Ken,

I've heard of guys trading big motors or a couple of hundred bucks for a professonal paint booth job. There are some incredible paint jobs being done out there by some very talented people.

Art..... feel free to chime in here any time......

One of the big expenses is the paint. Automotive paint is a three part mixture so you need paint, activator, and reducer. If you're talking clear coat then you need two to three more as they can use different activators.

I am a bit of a hack when it comes to automotive paint. I do it in the barn and try my best. I really like the durable finish of the automotive paint despite all the hassles and safety precautions.

If you don't get any replies and are still looking, let me know. I'd be glad to help if you buy the paint.

Speaking of buying the paint, I go to Bart's Automotive paint in Longmont. They may have some local recommendations. I have wanted to head up to Conway's shop but its a bit out of the way for me.

Ed

Well, I have my hands pretty full right now but I would be happy to look into doing it for you. It sounds like you want the same kind of paint job that I just shot onto Bruce's rocket. I don't really have any more white pearl coat left but I have a whole lot of regular white and red. I also have many different flavors of both metallic and candy blacks, blues, reds. I am also very set as far as primer and clear coat goes.

How big is the rocket (length diameter, fin size and number of fins)? I will be shooting tomorrow so I will rummage through all my base coats and see exactly what I have. If you wanted to work something out using my basecoats, I could provide materials, which would be much cheaper for you and less confusing. All you would have to do is choose a color or two and how it is applied, then, I do the rest.

Art

Oh, yah. Stay away from that glazing putty or spot putty crap! I try to not use anything that doesn't use an activator mainly because some products that don't use an activator to initiate a chemical reaction will shrink over time or trap moisture under the paint, which in time will allow the paint to chip off or lift.

I recommend a product called "Metal Glaze" or "Blaze Glaze". It is basically just a thinner form of Bondo that can be easily mixed and spread onto a surface. It is really good for filling shallow imperfections, pinholes in glass or carbon. It is also used to fill low spots in order to straighten a surface. If you are filling deeper and more involved imperfections then straight up Bondo will do the job. Most Napa stores and auto body supply shops carry the glaze.

Art

Funny how things change. Years ago, I would not have even CONSIDERED flying an unpainted rocket. No way. I used to wonder about the folks who did such a thing.

As I got older and lazier, I started to fly to occasional primer-only rocket. Then I got into performance, and I started to prime things and wet-sand them on the launch site for optimal performance. I'd re-prime and re-sand before the next flight.

Now I have digressed even more. I only prime where I puttied, and then I sand it at home. If I scrape it up on the way out there, no worries. I fly glass rockets 95% of the time, and I like seeing the innards of a project as it sits on the pad. I actually gave away all my paint one day... But I do go through the Kilz!

John, I think you aught to put a light coat of clear on some of your rockets and buff and polish it out. Wouldn't look very pretty but it could be slick.

Art

Thanks all for the inputs.

Ed, I know the barn-painting experience. My dad and I painted my first car in one. Like you said, I'm after the durability (and deep gloss) of auto paint.

Art, I knew I had seen some white pearl recently! It was Bruce's L3 that put the idea in my head. The rocket is 4" dia. and about 5' long (LOC Fantom 438 EXL) with 3 clipped delta fins not too huge. Plastic nose, paper tubes, and G10 fins. I have a few areas where the Kilz bubbled and left pinholes, so that's about all I have left to fill... maybe a tiny bit of touchup on the fillets. Keep me posted on your supplies. I don't think it'd take much paint. I seriously overkilled on my "once-show, now street" car ('69 VW) with a full gallon of Porsche Guards Red and a full gallon of clear. It was painted back in '89 or so, and people still ask if I just painted it. Garages are a wonderful thing!

I'm open to color suggestions, but I remember how easy it was to find mine on the prairie in its nekkid white state. Maybe a candy blue nose section with white elsewhere with some chrome trim?

What have you guys done for lettering, etc.? I like the look of chrome over anything. How well does chrome trim monokote stick? Would you put that on last or before clear-coating?

OK, enough babbling on. Art, if you can fit me in, that's great. I just want to get it done before it gets damaged sitting around my basement!

The initial name idea for this small (for its complexity) 7-motor dual-deploy airstart bird is.......

EXCESS IN MODERATION

thoughts? 8) or 😕

-Ken

For lettering let me know as I have a guy that does lettering and graphics custom. He is reasonable and does them in MAY colors and styles and sizes. In fac t he even does Chrome.. As far as product you may need please feel free to give me a shout. I can direct you or recommend you to something or even some place to get what you want. In the past Ive been the painter as Art has but at the moment to much on my plate as well as the booth I was using is no longer available.

Ken, give me a call anytime tomorrow. Since today was crappy I will be shooting primer on two L3 birds. I would like to give you a better idea of what I have for colors and what would be involved. Talk to you soon.

Art
970-576-1406

OR............If you need a color I can get you a great price on some quality paint if Art doesnt have what you need or want. Again if you would like"true Chrome" look there is only 2 ways to get it. One buy the ULTRA high dollar 3 stage paint system called Mirra Chrome by Alsa Corp or the very high quality made (and locally made) graphic.

Conway,

Can you give me a ballpark price on a quart? I'm getting bored with the white pearls around on all the cars. I'm now leaning towards yellow, like '07 Honda S2000 Rio Yellow Pearl or '07 Nissan Solar Yellow? 😯

I certainly don't need the higher end stuff, just something that's compatible with what Art's already spraying. Maybe put some leftovers of your new pearl (from the Full Throttle repaint) over it?

Lemme know. Otherwise, I'll probably go with a white base that Art already has with some pearl leftovers over that.

BTW, I found a place online where I can get the full name in 2" letters, chrome with black outline and drop shadow for ~ $23. Hard to beat for "semi-custom". Choice of way too many fonts as well.

-Ken

Just remember, any overcoat you buy will have to be PPG Global brand if you want to use one of my base coats. I only have PPG Global base coats.

Stop into HobbyTown this weekend, I would love to take a look at the rocket!

Art

Just remember, any overcoat you buy will have to be PPG Global brand if you want to use one of my base coats. I only have PPG Global base coats.

Stop into HobbyTown this weekend, I would love to take a look at the rocket!

Art

Art not necessarily true. I have some stuff that is plenty compatible with the PPG systems. Most of the Old "really good" Chemist from PPG are now working for Martin Senor.

Ken,

Justing just picked up a quart of basecoat from me a day ago. It was a quart quanity and was less then $30.00.

I'm a committed PPG paint user... now if only I could get the time or space to actually paint one of my birds...

Warren

I'm a committed PPG paint user... now if only I could get the time or space to actually paint one of my birds...

Warren

PPG isnt the same company they once were. To many times people put faith in just a name or even an old reputation that a company today cant live up to. I play with them all. PPG, BASF, Martin Senor, Planet Color, Alsa Corp, Dupont, Sherwin Williams, House of Kolor.... the list goes on. Its the people in the compay that make the product good not the name. Thus why I say look at Martin Senor. The Chemist they have working for them for the last 5 years has been the very ones that put PPG on the map. PPG, HOK and a couple others are riding on that past technology and have not advanced making their product inferior and way behind the times. my question warren would be why are you? have you bothered to look on the other side of the fence? Just curious as I think you are selling yourself short on some other great stuff out there.