Suitable paint for foamies

[pug205]

As above, I'd like to spray paint my HZ Super Cub. I'm looking for a paint that works, either a primer sealer or a complete one coat solution. First coat that sticks seems to be the key?  

[Jeekay56]

Most of the propellants in spray paint will attack the foam.

 

Try coating with PVA to seal the  foam first.

Water based acrylic paint should be ok.

 

I guess it it all depends on the type of foam.

[Tamiyacowboy]

try these 

 

Ultracote paints

 

Krylon H2o

 

your wanting a more water based acrylic paint for the foam to be safe.

you can also use uethane glue (gorilla glue) but this is more for covering the foam with a skin of

very light weight brown wrapping paper in strips.

 

if you try and lay down large sheeting on the foam fuse its possible to end up with folds cracks and uneven lay.

so thin strips of brown paper and a very thin coat of gorila glue. the GLUE MUST be applied very thin onto the model surface

then the paper layed into the glue. ( the glue uses water in the air to cure and foam).

 

sealing adds more weight, so a water based acrylic with a 50-60% paint to 40- 50% water thinned.

spray this on with a airbrush if possible this way you get very fine dust sprays.

you can brush it on but risk brush marks on the finished product

[pug205]

I'm experimenting with Zinnzers Bulleye at the moment, some I had out in the store. Water based primer sealer that is used by the decorating trade. After a sugarsoap wash and rinse, early trial worked,  didn't have any effect when brushed on. Then used a masking tape and sprayed Plasti-kote over, no "wrinkling". Going for 2nd trial now as first lot bled through on the edges a little. No peeling of paint, so far? 

[Tamiyacowboy]

its likely it will stay, but paint is a pain on plastics. 

 

we use acrylic as it has a handy action, when you apply the acrylic

onto the plastic bodys and likes of rc cars it eats its way into the plastic.

a very thin layer of plastic is attacked by the acrylic and it bonds.

 

now some plastics/ foams are coated or just not exaclty clean plastics lotta rubbish mixed in to bulk out.

when an acrylic hits these, its eating action is very low and it cures into a surface skin,

some areas will bite and others over time will start to boil and peel, or the paint acts like very old plastic sheeting and fractures

in little flakes everywhere. 

 

foam is a real pain its eaten by alot of chemicals so our foam paints have to be foam safe.

people have sprayed a lovely warbird, came back an hour later to a molten lump of gunk.

 

 

now i am not one for hacking lumps out of aircraft, but it is always a good idea to find a nice spot inside the fuse

and cut away a small slither of foam. cut this slither into sections and you have foam test pads.

best place to look for foam inside the fuse is around the front nose and canopy area where you tend to install a battery.

you dont want mass chunks of foam just a small piece to test a few dabs of paint for reactions.