Proven fuel proof coating for field box -summary so far

[Verne Koester]

Bill,
The nitro or the poly?

Verne


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Pritchett" <phelps15 at comcast.net>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 6:22 PM
Subject: Re: Proven fuel proof coating for field box -summary so far


> Verne:
> It's the stuff we like to smell, right?
> hehe
> Bill
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Verne Koester" <verne at twmi.rr.com>
> To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
> Sent: Monday, August 22, 2005 5:10 PM
> Subject: Re: Proven fuel proof coating for field box -summary so far
>
>
>> 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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>
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