krylon or rustoleum

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nwagtmustang

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I was wondering what is better krylon or rustoleum. Where I live it is in the 40's and rainy. I am ready to paint my rocket and I want it to be a glossy white. I know to keep the spray cans in the house. I will be painting in my non heated garage. I have read good and bad things about the new krylon paint. I do not mind building up layers and taking my time. However I have stripped the paint once already due to runs and drips using tamiya. I do not want to strip it again and I do not like paying money for more paint. My wife is not too happy. I also want nice adhersion. I tried duplicolor and that was awful too. Due to the weather what kind of paint should I use for good adhersion and no runs drips or blistering. Thank you so much.
 
I use the Krylon paint and like it. I will say that I do not paint when humidity is above 70% and the temp must be at least 50-60 outside. I know this doesn't help much, but as you can see paint can be a tricky these days for whatever reason. White is the worst color for me also, I tend to use too much also, resulting in runs(clear coating is absolutely the worst for me). I have learned to stop myself thinking that "I'll just shoot a little more". For white paint, I will do 3 light coats of white primer, with light sanding between coats, then however many coats(with sanding in between) with either a flat white or a gloss, for me that usually means another 3 coats. I have probably 20 different birds waiting to be painted because of the weather right now, it is either too rainy, too cold, or too windy out.:( Good luck and take your time, remember light coats and resist the urge to just spray a little more. Also, I forgot to say, always keep the can moving when spraying, it only takes a second to get too much in a spot. Hope you can find something you like.
Matt
 
Due to the weather, I'd suggest Earl Scheib...

Keep the wife happy about cleanliness anyway...

G.D.
 
I just looked up earl scheib and I came across auto body and paint. Website says they have ceased operations.
 
Either Krylon or Rustoleum are fine. I perfer Old forumla Krylon White but Rustoleum is just as good.

My suggestion however is of watch the humidity as well as the Temp. It really isn't good to paint with the ambient air temp and surface being painted are below 50°f. and the humidity is somewhere in the resonable range 40-55%.

As you have already discovered Haste makes waste. Perhaps the model can & should stay unpainted for a few more days.
 
@nwagtmustang:

I'll give you one nota bene I haven't seen yet in this thread, relative to cold weather painting:

WARM UP THE CAN IN HOT WATER FIRST!

Basically, I fill a big pitcher 3/4ths full with water pretty hot. Not scalding hot, but toward the upper limit of what I would be OK with immersing my hand in. Plunk the (probably cold) can of spray paint in and wait 5-10 mins. I usually shake before warming and again after.

This warmed paint goes on in cold weather much better than cold paint.

Also, I keep the model warm until the minute I paint it. So, the model is warm and the paint is warm at time of application.

In more detail, this is what I do:

-I paint the entire model in grey Rustoleum High-Build auto primer (pretty cheap in the auto section at Walmart. Make sure to get the high-build version-says it on the can). I lay it on a light coat then a heavy coat, not worried about runs as they sand right out.

-When dry I sand it down with ~220 grit paper. Goal is to take out any scratches and so forth in the fins.

-Coat with white Rustoleum primer. I do 2 coats, 10 mins in between usually. I usually don't sand this primer coat.

-Then topcoat. I've had good experiences with plain rustoleum gloss white enamel and heard good things about the 2X coverage version as well as the Pro paint. Also heard good things about Valspar. Tried Krylon once and got more runs, but it was generally OK.

Good luck. I've never painted below 50 degrees, so please post your results. I'm interested to hear how it comes out.

Marc
 
Krylon is just about the most user friendly spray paint out there. Depending on how cold your can is to begin with, what Ive done was to place the spray can on top of my dryer and let it go at it for about 15 minutes or so.... shake it up for about 60 seconds and you should be fine...

Disclaimer.... I am not responsible if you place the can INSIDE the dryer. :lol:
 
I buy the 98cent cans at lowes! I use white base coat for all my airbrushing and to give a better base.... Nice and thick... let it cure for a couple days before doing anyting.
 
What Marc G said about soaking the rattlecan paint in warm water before spraying. What you want to achieve by doing this is to get the contents of the can up to the recommended optimum spraying temperature.

BTW, giving credit where due, I first read about this technique in one of Micromeister's technical papers. Not sure if he's the inventor of the technique, but I learned of it from his work.

