Torqued-Up

My Feedback: (16)

I am in the process of assembling a new ARF I purchased from CMP... The photos or the airframe on the website and the box show the covering to be a translucent yellow with blue accents... Well, when I opened the box, it was translucent yellow with purple accents... Yuck!!! I thought I would just prep, mask and shoot the purple accents with a high-gloss model paint... Here's where the trouble began...

I purchased a can of TopFlite High-Gloss Sapphire Blue LustreKote (TOPR7522) from my LHS... I prepped the purple covering by scuffing it with scotchbrite, masked the areas, cleaned it thoroughly with alcohol and applied the LustreKote as per manufacturers recommendations... Two light coats followed by a "wet" coat... I let the coats dry 2 - 3 minutes between applications... I got good adhesion on the paint, but once the final top coat dried, the color turned to a flat chaulky white, not high gloss and definitely not sapphire blue... The temperature was 72 degrees F and it was about 40% humidity when I shot the paint... I am experienced in painting, so I think the issue is the TopFlite LustreKote...

Anybody have any ideas / suggestions???

Thanks,

Mark

rb4123

I'd have to agree with you. It's not the best paint in the world. It could have reacted with something. Do you have any pictures?

Torqued-Up

My Feedback: (16)

Since this is an ARF, I didn't have anyplace to paint a test area before starting on the airframe, so I did the tips of the ailerons first... If I can't fix this, I'll just recover the wingtips in red...

Here are some shots of the painted areas... The photos really don't show just how bad the paint came out...

One shot is of both aileron tips as the paint came out and the other is of one bad aileron and one that I buffed out with a little fine rubbing compound... Even after buffing, the finished product is still sub-standard... Plus, I really don't want to have to buff out the paint on the whole plane once I'm finished...

This is my first experience with using spray cans...

What is a decent spray can RC model paint anyway???

rb4123

If you feel like it, you could try and shoot one more coat on it. What I would do is either get some super fine steel wool, or 600+ sandpaper, and lightly scuff up the finish(if using the paper, try wet sanding). Then lay another coat of paint on. Maybe just do one tack coat, then a thin smooth coat. Did you use the primer?????? If not, that might be the culprit. This paint is a little different than most others, so it could be reacting to the covering, or even an alcohol residue since there is no primer down, I'm presuming. I personally don't rub things down with alcohol, or any othe cleaner. Just wet sand, and do my best not to touch the surface.

Gollywock

Mark- It almost sounds like the humidity caused the paint to 'blush'. You might try to brush straight thinner onto a small area and see if that will fix it. Jim

Torqued-Up

My Feedback: (16)

Yeah, that's what it looks like... But, 40% humidity is about as low as it goes in east Texas and I've shot alot of paint when it was far hotter / colder with higher humidity without it doing this...

I'll try scuffing the painted areas again and shoot another coat... This time if it blushes, I'll shoot a little thinner on top and take the darn things in the house where I know it's climate controlled...

Thanks all...

jetflyer

My Feedback: (5)

Mark,

Give up on the LustreKote and just get some Krylon to match. I've ruin a couple of models in the past using that stuff. I even purchased their primer and primed the surface first with it. It says it will match Monokote, yeah right! Forget it. I've had much better luck with Krylon and it is much cheaper.

JR Gautreaux

Torqued-Up

My Feedback: (16)

That's what I wanted to hear... LustreKote is not the product of choice...

I'll pickup some Krylon...

Thanks JR...

TomCrump

I haven't had any problems with Lustre Kote. I painted my entire WACO with it. I'm very happy with the results.

Saito_56

My Feedback: (17)

I have used LustreKote, and do not like it. A experienced club member told me to take a sample of the color I want to the local Auto supply store, and check out Plastikote car touch up paint. I have used it and it is great! Tough paint, covers well, and more than 1/2 the price. (fuel proof also)

Campy

My Feedback: (1)

A word of advice here.

SOME of the Krylon paints, as well as SOME of the Rustoleum paints are fuel proof - the majority are not fuel proof and will need to be clear coated.

With the automotive paints read the label. If the label says ACRYLIC enamel/lacquer it is fuel proof, if it doesn't say ACRYLIC, clear coat it. Be careful with the auto paints, you can use enamel over lacquer, but not the other way.

FWIW - I have had excellent results using a water base polyurethane as a clear coat. It is fuel proof to definitely 10% nitro (all I use ) and various reports indicate it is good to 15% nitro. A nice plus to the water base poly is that it will not yellow with age.

FOShowNoClass

My Feedback: (7)

Campy,

What brand of WBPU did you use over the Krylon? Was it in a can? Thanks!

Will

Campy

My Feedback: (1)

I use MinWax Polycrylic. It is in the cans with the blue label. Available in quarts and spray cans. Any water base polyurethane will work the same.

If you decide to spray, I add 1 1/2 caps of FloTrol per quart prior to any thinning and spray at 25 - 30 psi. If you decide to brush, I suggest adding the FloTrol and use a foam brush for the best results brushing.

rc-sport

My Feedback: (12)

Torqued, looks like you bought the Passion 3D 60. You're going to have blast with that plane. It's my knock around plane. I've broken the nose and tail off mine, repaired it and it still flies great. I like to keep mine a little tail heavy like my Funtana 90. Let me know if you have any questions.

plasticjoe

My Feedback: (22)

Lustre Kote is only good for painting your firewalls, where no one will see the finish. Never had ANY luck, gave it many chances, and had it ruin alota work. I will never use it in a finish area again. Not worth the risk. Even if I have to pay alot more $$ to use automotive paint, I will, just not worth the heartache. If you are a gambling person, use it, may work A-ok for you, but I have tried in in varying conditions, and have never had it finish correctly, spray correctly, dry nicely, so I gave up on it

Torqued-Up

My Feedback: (16)

Yeah,

I got a Passion 3D off eBay thinking it would be an inexpensive .60 size 3D airplane to beat around... I'm just about finished with the assembly, but too many projects have prevented me from getting it done... Not to mention that in Texas we get to fly year round...

I have wondered what people thought of this airplane as you don't see too many around -and- I haven'y found too many references in the RCU forums... Thanks for the heads-up RC...

Mark

Torqued-Up

My Feedback: (16)

Yep, this is the first and last time I will EVER user LustreKote... Part of the problem is that there isn't enough solvent / thinner mixed with the paint and it dries real fast... So, even if you get a good wet coat of paint applied, it dries too fast to flow properly -or- you put on too heavy a coat and it starts to run...

The problem I had was that the paint was blushing before it set properly... I was able to re-prep the areas I wanted to paint, shoot them with a very wet coat and then took the painted parts into the utility room of my home to dry... Smelled like crap for awhile, but at least I got semi-acceptable results this time... The result is not the painted finish I have become accustomed to, but hey, I'm not painting a 200K Ferrari either...

When I get the assembly done I post some photos...

Mark