane is around 6 lb but my question was that I sprayed 7 ounces of paint and wondering approximately how much of that 7oz will evaporate once the paint has dried completely. So I’m thinking even though I sprayed 7 oz of paint, but maybe I’m only adding only 4 oz to the weight of the plane?
The paint I used was MiniWax Oil based clear coat Poly from Home Depot.

V2PLUS10

You know I've been thinking that the clear polyurethane that I intend to use is water based, but cures as it reacts to the air, not as it gasses off solvent, like dopes or any solvent based paint. So the majority of the weight of the paint will remain on the airframe. I know that a doped airplane can get noticably lighter as the dope cures and the solvents gas off. I guess the only way to really know is to weigh
the airframe before clearcoat, immediately after and then again a week later or so. the Chipmunk I'm working on is an 82" span, and if I were to clearcoat the wings top and bottom I may end up adding a pound!!. I also know that after the clearcoar sets I'm going to add the engine radio etc. and not wait a week to weigh the thing!

Randy

LSP972

My Feedback: (13)

The MinWax water-based polyurethane I tried was NOT fuel-proof.

Everything else I've tried, with the exception of Super Poxy, turns yellow eventually. I'm getting down to my last bit of Super Poxy clear, and thanks to the enviro-nazis I can't get any more.

Jim, thanks for the heads-up re the U-Cote Clear. I began covering my Kougar this week, using UltraCote. I'll be trying the UltraPaint for the cowl and turtle deck. Bought primer and the colors, but have held off on a clear coat.

I'll probably just do the seams like I always do with the Super Poxy, leave the cowl, canopy, and turtle deck un-cleared, and hope for the best.[&o]

Did you have any problem with the U-Paint not drying properly? There were a few threads in the past about that, and a buddy experienced it first-hand. The paint eventually did cure; like, a month after it was sprayed.

V2PLUS10

I intend to use Nelson Hobby flat clear polyurethane. It thins with water and the addition of a "cross-linker" makes it flexible and supposedly fuel proof up to 30%!!. I used it on an engine test stand and it has held up fine. i have yet to use it over paint though. Don't know about the yellowing in this product, but I'm concerned. Don't want my winter project to go sour because of a process that is supposedly going to extend it's life!! Just doing the seams sounds like a good idea. Does Klass-Kote offer a clear?

rajul

My Feedback: (58)

I apply two to three thin coatings of clear TF lustercoat on the seams of the covering, normally at the leading edge of the wings only. This is to prevent fuel from lifting the covering. For cleaning the plane, don't use any cleaner that contains solvents like alcohol or ammonia that will undercut the adhesive layer and lift the seams. Baby wipes works fine for me. Hope this helps