Kit #302 cessna 170

[backyardbalsapilot]

Well, I tried using floor shine to seal the tissue, and that did not work. It wound up really wrinkly. (On the bright side, it did smell pretty good.) So, I'm going to the hobby shop tomorrow to get some real dope and thinner. I think I am going to go for aerogloss, as I have seen both scigs30 and ADW 123 use it to great effect. For painting (with Krylon) should I get glossy or flat finish? Does it matter? Also, how many coats would be sufficient to seal the tissue effectively? (flashback time: I used Testor spray enamel on my edge 540 build after maybe sealing it with one coat of white glue/water. It looks terrible.) Lastly, does dope shrink the tissue at all?

[WIDDOG]

I used to use floor shine to seal tissue. I now use white glue and water. After reading one of Sigs30's post I tried something that really worked well. Before I seal tissue I now give it a few light mist sprays of water and let it dry/shrink. Than the next thing I do is apply the sealer coat. Now after I apply two coats of sealer the finish does have a lot of wrinkles. What I do is get the water sprayer and spray with water. The water re soaks the sealer and the wrinkles shrink dry out.

[NcGunny]

I shrink with a 30/70 of EzeDope to water. When dry I brush on 80/20 EzeDope and water,seal with a matte coat of Michaels sealer. Airbrush my plane,decal and use Pledge thinned with windshield fluid. I hate the smell of the Michaels sealer but it works good for me but will be replaced once its gone...BTW.. if you mess with your psi on compressor and distance of your airbrush,you can almost get the Pledge to dry as soon as it lands. I spray at 18 psi and hold about 10" away from surface.

[David Lewis]

Surface texture scales down just like everything else, so I find the model more attractive and convincing with overall gloss finish -- including the tires and anti-glare panel -- even if the full size subject has a flat/matte finish. Personal preference.

[backyardbalsapilot]

do you recommend sealing/painting before or after assembling the model?

[David Lewis]

It's usually easier to finish everything, including painting, decals and panel lines, prior to final assembly.

[backyardbalsapilot]

Update:

I bought some Eze dope to seal the model, as the guy I talked to at my LHS said that Aero gloss would react with enamel paints. Is this true?

Anyway, I have the wings and horizontal stabilizer ready for painting. I still have to put some tissue on the rudder and fuselage.

Does anybody have any pictures of how the horizontal/vertical stabilizers and fuselage come together?

[David Lewis]

There is a slot in the tail post. The stab slides into that slot. Then the fin gets glued on top.

[backyardbalsapilot]

So, sealing with Eze dope has not been going real well. Does anyone know what works as a solvent for it? I can't get it off of my paint brushes.

Also, is it safe to use spray paint (probably rustoleum enamel) over Dope? I've read that dope is a lacquer, so it should be safe to use enamel over it.

[backyardbalsapilot]

Well, it's been a long time, but I finally dot that sucker finished. I really liked the way the windscreen worked on this one. Two pieces was nice.

Anyway, does anyone know anything about using enamels over doped surfaces?

[backyardbalsapilot]

Here are some more pictures.

[NcGunny]

Clean EZ Dope with plain old soap and water. Enamel paint on acrylic primer is fine,might blush a bit if primer is still damp. I honestly have more trouble with Elmers doping than EZ. I shrink with 75/25 water and Ez. Dope the whole thing with straight EZ brushed on. Plane is looking good...BTW..will take that Tamiya King Tiger off your hands..lol,

[WIDDOG]

I use white glue and water to attach and seal the tissue. Just wanted to say the model looks great.

[backyardbalsapilot]

Widdog,

Thank you. The camera angle hides the roughness caused by Krylon overspray on the plastic cowling.

NcGunny,

Do you think that sealing with krylon clear acrylic spray paint and then using enamel spray paint would work? The King Tiger would be a 'back burner' project, if it were on the stove at all, so to speak. I started it, then got hooked on balsa models.

[NcGunny]

Your clear will be fine or you can Future clear it..just keep coats light. Tamiya makes some fine kits and customer service is top notch. All the detail brushes I have bought over the years I honestly count Tamiya in the top 1%.