Paint Job

[Steve Barlow]

Hi All, new to Flight test , but love the way these planes are built. Live in the UK and just ordered a simple stick . Just wondering what is the best type of paint you guys use on the foam board?
thanks all
steve

 

[The Fopster]

I use Plastikote brand aerosols from Hobbycraft. If you spray too close to the foam it eats the foam, but spray carefully and paint some wood glue on exposed foam surfaces before spraying and it works fine. Here's a few photos of planes painted this way as proof - good luck!

 

[Merv]

Here is a FT episode about painting your plane.

 

[Steve Barlow]

I use Plastikote brand aerosols from Hobbycraft. If you spray too close to the foam it eats the foam, but spray carefully and paint some wood glue on exposed foam surfaces before spraying and it works fine. Here's a few photos of planes painted this way as proof - good luck!
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Great looking set of planes...thanks for the paint info and I will see how it goes
Thanks
Steve

 

[Steve Barlow]

Here is a FT episode about painting your plane.

Great video
That has given me some ideas thanks very much
Steve

 

[kilroy07]

If you can find Krylon Fusion (all in one) it doesn't attack the foam nearly as much (if at all) as other paints I have tried.

 

[Steve Barlow]

If you can find Krylon Fusion (all in one) it doesn't attack the foam nearly as much (if at all) as other paints I have tried.

Thanks for that.I am just getting into this foam board construction rather than balsa after getting a couple of dodgy Chinese kits that to be honest were rubbish to use nice language
I am impressed with what can be done with this material
Thanks once again for info and I will search for this paint
Steve

 

[bwarz]

If you use the FT waterproof stuff, a quick brush down with steel wool and a decent can of spray (I use Krylon and Rust-Oleum 2X). I've been building with DTFB which benefits big from a coating of polyurethane (not water-based) first before paint. I've heard if you are light-handed with a few very light coats to start and you can skip the poly. I prefer to use poly as it adds some strength and also a good amount of waterproofing, but it comes with the price of increased weight. Just remember to hot glue all of your edges as well to improve the waterproofing. (Somehow I keep forgetting one area or another and I invariably get a separation of paper and foam. Last time I freaking forgot to hot glue the rudder joint and the blasted vertical peeled mostly off!)

 

[kilroy07]

For the exposed foam edges, might I suggest you try ironing?....
Really stiffens up control surfaces and I don't cut bevels anymore, I just iron them in.

https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/ragged-foamboard-edges-iron-them.58075/

 

[Merv]

....what is the best type of paint.....

There are several alternatives to paint.

I use colored packing tape (not duck tape). Clear packing tape is available almost everywhere, a mil or 2 thick. Colored packing tape is available through Tape Planet and Hobby King

Others have used wing skins. They Take the design to an office supply center or other print shop and have it printed out on a large format printer, on paper or vinyl. Then apply it to the foam prior to cutting out the plane.