Some recent findings

Post Reply
User avatar
bernomatic
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1169
Joined: Tue, 29 Mar 16, 03:55 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Contact:

#1 Some recent findings

Post by bernomatic »

I used the Createx Wicked Colors on the MPC Tauraus I built (pics to follow) and find them to be somewhat easier to work with, as it is not necessary, but suggested, that you heat cure them. I put on a base of Cretex Colors White opaque and heat treated it and don't know why, but found it easier also to work with this time. A couple of things I did different was to make sure the layers were light and that the coat was dry before heat curing.
Chief Cook -n- bottle washer
User avatar
luke strawwalker
Space Admiral
Space Admiral
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu, 07 Apr 16, 04:45 am

#2 Re: Some recent findings

Post by luke strawwalker »

How do you "heat cure" them?? I did that with the "chrome" aluminum paint on my Dr. Zooch Friendship 7 Mercury Atlas and it worked, by putting the rocket on its motor-mounted curtain rod inside a hot vehicle (which of course in Texas on a summer day a closed vehicle can easily exceed a sustained 140 degrees) and after about an hour the paint started to bubble, so I had to take it inside and CAREFULLY pop the bubbles that had appeared and press them back down onto the surface with a hobby knife... I was exceedingly careful doing the work and it's not even noticeable at all and no problems with the bonding, as the paint was still quite soft when I did it. I probably had the paint layers a little too thick but it all worked out in the end...

I let it finish roasting... er, drying, on the porch in the high 90's heat and it seemed to work out fine... still took a day or so for the paint to finish "hardening up" in the house afterwords, in the low 70's air conditioning (without the standard oppressive humidity of coastal Texas...)

Just curious about how that works, because I bought some airbrushes a few years back when TSC had external mix brush kits on sale for $20, and an internal mix single action I picked up somewhere (probably Hobby Lobby) on closeout/discount... but I haven't used them yet...

Looking forward to your additional info and pics on how it worked and your procedures/methods/materials.

Later! OL J R :)
My MUNIFICENCE is BOUNDLESS, Mr. Bond...
User avatar
bernomatic
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1169
Joined: Tue, 29 Mar 16, 03:55 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Contact:

#3 Re: Some recent findings

Post by bernomatic »

I have been using a heat gun on the lower setting. I don't recall offhand what the exact temperature range of the gun is, but you can also use a hair dryer.

The trick with the heat curing is to keep the heat element moving in small circles (about 4" diameter) and when the area is sufficiently warmed, move over a bit to an adjacent area and repeat the circling motion, slightly overlapping the previous area. In this manner, work from one end of the painted area to the other.

The Createx instructions say to heat till warm to the touch, but do not give a specific temperature range for a heat gun/hair dryer scenario. As mentioned above and in the instructions, make sure you give the coat time to air dry before curing.

I tried using my Harbor Freight infra red thermometer to get some readings on the rocket while curing, but was not happy with the readings most of the time. Typically I would get between 30 and 34° C when I felt it was done on a 20° C day. Once, when it started to bubble, I got a reading around 38° C.


I basically gather the idea isn't to cook it, but generally to make sure it is finished "setting". I would also give the rocket time to cool back down to room temperature before spraying a next coat.
Chief Cook -n- bottle washer
User avatar
bernomatic
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1169
Joined: Tue, 29 Mar 16, 03:55 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Contact:

#4 Re: Some recent findings

Post by bernomatic »

Here is a picture of the Tauraus with a white Createx Colors undercoat.
MPC Tauraus in white Createx undercoat.JPG
MPC Tauraus in white Createx undercoat.JPG (552.8 KiB) Viewed 15334 times
101_0351.JPG
101_0351.JPG (600.13 KiB) Viewed 15331 times
This coat was shot over a Rustoleum Sandable and filler primer (which is the only Rustoleum stuff I buy anymore).

The pictures shown here where taken after the picture in a different post showing some splatter drops on the rocket. I have found that if you:
1.) Keep the coat light with correctly thinned paint
2.) Allow the coat to air dry sufficiently (this is another judgement call, but the paint should at least not be tacky to the touch) before curing
3.) Do not excessively over heat during the curing process
4.) Let everything rest overnight

You can actually do some sanding of the coat. A light touch is required, but with the inexpensiveness of the paint, a bunch of practice on old nose cones and body tubes won't set you back too much.

The main thing I have found with the Createx paints and airbrushing in general, is don't be in a hurry. Patience!
Chief Cook -n- bottle washer
User avatar
luke strawwalker
Space Admiral
Space Admiral
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu, 07 Apr 16, 04:45 am

#5 Re: Some recent findings

Post by luke strawwalker »

bernomatic wrote:Here is a picture of the Tauraus with a white Createx Colors undercoat. MPC Tauraus in white Createx undercoat.JPG101_0351.JPG

This coat was shot over a Rustoleum Sandable and filler primer (which is the only Rustoleum stuff I buy anymore).

The pictures shown here where taken after the picture in a different post showing some splatter drops on the rocket. I have found that if you:
1.) Keep the coat light with correctly thinned paint
2.) Allow the coat to air dry sufficiently (this is another judgement call, but the paint should at least not be tacky to the touch) before curing
3.) Do not excessively over heat during the curing process
4.) Let everything rest overnight

You can actually do some sanding of the coat. A light touch is required, but with the inexpensiveness of the paint, a bunch of practice on old nose cones and body tubes won't set you back too much.

The main thing I have found with the Createx paints and airbrushing in general, is don't be in a hurry. Patience!
Good to know! Thanks for the tips Bernie!

OL J R
My MUNIFICENCE is BOUNDLESS, Mr. Bond...
User avatar
bernomatic
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1169
Joined: Tue, 29 Mar 16, 03:55 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Contact:

#6 Re: Some recent findings

Post by bernomatic »

As noted in another thread, if you mix in the 4030 intercoat Balancing Clear, it makes it much easier to touch up the Createx Airbrush Colors paints. In using it I have found that my coats dry with a harder "shell" with little or no curing required. I just run the part in front of the space heater in the Cantina and am all set for sanding, the next coat or whatever else I plan on doing with the part.
Chief Cook -n- bottle washer
User avatar
luke strawwalker
Space Admiral
Space Admiral
Posts: 1543
Joined: Thu, 07 Apr 16, 04:45 am

#7 Re: Some recent findings

Post by luke strawwalker »

Interesting...

I'm sure that the water-based products should be incorporating some of the advances made in the auto-finishing realm, since the pollution regs drove them to mostly water-based finishes years ago... remember the early-mid 90's, when you'd see a lot of vehicles that were only a few years old and the paint was either peeling off en-masse or having all sorts of other finish problems?? (Dodge was particularly susceptible to this). Well, they've done a lot of "fixes" to the paint systems since then (though at least for the near-term, water based finishes simply won't be as long-lasting or durable as oil-based finishes... Like my '02 F-150, which needs a paint job BADLY, as the paint is simply "worn through" in many areas and the clear coat chipped and peeled off the hood, and the undercoat is simply fading away to nothing (dissipating or wearing away).

As these 'improvements' filter down the supply chain from high-end auto finishing products to the hobby materials over the coming years, things should improve markedly.

Later! OL J R :)
My MUNIFICENCE is BOUNDLESS, Mr. Bond...
Post Reply