WARNING don't use Krylon metalic paints

Ryan O.

Out of Foam Board!
I was building a FT Simple Storch for someone and since it was for a new pilot as a trainer it needed to be easy mainyain oreantation with. The wing bottom was painted with neon orange Krylon and it was great. The back half of the plane was painted with Krylon metallic silver. I lightly sprayed it and walked away for 5 minutes not expecting anything to go wrong. When I came back I saw the whole tail was drooping and wrinkled. Upon further inspection I found everything that had been painted silver had a lot of foam dissolved. It probably has to do with what is inside the paint, but I would stay away from the Krylin metallic paints.
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sprzout

Knower of useless information
Mentor
A lot of spray paints have materials that will eat away at foamboard, unfortunately. This is one of those times that the paint ate away at it. :(

For the future, if you want a metallic look, I suggest trying an airbrush and some thinned out acrylic paints - it won't eat away at the foamboard. Just be careful how much you're applying or else it might make it soggy and weak, and cause parts to droop again, thus forcing a rebuild.
 

Keno

Well-known member
Yah, I know about that, used on a Mini Mustang disaster. I appears that on the metallic they use quit a lot of "solvent" and it penetrants the paper and then eats the foam.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Pri.... mer.

Seal ALL exposed foam edges with white wood glue. I use Gorilla white wood glue and its great. THEN dust automotive sanding prime on the entire craft until you have full coverage. Sand that all down smooth with 800 and 1000 grit emery paper. Paint as desired. By priming you need far less paint for good coverage and its actually lighter to do both primer and finish coat as the finish coat alone is the heavy part. If you use primer you sand off most the weight but the paper cant soak up the heavy pigments in the finish paint nor the higher concentration of chemical used for curing.

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Here's where I found exactly the answers I needed regarding spray cans and foam. Now for me it doesn't need to remain a mystery.