Foxfan Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Hi, having asked about fuel proofing and searched the net to get far from conclusive results, I have set up a test piece. Three 6x4s of Solartex on an old kitchen door. One painted with Halfords pale blue spray can, then overcoated with Akrifan gun ready, one shot clear coat (which I have for a glass like finish on customer slot cars), one sprayed with Halfords clear lacquer rattle can and one sprayed with Ronseal water based polyurethane Diamond Hard, the only 100% result apart from acid hardened 2 pack. I didn''t have any of that, but am sure it's ideal. Just a bit of a faff sending for it, sorting out a thinner/cleaner, etc. If you can pop out and buy some, I'd say do so, as Stevo swears by it! But this is a test of what I can pop out and get. Because paints generally like a week to really set hard, whatever they may say on the tin, I will leave the test piece in my shed for a week to cook, then stand it on my engine test bed and run a coupla noisy, smellies straight onto the test piece. Also, I don't have a glow starter till next Tuesday at least<G> I will report back as soon as I have a result. There must be other beginners who could do with some good info. Cheers, MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 11, 2015 Author Share Posted July 11, 2015 I should add that the Ronseal sprayed a treat straight from the tin. I was using a spotting gun on about 40 psi from a decent compressor. I think for an airbrush you may want to thin a little with water. I cleaned the gun out with tap water, then flushed some cellulose thinners through to make sure. The Ronseal is milky coloured in the tin, but seemed to spray and then set clear, like Vallejo varnish does (also water based). So don't panic when you open it! MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
extra slim Posted July 11, 2015 Share Posted July 11, 2015 Watching with interest. My ronseal did dry a little "off" clear, but seems ok proof wise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i12fly Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I did a similar test with sample test pieces using Ronseal low VOC water based and Ronseal high VOC solvent based and tested with neat 5% nitro. The water based seemed OK for about 10 minutes but after wiping the fuel off it was noticeably tacky and did not dry out in a week but remained tacky. The high VOC stuff was OK after 1/2 hour exposure to the neat fuel. OK I left neat fuel on the surface for longer than you would expect at the field, but I think the water based will let you down sooner or later and the tacky surface attracts all the dirt. The high VOC solvent based is the one I use and it hasn't let me down (yet) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 13, 2015 Author Share Posted July 13, 2015 That's odd as it was the water based that I read so much good stuff about. I'll be doing my test come the weekend once the samples have had a week to dry thoroughly. MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The real Ron Truth Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Good luck! I never found anything that was truly fuel proof. Part of the problem was that to clean a model involved the use of slightly caustic cleaning chemicals which may have attacked the varnish as well. I have used Poly C water based varnish and that worked well on diesel and 10% nitro fuel. The key was to not let the crap seep in to cracks etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 We seem to have moved backwards in all these years. Fuel proofing was always something that was just taken for granted. A tin of a KK or Humbrol product was brushed on and that was that. Mind you, in those days we thought a 45 was big and a 61 was what rich kids' Dads had! So there was a lot less exhaust around, so to speak. MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Maybe, but we just accepted that fuel-proofer would tint everything with an amber-yellow hue. You can still get the same by using old fashioned polyurethane varnish. Considering that we used quite high nitro fuels for the little Cox engines, the old proofers did quite well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Crosby Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Although slightly of topic I have started using industrial wipes, available from builder's merchants, to clean down the aircraft after flying. They are not abrasive and, believe me, will clean just about anything. They will clean uncured epoxy off a building board and I have found that they are the only quick safe way to removed black waxoyl from skin (don't ask). I have had no marking or damage to the aircraft's finish either painted or film since using these wipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 That's worth knowing, Dane, thanks. When my wife and I were restoring an historic wooden narrow boat we used to get very mucked up with tar and the only things that would reliably clean that were baby wipes! Heaven knows what they do to a baby's bum! Cheers, MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roger graves Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Remember exhaust residue is always hot when it strikes the airframe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxfan Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Roger, with the exhaust routed away as far as practicable from the airframe, it should be cooler by then, but I guess it will be closer on my test piece, which is to be unscientifically plonked behind which ever engine is on test. Enya 35, Leo 40, Magnum 40, OS10. Alas I have no diesel fuel, so that'll be for another time. Cheers, MrTin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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