Clearcoat to use??

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J Blatz

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I have finally finished building and painting my Rockitlite Fake-Wulf. It is painted with Krylon Ultra-flat desert tan and satin italian olive. I have applied the decals, they are good and dry.

So I took a scrap decal and hit it with some Krylon satin clearcoat and it got crazed. Admittedly, I did spray a lot of it on there. Should I test again with a lighter coating of the same clearcoat or do I need a different brand?

TIA

Jason
 
I would put no more than a light dusting of any clear
the glider needs to stay as light as possible
 
I think Clusternut's suggestion is spot on. Pledge with Future Shine is the stuff.

Ordinary clear coat like Rustoleum Crystal Clear is probably fine for run of the mill rockets but I wouldn't risk a Fake Wulf kit with it.

My Fake-Wulf is still in the original packaging against the day when my rocket building skills improve to the point I will feel comfortable building it. I've built about 50 other rockets so far. :D
 
I would put no more than a light dusting of any clear
the glider needs to stay as light as possible

Agreed - very light dusting - just enough to even out finish. No shine for National Socialist aircraft. A very light coat spayed at the recommended distance should not harm decals.

The propellants in Matte clear coats will eat decals if applied too heavy and too close. They will also get a rough, frosty look if too much is used. Bad news for a Fake-Wulf.
 
ClusterNut is dead on. Unfortunatley you may have painted yourself into a corner--no pun intended--Krylon is just unpredictable --seems it crazes more often then not no matter what clear you put over it except Future. I've even had Krylon primer craze:y: I just don't use the stuff anymore.
 
Rustoleum, Duplicolor or Testor's are better choices to make in paint. Just use the same manufacturer primer with the paint. If you decide to mix and match spray a couple scrap body tubes to test their compatibility.
 
The only thing I've found that really cuts down on strange happenings with paint is letting coats dry. And then dry some more. Days, for sure. Sometimes a week or more.

And then there's Krylon. Some people use it and it looks fantabulous and they own stock in the company. bradycros comes immediately to mind. His finishes have been Krylon and they're some of the best I've seen. I haven't had any luck with it.

Rustoleum Clear is my weapon of choice. I've got some Pledge w/Future, but haven't used it yet.
 
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I never have problems with cheap Krylon paint as long as I read the instructions on the back, use good technique and let it dry extra well. There are different formulas - some take up to a week indoors with low humidity to completely cure, some are OK after a couple of days. Spray it on too thick - you have to let it dry even longer. Such is the sacrifice you must make for using cheap paint. Spray anything on uncured Krylon and trouble is just around the corner. You know the little gap by the back plastic afterburner on an SR-71 where the paint likes to bunch up. Let the Kylon gloss black dry only three days then hit it with the Matte. . .:y::(. . . tiny cracks appear. Some people say its the Krylon to blame, but I know, its my own darn fault.

The same is true for using cheap acrylic floor polish instead of a good plexiglass wax. If you are quick and clean with your application then you will end up with a very shinny, happy and yes, FAKE wulf. If not, well, it is the Floor Polish's fault!
 
were talking about the Fake wolf .. right ?.
in that case no paint would be the better option ,more like something to seal the balsa... go spraying on a bunch of paint and you will be disappointed at the launch site.
I painted mine with a very light acrylic paint using an airbrush, than a dusting of dullcote... this allowed it to come out at the target weight within a gram.

even with those cautions , I had to do a lot of tweaking to get a nice flight rather than a death spiral... great kit but light is the key !
 
were talking about the Fake wolf .. right ?.
in that case no paint would be the better option ,more like something to seal the balsa... go spraying on a bunch of paint and you will be disappointed at the launch site.
I painted mine with a very light acrylic paint using an airbrush, than a dusting of dullcote... this allowed it to come out at the target weight within a gram.

even with those cautions , I had to do a lot of tweaking to get a nice flight rather than a death spiral... great kit but light is the key !

Not TOO light or TOO well-trimmed out. You really don't want it to soar off in a thermal. :y:
 
Not TOO light or TOO well-trimmed out. You really don't want it to soar off in a thermal. :y:

whats funny is the first time I launched it , it put in this beautiful big wide turn,some pretty good air time !
lots off ohhs and ahhs from the crowd.

the next 3 launches the same day were not so good.more like the spiral I mentioned

I never did get it to replicate that first launch, can't seem to find that sweet spot again
beginners luck I figure
 
whats funny is the first time I launched it , it put in this beautiful big wide turn,some pretty good air time !
lots off ohhs and ahhs from the crowd.

the next 3 launches the same day were not so good.more like the spiral I mentioned

I never did get it to replicate that first launch, can't seem to find that sweet spot again
beginners luck I figure

Try a smidge of old school modeling clay smeared onto the outboard wing tip to counteract the spiral dive tendency. Make one small adjustment at a time. The clay will tend to make the inboard panel stay up and it will also move the center of gravity rearward. A tiny bit should be enough to make a noticeable difference.

Tailless gliders can be problematic to dial in. Patience is required.
 
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