Painting Elapor foam

[Deadstick 101]

I have been advised not to paint Easy Glider Elapor foam with a std. can of spray paint. I thought with Elapor that this would be safe. I can't see how acrylics would last very long. Otherwise I would need to go to some type of vinyl stick type thing.

Steve

[groundrushesup]

Originally Posted by Deadstick 101

I have been advised not to paint Easy Glider Elapor foam with a std. can of spray paint. I thought with Elapor that this would be safe. I can't see how acrylics would last very long. Otherwise I would need to go to some type of vinyl stick type thing.

Steve

Elapor, as I recall, is an amalgam of EPS (expanded polystyrene) and PE (polyethylene), but mostly the former, which is why it is probably a bad idea to paint it with regular ol' spray. The problem is not with the paint itself, but with the propellants and certain VOC's like xylene or toluene that are used to carry the paint and dry quickly on the painted surface, evaporating into the air.

Xylene eats everything, including your lungs.

What I use on all my foam is Testor's Model Masters or Testors Model Spray - both are safe on EPS because that's what most model parts are made of.

For this reason, really, any model spraypaint should do. I try to avoid acrylics unless they are Tamiya. And I always coat my models in a product we have over here called "Minwax Polycrylic" (which is a water-based polyurethane) before I paint, tho lately I have only been painting somewhat rough foam.

cheers,
gru

[zoom505]

Folks,

Would Testor's Model Masters or Testors Model Spray work on EPP as well or all foams generally.? Am sorry if its a no brainer question.

Zoom

[groundrushesup]

Originally Posted by zoom505

Folks,

Would Testor's Model Masters or Testors Model Spray work on EPP as well or all foams generally.? Am sorry if its a no brainer question.

Zoom

Yeah, it works on EPP - though it like all paints doesn't like to adhere to it very well. Dunno if there is a particular foam that Testor's might eat, but if there is I've never run across it.

cheers,
gru

[groundrushesup]

Originally Posted by Deadstick 101

I have been advised not to paint Easy Glider Elapor foam with a std. can of spray paint. I thought with Elapor that this would be safe. I can't see how acrylics would last very long. Otherwise I would need to go to some type of vinyl stick type thing.

Steve

Steve,

I failed to mention an alternative to you, probably because it is time-consuming and somewhat difficult the first handful of times you do it - coverings. There are plastic film coverings that have a mild adhesive on one side that you cover your model in, and then apply heat to permanently adhere it.

Monokote is probably the biggest name in these coverings, but there are plenty of mfgs. out there.


Just wanted to give you as many options as I can think of.

gru

[Turbojoe]

I've had this "how to paint Elapor" question as well. I just got a Multiplex FunJET and am in the process of sanding it now. I've read quite a few posts on different sites and the Minwax WBPU spray keeps coming up. I think I'll use that as a primer on mine. Then I'll see how bad of a paint job I can come up with.

Joe

[FlyWheel]

I have an EZ* and used a regular discount brand enamel paint to color her. Neither the paint nor it's solvents turned the foam into goo and it adheared fine. However I had sanded off the moulding "zit's" off first and the roughened surface may be why it stuck better. From what I've read, moulded Elapor seems to have a sort of "surface tension" that resists adhesion by paints, especially water based.

Be warned though, any enamel paint will crack and flake off if the foam get's deformed, even temporarily, as in a crash. Ester's nose looks like radioactive green marble from the various mishaps she's endurered. What would work best, in retrospect, would be something that permeated (soaked into) and/or colored the foam itself, then it would better flex with it.

[Angler-Hi]

I use the Minwax Water Based Polycrylic on ALL my foam paint jobs. If you want to use regular spray paint on your foam planes, then give it about 2-3 good coats of the WB Polycrylic. It seals the foam and protects it from the propellants in spray paints.

However, you can use water based polycrylic paints too. Once you have completed your paint job, just give it a couple of good coats of the WB Polycrylic. You can use the kind in the spray can or get a regular can of it and apply it with a 2" foam brush. The polycrylic will seal your paint job...you can then use painter's tape to complete your paint job if you need to tape areas off and it won't peel the paint when you remove it. Minwax Water Based Polycrylic to me, is a must when painting foam. Good luck friend.

[Deadstick 101]

Thanks guys, the only other option is some type of vinyl stickers from a signwritters.
Any ideas on what colours to paint and where abouts on the plane (EZ*) I understand its mainly to tell the orientation of the plane at hight.

