Dulux Trade emulsion and varnish??

[Chris Bowes]

Hi all, I am taking my first steps in painting my first fully fibreglassed model and looking for input on readily available and current choices for primers, top coats and varnishes.

First questions on primer, should I be using a high build primer or "normal" primer first? Halfords seems a go to place, just wondered if there are other easy options?

I am a decorator and have easy access to Dulux Trade paints and varnishes, has anyone used and what results did you get? I am thinking of mixed tester pots of Matt emulsion and then a final coat of Dulux Trade Diamond glaze - a water based varnish recommended for floors (I have it in my stock, data sheets mentions it is a vinyl - urethane copolymer emulsion).

I would be airbrushing on and have seen other advice on thinning with screen wash or acrylic thinners.

[Martin Gay]

Chris,

To fill the weave of the glass cloth before painting, I spray a filler-primer onto the surface followed by a couple of other colours. I then apply a coat, or two, of diamond hard varnish. This is all rubbed back until the colour of the filler-primer starts showing through.

I then repeat this process until I get the desired surface finish for the final top coat(s) colour. I see no reason for not using matt emulsion as the sacrificial paint coats since the varnish will prevent different paint types from reacting with each other.

Martin.

[Chris Bowes]

Thanks for the reply Martin.

[Patrick Marsden]

Chris

 

People use all different types of paints. A lot of it will depend on what you are powering the aircraft with, not all varnishes will tolerate petrol or glow fuel. I know of some people that use the Ronseal Diamond hard clear varnish, applied by roller , on petrol powered warbirds and they have found it petrol resistant. I did a test peice recently and found that although you can spray this varnish it needs watering down by around 50% at which point its not petrol resistant.  If you have electric aircraft or gliders then I would suggest this is a good varnish to use at it remains flexible and gave good results through the airbrush.

As an aside, I am currently using cellulose paints bought online and they spray really well and dry really fast, although petrol proof in its own right I have also given the planes a coat of cellulose clearcoat for added durability.

I use filler primer as it is much better at dealing with slight imperfections and just sand it well back.

 

 

Edited By Patrick Marsden on 22/04/2020 13:36:45

[G-JIMG]

Chris,

Personally, I use a thin layer of 3M putty to fill the weave and remove any surface irregularities. It dries fast and sands really easily.

I only use Filler Primer if I want to add features, such as panel lines, to the surface. I place Chart Tape where I need the line, paint over it with Filler Prime, rub down until the tape is just visible again and then remove the tape. The resulting indentation produces a good effect when the final coat is sprayed on.

Jim.

[Chris Bowes]

Thanks again for the replies.

I should maybe of mentioned in my original post that the project is an electric powered funfighter, a Kawasaki Hien from Cambria Models. Being a simple, low cost and fully sheeted build I thought it would be a good candidate to do my first fibreglass and paint job on. Not settled on a scheme for it yet, either scale or other.

I am going to invest in some spray equipment as I have a few other projects which I will be moving on to afterwards and for which I will be covering in a similar way (and a long wish list of scale projects after that !)

I have been looking at getting a compressor and airbrush, but am thinking that an airbrush is not going to cut it alone when you are spraying larger models and/or large single block colours. That, I would assume, would need a spray gun. What kind of setups are you running?

[Denis Watkins]

Have a look through these posts 1st Chris, and gleen what you need from them

Then come back for fine tuning

**LINK**

Edited By Denis Watkins on 25/04/2020 18:10:26

[Robert Parker]

Hi Chris,

I used fibreglass for the first time last year and used the following with good results.

Thanks to Chris aka McG 6969 for the tip, mix a quantity of lightweight filler, Red Devil, One Time or similar, then add the same quantity of water-based varnish, (I use Ronseal diamond glaze) then add an equal amount of talcum powder and add some water-based paint to give it some pigment mix all together until and add some water if needed to give a consistency of whipped cream and paint on the model with a brush allow to dry and sand with wet and dry 300 grit or thereabouts this gives an almost glass-like surface ready for painting I use Halfords rattle cans primer and topcoats and sealed with fuel proofer for my glow engines or left without for my electric models.

fibre glassed and the mixture applied

All sanded back and primer/filler applied

Topcoat applied to my Dornier Do24

I'm currently restoring an unfinished Top Flight P40 Warhawk which I abandoned 8 years ago and was stored in the attic. I got as far as priming the airframe, the time in the attic split the balsa in several places and I used the formula directly over the primer after gluing and filling the splits and so far it seems to have worked.

