Proven fuel proof coating for field box -summary so far

[Verne Koester]

Tom,
I finished a flight box with Minwax polyurethane 20 years ago and it's still 
going strong. Lots of 30% nitro fuel spilled on it through the years. This 
is the old fashioned polyurethane, not the water-based stuff.

Verne


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tom Simes" <nsrca at shinymetalass.com>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 4:50 PM
Subject: Re: Proven fuel proof coating for field box -summary so far


>
> Thanks for the feedback everybody, to summarize, here is what I think I
> understand about the finishes so far.  If you have first hand experience
> contradicting this, please let me know!
>
> Lacquer:  From what I've read, aircraft dope is a catalyzed lacquer and
> aparently the catalyst used determines how fuel/nitro tolerant the
> finish will be.  Don't know what the "good" catalyzing agents are, but
> apparently non-catalyzed lacquer is not fuel proof at all.
>
> Epoxy / finishing resin:  Definately highly fuel resistant, but the
> longest pot life epoxy I regularly use is 30 minute and so I don't
> really have a need for the extra 1/2 quart or so I would need to buy
> (not available in < 1 qt. quantities as far as I know).  Even the West
> system stuff is not naturally UV resistant - they recommend top coating
> with a UV resistant varnish.
>
> Spar varnish:  Should be color stable and highly UV resistant.  May
> become brittle and succeptable to cracking / crazing.  Should be fuel /
> nitro resistant to some degree.
>
> Polyurethane (exterior/spar):  Should be color stable, very durable and
> highly UV resistant.  At least the Varathane water bourne acrylic flavor
> is reported to not be fuel resistant.
>
> So far I am leaning towards either a non-acrylic polyurethane or the
> spar varnish because of durability and ease of application, but I'm
> still not clear on how fuel resistant the various brands / flavors of
> these finishes are.  I may end up buying the smallest quantities I can
> get of the spar varnish and polyurethane and conducting some
> experiments.
>
>
> Tom
>
> _____________________________________________________________________
>
>       |  ,  |               Tom Simes
> ---------(@)---------        AMA 230068
>        --|--                NSRCA 3830
>          '                  nsrca at shinymetalass.com
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