mightypeesh Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Hi folks. Just a quick one here. I am just planning a WW1 build and for the first time I am going to want to paint solarfilm as I usually fully sheet and glass my wings. I thought I would see what a difference wiping the film with Prymol makes to adhesion of the primer as it is what is always recomended, and I do not believe anything that I have not tried myself! Made up a scrap test bed aswell as a test strip as a control. Very technical - Prymol at the bottom nothing at the top. It stinks to high heaven so use in well vented area and use gloves. I just wiped it over the surfaces with a bit of kitchen roll and let it dry - takes minutes! I sprayed it with bog standard Halfords black primer and left it over night. I first put cheapy masking tape on it. As expected the untreated film paint came straight off. the Prymol side faired a lot better although you can see it has pulled speckles of paint off of the 'wing test'. The more expensive low tack Frog tape faired a lot better and left pretty much all of the paint behind on the Prymol treated bits. So in conclusion with this quick test - the Prymol pretty much does what it is meant to - I will try giving it a couple of wipes when I use it properly though - and quality masking tape is also the order of the day. I think by the time it is primed, painted, distressed and fuel proofed it will be fine. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Interesting - was that the original Solarfilm or Polyester? i wonder if anyone has tried a similar test on Orafilm/Profilm/Toughlon/HK films? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 Funny you should say that. This one is proper solafilm but I am going to try some HK film later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I'll be keeping an eye out for that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Jones Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I can see a need arising with a few existing models in need of a refurb, so I'll be watching with interest too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 I will prepare and paint it tonight and post resuls tommorow when it has dried the same amount of time. Cheers, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Harrison 2 Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Thanks for this very interesting test, which I find useful. I'm currently covering a glider with Oracover and Monokote, and might well want to paint a few things on top. And I've just bought some of the low-tack yellow Frog tape, on recommendation. Look forward to seeing your further results. rgds Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 i've painted on to profilm after a light rub with fine wet and dry...no problems using solac...by the film maker people. ken anderson...ne...1...light rub dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted October 16, 2015 Author Share Posted October 16, 2015 OK .... I will add a wet and dry rub to the test. Tony does tend to fully sheet without the ribs sticking through though! My thinking is that any abrasive over a thin bit of plastic shrunk up to a rib is asking for trouble - its how I cut off overhangs of cloth when i clean up a glassed wing - and seeing how the covering adds to its strength...... Cheers, Simon Edited By mightypeesh on 16/10/2015 20:00:50 Edited By mightypeesh on 16/10/2015 20:01:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I have sucesfully used a scotch brite pad to rub back film artf's before spraying. Just rub until the finish is matt. Never had paint lift with masking CheersDanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan Bennett Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 If I remember correctly, it says in the Prymol instructions that it won't work on polyester coverings. I've used it quite a lot on Solarfilm and Solite, and I find it very effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 Of course, you can scuff up the Solarfilm before it's applied.... tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Fox Posted October 16, 2015 Share Posted October 16, 2015 I used solar film to cover my Lancaster and painted it with bog standard Humbrol enamels.... Stayed stuck now for over 12 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mightypeesh Posted October 17, 2015 Author Share Posted October 17, 2015 Thanks for all the input chaps. It is all a bit 'horses for courses' the method you like to use - as I have not used any yet on a live model I thought it would be an interesting little test to do. I dont suppose I will find much difference between a manually keyed surface ie. scotch pad, and a chemically etched surface - the Prymol. The main differencewould I think be the ammount of input and time taken to prepare the surface - me being lazy a quick wipe with a bit of soaked tissue would be my chosen method...... if it is any good that is! Also I could get into the little nooks and crannies eisier with the Prymol. Ok results time for Hobby King Film - at just under 7 quid for a five meter roll..... Bit of orange this time. Same set up as Solafilm but with an added test of some plastic primer I have had laying around for ages. Hard to see but the Prymol is on the right giving it a slight rainbow haze look Looks like Prymol and the plastic primer have had a major falling out! It would only add weight anyway! Also added on the 'sanded' section. I used 1200grit wet and dry. Ok drum roll........ Eeeerm. Now that suprised me! The only sections that I can get the paint to come of from are the ones with the rubbish primer on! The other sections with prymol, sanding or no treatment at all are stuck fast!! I thought at first that I had not stuck it down properly so rubbed it down again and again and still cannot get it to lift. I used the same paint and preparation- the only difference is the HK film as opposed to the 'real' stuff. I am guessing that the HK film is not so chemically resistant - maybe not as fuel proof as solarfilm - so the primer is etching itself and bonding to the surface better. The fuel proofing is not relevant to me because the whole point is that I am going to paint and fuel proof on top. I might give the solarfilm another go later just to check the results and to do a sanded vs etched test, but my results here have sold me on HK stuff! Cheers chaps, Simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Ramsay Posted March 25, 2016 Share Posted March 25, 2016 Thanks so much for this test and info. Simon, very helpful indeed. I've just bought some Silver covering film from HK to use as a metal looking skin which I can distress the paint back to. Hopefully my project will look great with this HK stuff, and at £11 for 5 meters delivered you can really go wrong! Cheers Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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