Steve

[popriv]

I painte my easyglider with flouresent spray paint and black Krylon H2O spray paint and alsi a little black auto spray paint.. They all seemed to work fine.
The flourescent gave the best straight edge aganst masking tape,,

[Angler-Hi]

Originally Posted by popriv

I painte my easyglider with flouresent spray paint and black Krylon H2O spray paint and alsi a little black auto spray paint.. They all seemed to work fine.
The flourescent gave the best straight edge aganst masking tape,,

What do you use to prevent the masking tape from peeling the paint off when you remove it?

[FlyWheel]

I heard the new blue painter's tape from 3-M doesn't peel off the paint. If it does, a little judicious work with a modeler's brush will fix it.

[popriv]

If my pics uploaded you can see I planned around putting tape over paint. I used regular masking tape and black electrical tape. both worked.
Where tape did cover paint it did pull some off but as Flywheel said you could touch it up with a brush.. I didnt bother.

The flourecent leading edge really lights up when shes coming at me with trees behind it.
The black white and florecent wing bottom is much easier to see than the white was..

I couldnt find the sealer that multiplex tells you to use??? So I went ahead and used anything... It does chip off a bit but because the foam is flexable I think any paint will???

Steve

[Angler-Hi]

This is the stuff I was talking about. I love this stuff...I won't paint foam without it.

[FlyWheel]

Originally Posted by popriv

If my pics uploaded you can see I planned around putting tape over paint. I used regular masking tape and black electrical tape. both worked.
Where tape did cover paint it did pull some off but as Flywheel said you could touch it up with a brush.. I didnt bother.

The flourecent leading edge really lights up when shes coming at me with trees behind it.
The black white and florecent wing bottom is much easier to see than the white was..

I couldnt find the sealer that multiplex tells you to use??? So I went ahead and used anything... It does chip off a bit but because the foam is flexable I think any paint will???

Steve

Gorgeous bird, Steve! Very nice design. The bottom, albeit pretty as it looks, really doesn't matter though on a sailplane. once it's over your head, every plane is black (Hey, maybe I should add that to the "Great E-Flyer" quotes thread..?).

[popriv]

Originally Posted by FlyWheel

Gorgeous bird, Steve! Very nice design. The bottom, albeit pretty as it looks, really doesn't matter though on a sailplane. once it's over your head, every plane is black (Hey, maybe I should add that to the "Great E-Flyer" quotes thread..?).

Maybe cause I'm flying at sunrise but I find the black shows more than it did when it was white I'd have to see both birds in the air to judge the difference.

steve

[CygnusX1]

I used Testor's flat spray paints.

Flat black on the bottom...because they all turn black at high altitude anyhow. Flat red on top because the red really catches my eye when I bank the plane to show the wing tops.

I use flat paints because glossy shows all the "bumps" in the foam. Flat paint hides all the bumps. Flat paint also holds it's precieved color better because there is almost no glare off of the plane.

BTW...masking tape on the paint will pull some of it off. Easy touch-ups with the flat paints.





Dave

[popriv]

Nice Dave, I like the look of the flat paint..

Steve

[Pig]

Figured I'd throw my two cents in on the topic...

Foam is a weird animal when it comes to paint. It seems there's not a lot that wants to stick to it and what does stick usually doesn't stick too long. After a good bit of research and hard headed testing on my part, I've come up a way that works well for me.

First and foremost, you have to understand the surface you're painting and the qualities of the paint you're using. Testors Modelmasters paints are great, but they are a hard surface enamel. When dry, any flex will crack the paint. Their adhesion qualities are ok, but not the greatest since they're designed for plastics. Foam requires something a bit more aggressive for adhesion but must still stay flexible. Here's is where the problem truly lies. To keep things light, I've found that Parma's Faskolor series of paints work best against bare foam. It'll still peal up from time to time, but it works as well as Testors...if the foam is prepared sufficiently (which I'll get into momentarily). Of course, this requires the use of an airbrush or similar air delivery device. If you don't have an airbrush available, your next best choice is likely going to be Krylon Fusion H20 paints (not sure where you'll find those overseas, sorry).

As stated before, surface prep is absolute key to succeeding. Foam is a bastage of an animal to paint, but this bastage must be absolutely spotless. The best way to do this is to get some good dishwashing detergent and scrub the foam down very well in the shower with some warm water. Rinse it thoroughly, shake most of the water off of it, then wash it again with the detergent. Do three good washings to ensure you get off all the mould release. Next, wet sand off the dimples and pimples. Don't wet sand before washing or you'll just grind in the mould release agent. After you've wet sanded, wash it again thoroughly. Then, wash again just to make sure. Yes, this is 5 washes with a wet sanding in between, but it's needed. Remove the excess water with a good shake then dry it off with paper towels. When satisfied, lay some paper towels down on a work table, put your foam pieces (newly towel dried) on top and cover everything with more paper towels. Next, ignore it for a good two days to ensure all the water has dried up. The paper towels below and on top of the stuff will prevent more dirt from needlessly collecting on the plane. When you're ready to get things ready to paint, go wash your hands very thoroughly. Paper towel dry them, cloth towels may still have body oil on them that could transfer to your hands. Now you're done with most of the prep work.

