Cheap paint.

[darthgriffin]

I've got a couple of kits done that are ready for paint. It seems that painting can be a big headache so I was wondering: what's a good, cheap paint to use? I'm looking for cheap paint that won't give me the problems some of you seem to report with the Krylon.

[T-Rex]

I use Valspar from Lowes. It's not the cheapest, but it works for me.

[Micromeister]

Lowe's has Valspar which is a very good rattle can paint.

As is Rustoleum just about any of the various series out there, you don't need the Rust inhibitor series stuff however.

If your new to painting try to stick with the same brand paint, and primer. just about any light grey primer will work just fine under just about any color other then Yellow. Yellow by the way is one of the hardest colors to get to come out well because it's so transparent by chemistry

[UrbanKnight]

The few problems I've had with Rustoleum were user caused.

[jim fustini]

Rustoleum "Painters touch" $3.14 at Home Depot.
Never had any problems.

[T-Rex]

Happened to think, the black on my Thor is done with 99cents a can Wallyworld over Valspar primer. Cheap, but only comes in black & white.

[RocketManDan]

I've got a couple of kits done that are ready for paint. It seems that painting can be a big headache so I was wondering: what's a good, cheap paint to use? I'm looking for cheap paint that won't give me the problems some of you seem to report with the Krylon.

You get what you pay for. If you want to spend between $5-6 a can go with Duplicolor or Rustoleum. A little more than most, but you won't get a headache. If you want a headache go with your favorite brand of cheap paint.

[Eat, sleep, and Fly]

Rustoleum "Painters touch" $3.14 at Home Depot.
Never had any problems.

second that

[UrbanKnight]

Happened to think, the black on my Thor is done with 99cents a can Wallyworld over Valspar primer. Cheap, but only comes in black & white.

I believe Home Depot also has a cheap paint that only comes in white or black for 99 cents. I believe it's called Quick Color. I haven't used it on a rocket, but it has worked on signs and other projects I've done on the cheap.

edit: Most Rustoleum cans here in CA are $3.99-$4.99

[Aksrockets]

Rustoleum 2x has always worked for me!

Alex

[Wayne's World]

Walmart once sold 97 cent cans o' paint in all the hues of the rainbow. Me thinks they now only have a couple o' colors (gray and red primer, black, white, and maybe red). I check out Big Lots, Family Dollar, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc, on a regular basis, to see what they have.

[luke strawwalker]

I've got a couple of kits done that are ready for paint. It seems that painting can be a big headache so I was wondering: what's a good, cheap paint to use? I'm looking for cheap paint that won't give me the problems some of you seem to report with the Krylon.

Walmart Colorplace is EXCELLENT paint... I've been using it for about 5 years and have had NO problems with it AT ALL. Can't say that about any other brand... in fact I use the WM Colorplace probably at least 3:1 more than anything else...

Only problem-- not many color choices. BUT if you're doing a "NASA-esque" white-n-black stripe paintjob, there's nothing better IMHO.

Valspar has a lot of colors available and is good paint... I HATE their new nozzle caps though... BUT TSC (Tractor Supply Co) still has Valspar with the 'old style' standard nozzles, which is much better IMHO.

Later and good luck! OL JR

[luke strawwalker]

Walmart once sold 97 cent cans o' paint in all the hues of the rainbow. Me thinks they now only have a couple o' colors (gray and red primer, black, white, and maybe red). I check out Big Lots, Family Dollar, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, etc, on a regular basis, to see what they have.

Meh... I'd recommend caution with any other 99 cent a can stuff other than Walmart... the Walmart stuff is REALLY nice paint, works great and I haven't had a problem with it yet...

I've use El Cheapo stuff from Big Lots, Dollar General, etc and had VERY mixed results...

YMMV... Later! OL JR

[dave carver]

Thing with cheap paints is to check the solids content. They are usually withen a few tenths of a percent of the name brands.

The best thing to do is use from the same brand or incase of multi-brands, the same line. Don't risk enamel over laquer or vice versa. It can come to grief and more sanding Even if it's Wally Brand paint you can get good results with a spray can. If you can find one there's a spray handle adapter that clips on the top of common spray cans, get one. There are some spray cans now that have a "New, Improved" spray top where the spray adapter won't fit but I'm sure that won't be a problem with store-brand spray paints.