As to Krylon vs Rustoleum, it's now kind of a moot point. The original Krylon paint that rocketeers swoon over is no longer available through normal retail outlets. You can purchase it via industrial channels.

I find Rustoleum lacquers although available only in red, white, black, and clear work well for the base coats.

The Rustoleum enamels are nice, too. You must however be careful with Rustoleum enamels "spitting" at random times. Wipe the nozzle frequently, shake the can frequently, and keep your fingers crossed. A rabbit's foot might help as well. You still might get a spitwad in spite of these precautions.

Personally, I like the Rustoeum fluorescent colors as they are easy to spot in the sky and on the ground. I spray a white basecoat over white primer and follow up with two color coats. Without any sanding whatsoever, I follow up with a two coats of Rustoleum Crystal Clear Enamel for a smooth glossy finish that is both BRIGHT and strong. The down side of this paint treatment is the added weight but then again, I build tube fin models (high drag) so the weight doesn't bother me at all. Just makes for lower altitudes and shorter recovery hikes. I'm old and would rather launch than trek cross country.
 
I am converted to the Valspar paints at Lowes. The new ones that say recoat anytime on the front label.
 
my suggestion is to go to lowes and pick up some Valspar. The only down side to Valspar is that it can take 3 to 5 day to completely cure depending on the temperature, humidity and what not. I taped off some fins 3 days after I painted and it left marks, so make darn sure its dry. That aside Valspar has a wet look even after it is completely dry. It rarely takes 2 coats and it fills any flaws in the surface. house of kolor (automotive paints) are a division of Valspar. They are good.
 
The only down side to Valspar is that it can take 3 to 5 day to completely cure depending on the temperature, humidity and what not. I taped off some fins 3 days after I painted and it left marks, so make darn sure its dry.

Great point. I too have found that the Valspar takes a bit longer to harden up to be safe to work on. That aside it is great to work with.
 
the Rustoleum 2x coverage is truly fantastic.
I gave a light dusting, then a thick coat. Next I wet sanded that, and boy, did it fill the imperfections. I gave it once more with a thick coat and wet sand, and could hardly tell that I didn't fill the tube spiral beforehand. Once the color went on, it looked pretty damn good, if I do say so myself.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=18392
posts 13, 14
 
I tried using Valspar paint and it works great. The photo shows the rocket in primer only. I am almost done my Estes Bullpup. I am so excited. WHen I am done painting I will post a pic of end result. Thanks all for your opinions and suggestions. If you have not tried Valspar try it. It is awesome. Thanks.
 

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I tried using Valspar paint and it works great. The photo shows the rocket in primer only. I am almost done my Estes Bullpup. I am so excited. WHen I am done painting I will post a pic of end result. Thanks all for your opinions and suggestions. If you have not tried Valspar try it. It is awesome. Thanks.

Very cool! I look forward to seeing it finished. A wrecked Bullpup is part of the reason I tried Valspar. As you can see from my posts I am a convert. Goes on easy and looks fabulous.
 
I tried using Valspar paint and it works great. The photo shows the rocket in primer only. I am almost done my Estes Bullpup. I am so excited. WHen I am done painting I will post a pic of end result. Thanks all for your opinions and suggestions. If you have not tried Valspar try it. It is awesome. Thanks.

Lookin great!!! can't wait to see it done.
 
I used Rustoleum primer and gloss on my Momba,I think it came out looking good.You can see it in the Midpowered section(Momba finished).
 
I use both and find no difference except when the humidity is high. In my experience the rustoleum doesn't like humidity higher than about 50%.

Andrew
 
Great tips on this thread. Thanks to all who contributed. From the inputs here and my own limited experience (back into the hobby for just 6 months now), I have concluded (I think) that the Rustoleum High-Build auto primer and then Valspar top coats, is a solid approach, and then be sure to get the primer & paint & model all at/near optimum temperature for application / adhesion, and be sure the humidity is reasonably low.
 