Hope this is of some use to you

Regards

Robert

[G-JIMG]

Posted by Chris Bowes on 25/04/2020 17:56:06:

Thanks again for the replies.

I should maybe of mentioned in my original post that the project is an electric powered funfighter, a Kawasaki Hien from Cambria Models. Being a simple, low cost and fully sheeted build I thought it would be a good candidate to do my first fibreglass and paint job on. Not settled on a scheme for it yet, either scale or other.

I am going to invest in some spray equipment as I have a few other projects which I will be moving on to afterwards and for which I will be covering in a similar way (and a long wish list of scale projects after that !)

I have been looking at getting a compressor and airbrush, but am thinking that an airbrush is not going to cut it alone when you are spraying larger models and/or large single block colours. That, I would assume, would need a spray gun. What kind of setups are you running?

Chris,

You're correct, a small airbrush doesn't really cut it when you're painting a 6' wing span model.

For large jobs I use a compressor with a reasonably large reservoir tank, it means you have an uninterrupted air supply. The downside is the noise. I usually set up a 'spray booth' in my garage by draping drop cloths from the beams. I then place the compressor outside to minimise the noise.

I use a spray gun with a reasonable spray pattern (about 2" wide) and the ability to hold a reasonable amount of paint.

Jim.

[Cliff 1959]

Hi Chris,

I've recently painted my electric Mannock biplane with Valspar matt emulsion, brushed on, two or three coats sanding lightly between, then finished with a clear matt laquer, the brush marks are hardly visible.

[Chris Bowes]

Great info there guys, thanks, as with most things in this hobby there is definately more than one way to crack a nut when it come to painted finishes, but your photos show that a great result is possible with different methods.

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Any tried and tested recommendations for matt/satin glow fuel proofing over emulsion?

Edited By Martin Harris on 27/04/2020 12:33:43

[gillyg1]

Hi Chris

firstly I wouldn't glass a funfighter would make it to heavy.

I use the tester pots £3 from BnQ, and a spray gun like the one above ,to paint my models. I do i/c warbirds.

if your doing electric - then fine using the varnish you mentioned I think would be ok, not used it myself,as not fuel

(glow) resistant.

may I suggest if your doing a warbird finish- please do a matt finish,, if a racing colour scheme - yes gloss finish would be fine.

[Alan Gorham_]

Sorry Gilly but I'm going to disagree that glassing a fun fighter would make it too heavy.

Yes, if done badly with too much resin left on the airframe and too much primer and paint. But done properly it's just not true.

15 or so years ago I built a Tony Nijhuis BAe Hawk from a plan in RCM&E. Tony's prototype was covered in film where mine was glassed and painted and fuelproofed. Both models weighed exactly the same. Mine is still flying as a slope soarer with the engine removed.

[Alan Gorham_]

Also another funfighter that I glassed is this Cambria Ki61:

[Chris Bowes]

Nice model Alan

Have been researching possible schemes for my KI-61, doesn't seem to be a huge amount of scale schemes for reference but may do the middle of these three:

[Chris Bowes]

Also came across this which I may tackle

[Alan Gorham_]

Great stuff Chris!

I'd be interested to know how you get on with spraying emulsion. I mainly use Warbird Colours paint out of preference which was a water based acrylic. The Ki61 however is painted with HobbyFlight enamel for the camouflage colours. I use Tamiya acrylics through the airbrush for markings as they spray so well.

I used KlassKote epoxy fuelproofer on the Hawk but it was expensive so I have started using automotive solvent based 2K clear as a fuelproofer for my glow powered models now. FWIW I don't think you will get an effective fuelproof effect from a single part lacquer or varnish.