For large projects I use Columbia Paints Speed Set paints. You can have it blended to your color. They have a grey primer that is a fast setting paint, too. These products are ment for painting under water piers that have been sandblasted. They are actually light and use Xylol as a thinner, one of the least harsh thinners you can use. I use a detail gun to spray large rockets but really the cup is too small at 4 oz, needs refilled a lot

[Cosmotiger]

I have used the cheap Wal-Mart Color Place paints and primer and had good results, but in my experience it doesn't seem to play nice with papered fins, even when they've been primed. I had a case where the body tube looked fine, but the W-M paint would not cover the fins smoothly. The paint puddled in certain spots, almost as if the paper surface repelled the paint somehow. I can't explain it, but I switched to the Rustoleum 2X paints for the most part, and I've never had similar problem since.

[RocketManDan]

What I am going to do is invest in a decent compressor and spray gun. Get a good mask from 3M and set up a make shift booth/canopy in the back yard and just paint that way. I know it might cost a little more, but if I get into some bigger rockets it will be a lot easier to paint them with a spray gun IMHO

[plano-doug]

Forget the rattle cans.

What I am going to do is invest in a decent compressor and spray gun. Get a good mask from 3M and set up a make shift booth/canopy in the back yard and just paint that way. I know it might cost a little more, but if I get into some bigger rockets it will be a lot easier to paint them with a spray gun IMHO

Not so fast, Dan. I have paint guns, plus a detail gun and an air brush. You will find, when you start using these, that the clean up time and effort goes up, way up, sky high (versus rattle cans). You have to run solvents thru them several times to get everything cleaned out. And you will lose (waste) a fair amount of paint using them because of what gets lost in the cleaning process. For a model rocket, you'll use (lose) more paint priming the system (so to speak) than you'll put on the rocket.

As frustrating as rattle cans can be, after using the alternatives, I came to love rattle cans

If all I had to do, to clean up a spray gun or air brush, was to turn it upside down and spray for a few seconds, then wipe the tip with a towel wet with solvent, that would be great. That is, using the rattle can takes 2 minutes of shaking before I paint, and less than two minutes of clean up after. And clean up uses less than a table spoon of solvent.

For the airbrush, I'll use a cup of solvent or more, and spend 10-15 minutes getting everything clean. More with a gun.

Don't get me wrong, brushes/guns have some merits, such as allowing you to custom mix a color, or when you're painting a large rocket (using lots of paint). But the rattle cans are very effective when you consider cost, time and effort.


Doug

.

[luke strawwalker]

I have used the cheap Wal-Mart Color Place paints and primer and had good results, but in my experience it doesn't seem to play nice with papered fins, even when they've been primed. I had a case where the body tube looked fine, but the W-M paint would not cover the fins smoothly. The paint puddled in certain spots, almost as if the paper surface repelled the paint somehow. I can't explain it, but I switched to the Rustoleum 2X paints for the most part, and I've never had similar problem since.

Interesting... never had that happen...
How do you paper your fins?? White glue and printer paper or label sheets and CA or something else?? If you use the plastic-coated freezer paper that might complicate things some...

I use the white glue -n printer paper route, prime with Walmart gray primer (love the red, used it a bunch, but they quit selling it down here, and the gray is gone now too! Using Rusto gray primer ATM). Then shoot WM Flat White most of the time...

Later! OL JR

[Cosmotiger]

Interesting... never had that happen...
How do you paper your fins?? White glue and printer paper or label sheets and CA or something else?? If you use the plastic-coated freezer paper that might complicate things some...

I use the white glue -n printer paper route, prime with Walmart gray primer (love the red, used it a bunch, but they quit selling it down here, and the gray is gone now too! Using Rusto gray primer ATM). Then shoot WM Flat White most of the time...

I use the self-adhesive label sheets and CA. In the end, I wiped the Wal-Mart paint off with paint thinner, re-primed and painted with Rustoleum 2X Gloss White, and it came out just fine. I don't know if it was some weird variable that one time or something about the W-M paint or what?

[jaymeister99]

I get Rustoleum paints at Wal-Mart and Home Depot for around $4 or so a can. I've used the cheap Wal-Mart stuff, but not on a rocket. It works fine.

But why bother going with the cheap paint? A cheap can will run you a $1-2. Better off just spending a couple more bucks and not worrying about it.

