Folland Gnat T1

The latest picture with the canopy complete.

Just the solid Depron nose cone to do.

I have enjoyed this even tho' "not my thing" . It is looking good.

Flytilbroke wrote: I have enjoyed this even tho' "not my thing" . It is looking good.

Same here, perfect day to test that Antonov Q, not a breath of wind here and glorious sunshine.....it won't last!

Quorneng,
you appear to you fill and rub down your foam. What do you use to seal the surface and effectively harden it? I was thinking of using some shellac sanding sealer. Obviously the cellulose stuff would got right through! I'm at that stage with my FT Spitfire to which I've added Depron front cowl and lover nose piece as a hatch., It's shaped and lightweight fillered, but needs sealing.

Martin

Martin
I use acrylic paint from Scola as it acts both as a sealer and colour. Technically an artists 'bulk' water based paint. It is thick and gives good coverage but is quite inert to Depron. When dry it is water proof as is ever likely to be needed for an electric plane.

I also use PVA glue as a sealer where the Depron internal structure is particularly 'open'. With several sanded coats it can come up to a true smooth finish but is obviously relatively heavy however the extra 'hardness' that results is useful on, say, the leading edge of an all Depron wing.

Thanks,
but isn't PVA glue permanently rubbery and so doesn't sand? Someone suggested lightweight filler mixed with PVA. I need to get a decent silver finish and then that odd bronzey-yellow anodizing look of the zinc chromate. I'm still weighing up weather to use aluminium tape or weather that might bounce the signal around, although the Rx. is under the pilot.

Martin

I use gorilla glue ( not the expanding stuff) sands a treat.
Incedently acrylics are totally waterproof once dry, I've made hundreds of fishing floats using acrylics for decoration, I've also got it on my clothes during my painting sessions and trust me it don't come off, it's also totally fuel proof ( diesel)..

Martin
Being basically mean the stuff I use is "All Purpose White glue" as used in school projects. Its only half the price of the proper stuff from Evo-stick.
This was just £1 from Asda.

Quorneng, I was thinking of getting just like that! I, too am tight as a canard's derriere.

Eric, the tape would only be on the cowls at the front and the wing leading edge panels, but after a wee effort to tape some foam, I have decided that silver paint is all that'll work. the tape simply squashes the foam when burnished down. Shame. I HATE silver paint! But I want it done in first flight finish, so I guess I'll have to use the shiniest I can find. Any recommendations for a very shiny enamel silver?

Cheers,
Martin

Martin, the original wasn't that shiny, it was just aluminium that had had a light "scotch brite rub".
Just rang my son, he's a keen plastic modeller, he recommends a paint by "Alclad" as being the closest, apparently you can buff it to a sheen with a yellow duster, needs to be applied with a airbrush though.
There is also a company called Mig that produce some brilliant paints for weathering etc they also do several ally paints.
Of course you could always cover it in tissue, hobby craft do a lovely dull silver and it's only a quid for 5 large sheets, I covered a free flight job in it a while back, not the easiest to work with but looks good, I'll find a picture and post it...

There you go!

Martin
I had the same problem with my DH Albatross - silver all over super smooth linen covered moulded plywood.

Took a while, careful filling and sanding with 2 coats sanded in between.
Royal Langnickel actrylic silver
www.royalbrush.com

Both nice models, gents. The Albatross does look convincing. The first flight Spitfire had polished panels on the nose and I always heard leading edges top the main wings too. I was thinking that if I can't use foil, I'd go for an easy to use bright as poss. silver enamel. Alclad is a known faff to use and doesn't like handling or take a clear coat, so no good for an R/C plane. I don't know about Mig's use on larger models. It needs to be a reasonably handleable enamel or acrylic. But, due to the problem with paint falling off Foamboard if it comes anywhere near masking tape. So I could spray the whole thing silver and then brush paint the individual panels with a thinned acrylic yellowish green and hope the silver shows through a little. I have an auto body paint company near me who do enamels in small qualities. Maybe they can recommend a silver by HRG for instance.
I've tried the thinned lightweight filler/PVA mix and it did seem to seal to some extent, though didn't rub down very well and won't be a great substrate for painting. This is the massive downside of foam construction. It's quick, it's easy, it's light as a feather, but it ain't easily shaped or painted. Or am I really missing something?
If only I did big buggers. I'd use GRP. Oh well...
Once it's 20 feet away it'll look as good as anyone else's Spitfire!
Martin

Here's the Flite Test foamboard Spitfire with the shaped Depron top nose cowl and the bottom one acting as a battery hatch. top deck is the 1mm Depron that ironically comes with the 10 pack of foamboard. Reardeck is rolled 2mm depron and that was not a success, needing a fair bit of filler, but I think it's salvageable.

Martin

Martin
Be careful of aerosol enamel. Its not the paint that does the damage but the propellant.
If sprayed very lightly from exactly the right distance the propellant evaporates before the individual drops hit the surface. Too far and the paint dries as well and does not stick properly, too near and foam is attacked.
Several very light 'mist' coats is the recommended approach. Once they are dry a thicker 'wet' gloss coat can go on but it relies on the first coats protecting the foam. Big risk!

I have used enamel clear spray to get a 'shiny' finish on matt acrylic. It works but you do have to take the time to slowly build up very thin coats (preferably outside in warm non damp conditions!) or the result is worse than what you started with and there is no recovery.