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Rustoleum: Good Stuff!

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 5 of 5 known posts recovered

roymon · May 02, 2001 11:39 AM

Rustoleum: Good Stuff!#0 source

Just a short note to announce the recent success I had applying Rustoleum to one of my airplanes.

I have been struggeling with Topflight's Lusterkote paint now for two years. I initially liked it because it matched my favorite covering material; monokote, and was available in a spray can.

But, found the paint not only expensive, but extremely difficult to work with. It's highly incompatible with any other product, and produces is a very, very fine line between not enough paint, or too much paint in where it begins to run.

I heard that Rustoleum was fuel proof so I decided to give it a try on one of my older, repaint job trainer planes. I couldn't believe the finish I got. It was smooth, very glossy, and run free. The paint was also VERY EASY to work with and only required a coat or two to get a good, uniform, high gloss, run free finish.

It's also only $3.00 or so a can at Walmart!

Goodbye (and good riddens) forever to Lusterkote, and long live Rustoleum!

PR

Big Country Joe · May 02, 2001 06:08 PM

RE: Rustoleum: Good Stuff!#1 source
I agree! Have used it on my last two building projects after reading about Nils Norlings' experiences with it. I have used it in the past also, but on planes using over 20% nitro I did have some problems after a few flights. Now use it on OTS and other stunt type planes where I'm only using 5 to 10%.

RocketCityJim · May 03, 2001 12:01 PM

RE: Rustoleum: Good Stuff!#2 source
Although I havn't tried it yet myself (puting Rustoleum over Nitrate dope). I understand that it sticks to nitrate very, very well. Just make sure that you get the minimum on for coverage and shine and it shouldn't add too much weight vs an all dope finish. The problem seems to be having to repair a hole in the wing or something. You must remove all the rustoleum before you can then stick new covering down. If anyone has an EASY solution to that particular problem please let me know! Nils, how do you do it??

Rocket City Jim

Nils · May 03, 2001 01:56 PM

RE: Rustoleum: Good Stuff!#3 source
The airplanes I've painted with Rustoleum all have Ultracoat on the wings. I haven't done a silkspan/dope wing since I discovered Ultracote. (I'm going to have to give it a try on the Boxcar Chief I plan to build, it's been thirty years, that should be interesting..)
On my shrink wrap covered wings it's no problem. Rustoleum goes over shrink wrap great, as long as you scuff it with a red Scotchbrite first. Ultracote will iron over Rustoleum & stay stuck too, as long as you give it at least three days to dry first.
As a side note: Don't try to use black on black, the sun does bad things to that combination, even if you use catalyzed car paint, & especially if you have too much Balsarite under it. My black Shark 45 is liable to turn into a Great White Shark if it continues to cause trouble. I should have paid more attention to the wrinkles on my Bi-Slob :/
To repair broken painted wood I first get everything stuck back together as best I can. Then I sand whatever glue is showing. Then I smooth out the nasties with 100-416 Metal Glaze. The 416 sticks much better to SANDED surfaces, glue, wood plastic, anything. The same is true with Rustoleum, sand EVERYTHING. Prime it with PPG waterbase primer (sand the old Rustoleum around the area first with some 220). You can either spray it or brush it on. Let it dry over night, then guide coat it with some black lacquer, sand it with 320, scuff the blend area with a red Scotchbrite, wash it with Windex & shoot it.
All this is fresh on my mind since this is exactly what I'm doing to my Cardinal right now. I peeled the Ultracote off the wings first to get it out of the way. I could have just taken it off the inside bays but I decided it would be faster to recover it than work around it. I was happy to find that even though it was still stuck well to the Rustoleum, 99% of the Ultracote peeled right off as soon as I picked a corner loose. There were a few stubborn pieces on the wing tips but they peeled off too with the help of a #11.
Nils

roymon · May 03, 2001 03:59 PM

RE: Rustoleum: Good Stuff!#4 source
Nils..

Ahhhh, you busted up you're pretty Cardinal? What happened, how bad is the damage? My Tanager took a bad fall last year, and it is still hanging from it's leadouts with a broken of nose. Still haven't decided to try and fix it yet.

Another question. Due to this last enlightening experience with rustoleum, what do you use for a primer on a new airplane with bare wood? Due you use a sanding sealer first, or just plain, clear dope. Please advise when you can Nils..

Tanks..

Paul R.