I say stick with Rustoleum, I haven't had any problems. From what I've read on this forum it seems to be the most consistent.

Is that extra $2 worth the risk of ruining your rocket?

[JPVegh]

I like the walmart paint too but the color choice not so much. The red, green and blue are just yucky IMO. I really like the yellow though.

[RocketManDan]

Not so fast, Dan. I have paint guns, plus a detail gun and an air brush. You will find, when you start using these, that the clean up time and effort goes up, way up, sky high (versus rattle cans). You have to run solvents thru them several times to get everything cleaned out. And you will lose (waste) a fair amount of paint using them because of what gets lost in the cleaning process. For a model rocket, you'll use (lose) more paint priming the system (so to speak) than you'll put on the rocket.

As frustrating as rattle cans can be, after using the alternatives, I came to love rattle cans

If all I had to do, to clean up a spray gun or air brush, was to turn it upside down and spray for a few seconds, then wipe the tip with a towel wet with solvent, that would be great. That is, using the rattle can takes 2 minutes of shaking before I paint, and less than two minutes of clean up after. And clean up uses less than a table spoon of solvent.

For the airbrush, I'll use a cup of solvent or more, and spend 10-15 minutes getting everything clean. More with a gun.

Don't get me wrong, brushes/guns have some merits, such as allowing you to custom mix a color, or when you're painting a large rocket (using lots of paint). But the rattle cans are very effective when you consider cost, time and effort.


Doug

.

I know you are right Doug, but sometimes I feel it would be nice to have that gun and get a nice wide fan and a decent amount of pressure. No spitting of paint, clogging or other problems some tend to have,. It just seems it would make more sense when spraying a large rocket 4" and above in diameter.

[plano-doug]

It just seems it would make more sense when spraying a large rocket 4" and above in diameter.

The gun makes good sense on a 4" rocket. You'll get trigger finger cramping trying to use a rattle can on a rocket that big. I wholeheartedly agree that having a high volume spray gun is the way to go on big stuff. But I swear by RustOleum premium for most applications That is, maybe 1 out of 15 rockets I build is HPR - large - so I don't use the guns very often.


Doug

.

[Disaster_Guy]

I swear by and use this stuff exclusively (yes, sometimes even in this color)

[BABAR]

If all I had to do, to clean up a spray gun or air brush, was to turn it upside down and spray for a few seconds, then wipe the tip with a towel wet with solvent, that would be great. That is, using the rattle can takes 2 minutes of shaking before I paint, and less than two minutes of clean up after. And clean up uses less than a table spoon of solvent

.

Okay, my ignorance is showing (AGAIN), but maybe there are other unfortunate clueless people out there like me.

Cleaning off the rattle can nozzles sounds like a great idea. Can you tell me how you do it and what solvent you use?

(btw, I did a search on the forum under paint and nozzle cleaning and couldn't find anything.)

Thanks,

Tom

[jungmann1]

Easy! First, just invert the can inside your trash can or outside where you are doing your painting and press the nozzle until the paint stops flowing and nothing but propellant comes out. Then wipe the paint build up from the nozzle exit with a rag or paper towel dampened with paint thinner. You can also pull the nozzle and store it in a small jar of thinner to make sure it is pristine the next time you use it. John.

[jungmann1]

Most any volatile solvent will work for this purpose. Generic paint thinner (turpentine?) is probably the cheapest.

[rcktnut]

Easy! First, just invert the can inside your trash can or outside where you are doing your painting and press the nozzle until the paint stops flowing and nothing but propellant comes out. Then wipe the paint build up from the nozzle exit with a rag or paper towel dampened with paint thinner. You can also pull the nozzle and store it in a small jar of thinner to make sure it is pristine the next time you use it. John.

I've never inverted a spray can to clean out the nozzle, to me that is a waste of propellant. I do pull the nozzles and let them soak abit, then shake up the jar good and wipe the nozzle off. Works great for me.

[sodmeister]

I swear by and use this stuff exclusively (yes, sometimes even in this color)

Hahahah....that`s what I used for my Photon Probe Upscale


Paul T

[Cosmotiger]

Hahahah....that`s what I used for my Photon Probe Upscale

I used it on my Pink Max. It's actually a pretty good color for visibility, contrasts nicely against a blue sky.