I was wondering what is better krylon or rustoleum. Where I live it is in the 40's and rainy. I am ready to paint my rocket and I want it to be a glossy white. I know to keep the spray cans in the house. I will be painting in my non heated garage. I have read good and bad things about the new krylon paint. I do not mind building up layers and taking my time. However I have stripped the paint once already due to runs and drips using tamiya. I do not want to strip it again and I do not like paying money for more paint. My wife is not too happy. I also want nice adhersion. I tried duplicolor and that was awful too. Due to the weather what kind of paint should I use for good adhersion and no runs drips or blistering. Thank you so much.

Tems in the 40's and raining are going to be hard to get decent results no matter what paint you use. Usually the instructions say 60-70 degrees minimum and lower humidity, and it's there for a reason-- they aren't just whistling Dixie...

The new Krylon is an alkyd enamel, and only a so-so one at that... it's ok, but nothing special. The main problem in getting a good application is the crappy spray nozzle they use on the can. It tends to "hose" the paint on and the droplets are too large and coarse and the thing puts out too much paint. You CAN paint with them, but you have to "learn how" to paint with their crappy directional flat-fan tips.

Walmart Colorplace makes a perfectly fine alkyd enamel that's about a buck a can, and has a MUCH MUCH better "cone spray" type nozzle on it (the kind Krylon USED to have) and it goes on really nicely and lays down smooth and dries to a beautiful gloss. It goes on lighter and so drips/runs are less of a problem, and I haven't had ANY problems with it doing bad things as it dries (blistering, etc,) unlike the Krylon which some folks have reported having problems with getting one layer to adhere to another, compatibility issues, (even over underlying Krylon coats) and other such problems.

Valspar and Rustoleum are good brands. Some are alkyd enamels, but both (IIRC) offer lacquer formulations as well under their brands (IIRC-- I know that Rusto does). Be sure of the formulation before you apply, and make sure you're topcoats and basecoats are compatible-- you can put enamel over lacquer, but NOT lacquer over enamel! The "hotter" lacquer solvent will dissolve the enamel and craze it or do other really nasty things.

Duplicolor is a VERY good brand of paint, mostly lacquers, but I do think they have some enamels as well. Lacquers behave a little differently (tend to go on thinner and run/drip easier, and the solvent is 'hotter' so they flash off faster, and are less forgiving of poor weather conditions when spraying them). Enamels are usually a little more forgiving, but they take longer to tack up and dry, and so the recoat times are more limited, and they usually aren't as 'hard' a paint when cured and damage more easily... If you're new to painting, I'd stick to alkyd enamels til you learn the ropes.

If you're getting runs and drips, you're applying your paint too thick in a single coat, or you're moving the can too slowly while you're spraying. You basically want to 'dust' the paint onto the model-- move the can about the speed you would if you were wiping something off the counter... maybe just a TOUCH slower... You can't hardly move the paint can TOO FAST past the model as you're painting but you DEFINITELY can move it TOO SLOW. Try to keep the can an even distance from the surface of the rocket, and as close to perpendicular to the surface as you can. Start spraying (press the button down) before you actually get the nozzle to the rocket, and spray a little bit past it before releasing the button-- and move in one steady, long, even stroke... stopping, hesitating, or speeding up or slowing down mid-stroke will give you an uneven coat and lead to 'heavy spots' which are prone to drips and runs. Dust a good even coat on the rocket, but it doesn't have to be 100% covered on the first coat. I usually turn the rocket 3-4 times as I put on a coat, overlapping each stroke slightly as I turn the rocket. This gives the most even coat, and by making a pass and then turning the rocket, that gives the passes a bit of time to 'flash off' (let the paint tack up a bit) before the next pass by the time the rocket is turned all the way around for another pass. Follow the can directions about time between recoats (depending on the formulation) and make sure that you can get back to do the second and if necessary third coat before the time interval expires (and if you can't, be sure to wait the minimum time (usually "after 24-48 hours") before attempting another coat-- again, they aren't just whistling dixie...)

There's definitely a bit of a learning curve to getting good results spray painting but it's well worth the effort. You can get pretty good results with even 'cheap' paint if you have good techniques, but buying expensive paint will not give you good results WITHOUT GOOD TECHNIQUES. Also, spraying conditions DO have a BIG impact on the results you get... and you're not going to get good results in 40 degree weather when it's raining no matter what you do... (unless you're in an environmentally controlled paint shop).

Good luck, and practice, practice, practice... OL JR :)
 
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