Spray paint over balsa
02-24-2005, 02:32 PM
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Spray paint over balsa
Hello, what is the proper way to prepare the balsa to be spray painted with "21st Century" brand spray paint? Also, I intend to spray the cowl of the Great Planes Stuka with the same stuff, how should I prepare the cowl? Steel wool?
Joe
Joe
02-24-2005, 03:53 PM
#2
RE: Spray paint over balsa
You should use a balsa primer/filler first, other wise it will take too
much paint to start filling the surface....the first couple coats will just
sink into the balsa. It also depends how nice of a finish you want. If
you want it "like glass" it will take a few coats of the primer/filler,
each coat sanded with fine paper between coats.
If you just want to "color" the wood....just spray a few coats of paint.
A technique I often use, like on a cowling....is to apply a thin coat of epoxy
with my finger all over the part. When completely dry, sand it with some fine
paper. You can add some more epoxy if needed onto bad spots. Sand again.
This surface can then be painted with one thick, or two thin coats of paint....
....and it will be "smooth as glass". Don't worry, the thin coats of epoxy after
sanding, add almost no weight. I use this on wing tips alot, then the covering is
applied to the flat parts of the wing....not the tips, and eliminates the wrinkles
that usually end up on the curved surfaces of the wing tips.
FBD.
much paint to start filling the surface....the first couple coats will just
sink into the balsa. It also depends how nice of a finish you want. If
you want it "like glass" it will take a few coats of the primer/filler,
each coat sanded with fine paper between coats.
If you just want to "color" the wood....just spray a few coats of paint.
A technique I often use, like on a cowling....is to apply a thin coat of epoxy
with my finger all over the part. When completely dry, sand it with some fine
paper. You can add some more epoxy if needed onto bad spots. Sand again.
This surface can then be painted with one thick, or two thin coats of paint....
....and it will be "smooth as glass". Don't worry, the thin coats of epoxy after
sanding, add almost no weight. I use this on wing tips alot, then the covering is
applied to the flat parts of the wing....not the tips, and eliminates the wrinkles
that usually end up on the curved surfaces of the wing tips.
FBD.
02-24-2005, 11:15 PM
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RE: Spray paint over balsa
If you want a really nice finish on balsa, cover it with silkspan, silk, light glass cloth or carbon veil put on with nitrate dope. Then prime and fill, sand and spray paint.
Jim
Jim
02-25-2005, 01:25 AM
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RE: Spray paint over balsa
ORIGINAL: Flyboy Dave
If you want it "like glass" it will take a few coats of the primer/filler,
each coat sanded with fine paper between coats.
If you want it "like glass" it will take a few coats of the primer/filler,
each coat sanded with fine paper between coats.
02-26-2005, 04:18 PM
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RE: Spray paint over balsa
Yea, it would be best to cover the balsa with some sort of cloth or something for strength. In the sake of keeping my electric glider glight, I just painted the filled wood. Baby butt smooth, but it started to get stress all over in short order. Now this was with a no vibration electric speed 400. Imagine what a large glow motor will do over time.
Well I ended up sanding most of the paint off, and covered the thing w/ .5oz glass cloth using Water based PolyU, and re-painted. I did nothing to fill the weave, but at more than 5 foot it looks just fine. (filling would give the baby butt smooth finish) It's almost as strong as a baseball bat now, and I added less than 1/2 once. I did this about 3 years ago, and the thing is stll solid as a rock.
Well I ended up sanding most of the paint off, and covered the thing w/ .5oz glass cloth using Water based PolyU, and re-painted. I did nothing to fill the weave, but at more than 5 foot it looks just fine. (filling would give the baby butt smooth finish) It's almost as strong as a baseball bat now, and I added less than 1/2 once. I did this about 3 years ago, and the thing is stll solid as a rock.
02-26-2005, 07:06 PM
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RE: Spray paint over balsa
poly c and cloth? hmmm. good idea. I've got two cockpits in my STA-M that need painting. using this cloth will give me a bit of practise using it. thanks.
