CA Models Osmose Delux ARC

[Jim Woodward]

Matt - actually that is not a bad idea. I could prep tonight, shoot in the morning, and just leave the fuselage zipped up in the tent until I get home. I'll think about this tonight.
Thanks,
Jim

[Matchless]

Years ago, I used to paint vintage British cars and vintage motorcycles. Space was limited, so we painted in my uncle's combine shop. We shot only single stage in those days, so paint jobs were usually acrylic enamel in multiple coats, wet sanded in between, followed by a final coat with extra hardener added. Inevitably, a spider or dirt dobber or mosquito would land on the project in the final coat...... LOL

We did however manage to keep the dust down by wetting the floor around us and hosing off the walls.

I always speculated that the paint fumes rising as the paint was sprayed and flashing would rise and kill the bugs and drop them in from above.....

On a more serious note, one tactic to try would be to paint and prep in two different areas. For the paint area, don't turn on the lights until time to paint. No light, fewer bugs.
I've recently taken up painting helicopter canopies for fun, and am having to re-learn everything.....

Beautiful bird Jim!

[MattyMatt]

I agree... I prep in my house and leave the lights off in my garage until just before I spray... then turn them off immediately. Keeps the bugs from following the light above the freshly painted parts.

In the non summer months it is good to spray at dusk after the dew falls. This takes the dust and dirt out of the air. Wetting the floor is definately a good idea if you are going to spray a bunch of paint as the over spray falls and sticks to the wet floor. It also keeps the dust down.

[Jim Woodward]

Thanks Matchless and Matt,

I'll use the lighting trick tonight or tomorrow, and also bought some citrenella candles to strategically locate before the paint.

As of last night, I sanded the canopy almost toally off. I will repaint that totally. After careful examination of the fuselage, I sanded probably 70% of it with wet 400 grit. I will finish the scheme, then go back and polish out or clear as needed.
Thanks,
Jim

[Jim Woodward]

Just one other thing, before I started sanding mostly nice paint (minus bugs) I was kind of PO'd about it. It just isn't how you want to spend your evening. Then, the "modeler" side kicked in and I was at least happy to know I was putting out my best effort to make it as good as I can. I think we all want to build something to the best of our ability.
Jim

[Radioactive]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Jim Woodward
	Just one other thing, before I started sanding mostly nice paint (minus bugs) I was kind of PO'd about it. It just isn't how you want to spend your evening. Then, the "modeler" side kicked in and I was at least happy to know I was putting out my best effort to make it as good as I can. I think we all want to build something to the best of our ability. Jim

Yo Woody, i say i don't blame you much for being PO'D ... looking at that avitar.. would be a shame to hang in the shop, and not with her!!

[preston blake]

After amatuer painting several boats over the years (outdoors required because of size) I concluded early AM paint schedule is the best. Less wind,Fewer bugs,Lower Temp(use the correct temp reducer) less direct sun. Wait late enough for the humidity to begin to fall so you are not dealing with 100% which is often what it is early AM in Florida.You generally have till about 10:30 before conditions begin to deteriorate. Also you can turn your work upside down as soon as it's shot so if you have bugs at least they will be on the bottom. Surface tension levels the paint so upside down is no problem

[Radioactive]

hey, guy are you still planing on the zepher electric.. stephen and i would love to go again...Don

[Jim Woodward]

Ya'll here it is.... massive progress underway. I finally hit the sweet spot on my gun pressure, paint mixture, spray pattern, and paint volume. Tonight is yellow, Tuesday is the canopy, then its onto rudder monocote and hinging. The taping effort took about 6 hours just for the pattern. Trying tape straight lines on a rounded fuselage isn't easy. Then I tried to verify with a lazer, but the lazer bends on curved surfaces so in the end, I basically eye-balled the whole job with very few measureable reference points. It looks good though, and all the lines are spaced equally.
Thanks,
Jim

[Jim Woodward]

Laying down the scheme was tougher than I thought it would be. The only straight line on the whole plane is the canopy line. Without pre-cut "masks" the whole taping effort just gets harder. But, I can safely say that after having made many mistakes, finally figured some things out, recovered, and now producing good results - I'd charge at least $1000 without materials to paint somone's fuselage, even from gelcoat. It just isn't worth the time to do this for somone else, especially as a one-off custom effort. For the few hours I have to spend in the garge - versus full time work, commuting, family, etc., given the finicky/fickle nature of pattern pilots, there is no way I'd do this as a hired job.

The only thing I did "smart" was after I layed down the paint lines, I masked off the plane in such a way that I could quickly go from color to color without waisting too much time and tape.

That is the highlight! - and the glossy look...... also, I'm done with single-stage paint. After this I'm going to go with the base/clear coat system. Again, for the time I have to do this, I need to be able to paint more than one color a day.

Thanks,
Jim

[Radioactive]

jimbo looking good... remember don't put 15 lbs of paint on her!!!!

[Jim Woodward]

Thanks Don,

One other thing - I bought a 3-pack of OFF Citrenella candles. Prior to painting I put a candle in the tent, at the garage door, and more inside the garage. Since using these candles, not a single bug has landed anywhere on the fuselage.

Thanks,
Jim

[MattyMatt]

Looking great Jim... I agree with you about the base coat system vs the single stage. Base coat systems dry very quickly and do many colors faster.

Good idea about the candles.

I dig your new avitar... college anyone? Meow.

[Jim Woodward]

There might be a painter in me yet. Before shooting yellow, I sanded the white down again just to get the smoothest surface possible. Tonight all the tape comes off and i can see what we have, then shoot the metallic silver, which will be base/clear system.
Thanks,
Jim

[cap 232g]

Wow! It is looking great. I would mess the painting up with out a doubt. This thing should fly awesome.