If you want to keep things light and flexible, now is the time to paint. If you use spray cans, keep your coats super super extra mondo thin. It may take 10 coats to reach the desired opacity, but it's necessary if you want things to last. Allow a good 20-30 minutes between coats for sufficient drying. After 5 or 6 super super extra momdo light coats, let it sit overnight to further dry (preferrably under some paper towels). When done, you should have a decent surface and good paint adhesion.

My preferred method (when airbrushing bare foam) is to lay down some sort of primer. I like Faskolor because it's flexible. I use Faswhite as a primer against bare foam. I find it works pretty well and allows for a good bond. Just be sure to keep the above rules in mind when painting.

What I've found that works best is to lay a good substrate down over the foam. A good substrate will protect the foam and allow more options for paints. Some people like covering, others like water based polyurethane (WBPA), others have their own home grown recipes. I've tried coating the foam with WBPU first, but found that even that would peel up. I then discovered Gorilla Glue, a polyurethane glue. Coating the foam with Gorilla Glue works great and provides a nice durable surface, not to mention adding great strength to the plane. But, it too has it's many problems...such as foaming unexpectedly. When coated in the glue, you can sand rather aggressively with little fear of damaging the foam. I've even pulled out my palm sander and 120 grit. Worked quite well. But, (there's always a but) the foamed up bits were a royal pain to smooth out. A trip to Michael's Arts and Craft store brought much needed relief to me. I found a non-foaming polyurethane glue that works wonders. It has the same protective properties as Gorilla Glue, but doesn't foam. This means everything stays smoother with good durability.

With my polyurethane glue coating on the plane (usually 3 coats that have been sanded between coats), I'm ready to paint. Since I have a good protective coating, I can pull out a more aggressive paint. I like Pactra's line of lacquer based RC car body paint. You can get it in a rattle can as well as bottles ready for airbrushing. It adheres beautifully to the glue coating and won't eat through to the underlying foam. It comes in a number of great colors. My personal preference is to lay down Indy Silver over an area then paint the same area with Candy Red. This brings out a bright blood red look with a subtle sparkle behind it that's quite eye catching (even at great distances).

But, you want to put down a design (or graphic) instead of doing a solid color. Well, the topic of tape always comes up. There's a lot of manufacturers out there and adhesion qualities are all different. Many like 3M, others don't. Whichever is your preference, you need a good light tack tape. 3M does make a few of these that'll work for your purposes. If you need to cut tape for a design, you might run into some issues as the 3M stuff tends to be a pain. My favorite painting tape of all time has to be Tamiya tape. It's a wax based, not a paper type, that is very light tack (probably the lightest out there) and cuts very easy. It adheres well enough for complex designs but won't pull up the underlying paint. It's not cheap, but the finish is well worth the investment. It also holds a pencil mark quite well, which makes it ideal for laying out your design.

When all done, and I'm happy with the paint job, the last thing I do is give a nice coating of WBPU. Minwax also has a spraycan version that works well. Just a quick coat and it's ready for anything.

In summary, it's a lot of prep work that's necessary to keep the paint from pealing but it's worth it. Depending on how light you want to go will determine what paint to use. If you don't mind adding a little bit of weight, give the urethane glue a try. It's worth it in the end. Above all, be patient and take your time. The lighter your coats, the longer your paint job will last...even in crashes.

[zoom505]

Interesting stuff the liquid sheeting for foam!!

http://www.wowplanes.com/product_inf...roducts_id=101

[AEAJR]

Sounds like Elapor can be painted safely with just about anything. Anyone find a paint that actually hurts the foam?

[Pig]

Aeajr, lots of paints will goof up elapor. Ones that immediately come to mind are Spazstix, House of Kolor, and Testors Metallizers (in the rattle can). A good quality lacquer thinner with Spazstix will divot foam pretty easily. House of Kolor is a pretty harsh urethane, not to mention a bit tricky to get right. Testors Metallizers, for some odd reason, attack elapor much quicker and more devastatingly than other Testors paints.

[Sparky Paul]

The hobby store paints cost 3 times the same paint at the hardware store.
I use Krylon and Rustoleum on my Easy Stars and Easy Glider.

[Rolling Thunder]

Pig,it would be great to see some of your work.do you have any pictures?

[WAR MACHINE]

Elapor is strange stuff - paint doesn't eat it nor does regular CA - Funjet instructions tell you NOT to use foam freindly CA. I painted my FJ with regular "Duco" spray paint.