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Krylon revisited...


ScottsGT

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Sorry for being so long winded...

I've been reading a lot about Krylon on all of the modeling forums as of late.  i guess my bigger projects has me leaning away from the small packaging/high cost of model paints. 

But I have noticed a lot of threads praising Krylon appear to be older threads, back during the old formula krylon days. In the past month, I have been experimenting with different Krylons with no luck. Now I have yet to try my can of "5 ball industrial" but so far my results are depressing.  Just yesterday I sprayed some standard Krylon flat black on a model.  24 hours later, it is still tacky to the touch.  Same Krylon on metal is fully cured.   Last week I tried some of the Krylon Lacquer in flat white on a test mule.  One area I primered with Krylon primer, the other was bare plastic.  I got the same results in both areas.  A slight crazing of the plastic. But no tacky finish for days.

 

 On another model, I used some Tamiya primer and top coated it with Duplicolor Lacquer. gloss white if it matters.  it dried smooth and hard. No tacky finish. But it does appear a little "yellow" compaired to Tamiya white. I guess I need to do a side by side comparison under various lighting. The plus side to the Duplicolor lacquers is that it goes on thin like Tamiya's spray paints do.  unfortunately, they only offer it in a few flavors.  Gloss, semi and flat black, gloss white and gloss silver and a gloss clear.

 

When it comes to a really expensive kit, I have come to the conclusion I need to just stick with model paints. No problem if I can find the color I need. Example;  I'm building the 1/72 Saturn V.  I just ordered all Tamiya spray bombs, to include primer for it.  Why jepordize a $140 kit over paint?  I did find that Advantage Hobby Club offers Tamiya spray bombs considerably less than everyone else.

 

But my one big concern is my Blue Angels projects I'm going to be building.  All 1/32, an F-4J, Skyhawk and F-18.  Krylon makes a perfect match for the Blue Angels.  I want these to be right!  For my next test mule, I'm going to shoot some automotive black epoxy primer as a base to seal the plastic.  (Black since I have a pint or more left over from restoring my '66 Mustang Fastback)  then I'll give it a good coat of Tamiya primer after 24 hours to get a lighter base color. Then I'll try my Krylon True Blue.  I just wish someone would make a Blue Angels Blue that was correct! ( Don't get started on the fact that they have changed their color of blue over the years!  I'm aware!)

 

Am I using the Krylon incorrectly?  So far it has been out of the can, but my concern now is getting the chemicals to play nice together. Not concerned about decanting and airbrushing for a smooth cover yet.

Edited by ScottsGT
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For some reason any black I've tried has tricky drying times. Don't know why.ive only used the old formula Krylon with any success. Duplicolor decanted is great stuff. Duplicolor white primer is very similar to tamiya . I only use Tamiya on my good builds.

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My experience with Krylon rattle cans has been far less than satisfactory. Slow drying times, no drying at all in humid conditions, yellowish whites & clears, flaking off when it did dry, etc.

 

On the other hand, Rustolium and Valspar rattle can enamels work flawlessly. In fact, Valspar's Gray Primer #65055 is an exact match for Testors' FS 36440 Light Gull Gray. I already painted one model successfuly with this, and will be using it again when I get to my Tamiya F-4J (along with Rustolium Gloss White for the undersides).

 

Just stay away from the Rustolium "2X" clears because they lay on so thick that it obliterates most surface detail.

 

D

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Funny.... I've tried the new formula Krylon satin black (for U.S. propellers; it's perfect) over primer with no problems at all. Perhaps humidity, or lack thereof, has a major factor in it curing? Where I live currently it's often very dry, and those are the days I paint when I have time. Kicks off in minutes for me.

As far as primer is concerned, Duplicolor or Plastikote brand fast-build primers are great, but the best I've run across is Design Master primer; it's about $7.00 for a large rattle can. It won't etch the plastic and it will take anything from nail polish to catalyzed enamel over it. I've posted about it before. Worth a try. Michael's Crafts stocks it.

Has anyone tried Rustoleum Aluminum? The one in the small tin. Stir it up good and reduce it with lacquer thinner. Represents silver-doped fabric really well.

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Funny.... I've tried the new formula Krylon satin black (for U.S. propellers; it's perfect) over primer with no problems at all.

You're right. Krylon's Satin Black is the only Krylon rattle-can paint that I've used that worked well. Thanks for shaking that memory loose. :)

 

Has anyone tried Rustoleum Aluminum? The one in the small tin. Stir it up good and reduce it with lacquer thinner. Represents silver-doped fabric really well.

Yes, it is a nice color for "silver doped fabric" and any other surfaces that were silver painted on the real thing. It is one of the few silvers that actually cures properly without remaining soft or delicate. The rattle-can version is just as nice. The small tins of Rustolium gloss colors (such as that Aluminum) also react well to being thinned with Acetone. The drying time is slowed somewhat (but it still dries very fast), thus allowing for better leveling of the paint before it flashes off.

 

D

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I have had success with Krylon on certain projects. The chrome in the smaller (yet pricey) can called "Looking glass" really competes with Alclad II chrome. Issue in the hobby though is it attacks plastic. I sprayed it on some smooth resin with great success. With Blue Angels, I would cast the parts in resin unless I find a barrier primer that leaves a super polished surface for the looking glass to lay on. I need to experiment more. One that haunts me to this day though is their primer which fused to high temp. RTV for casting. This very event is the reason we don't have highly detailed Metal F-4 Phantom gear. 

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