House Paint for foam

[Delizar]

I keep reading in multiple forum threads about using house paints for painting foam planes.
With custom color matching for 4-8 dollars it fills my heart with hope and put simply helps keep my wallet full.

But it raises questions. Ones that when reading these forums seem to get skipped over....so here goes.

1. To be clear we are talking about Acrylic Latex?

2. Application, what form and what prep of the paint?

2.1 Can it be airbrushed and what to thin it with?

2.2 Brush application, do you thin it and with what.

In my search I find tons of info for use of Acrylic Hobby paints and virtually zip for Acrylic Latex house paints. Even though they seem to be in fairly wide use.

[doctormike]

I have used acrylic latex and it stays put. Problem is, brush strokes. Haven't tried spraying it. I prefer Krylon spray paint since it doesn't attack the new foams. When I scratch build with foam board (will melt) I give any exposed foam 3 coats of Varathane water base, then spray. This works very well and gives a smoother finish. I then apply two coats of Varathane over the, well dried, paint. Very nice finish. Doc

[VOODOO]

I buy latex paint samples from LOWES and brush it on with no prep. The VALSPAR brand flows well without thinning, and probably would be even better after adding a LITTLE water to thin.

[doctormike]

Yes... I also thin my Varathane w.b. clear coat. It goes on even smoother with no bubbles. Doc

[Delizar]

Thank you all for the feed back. I got my P-38 in so will be heading over to get some touch up paint for it here in the next week or so. I may pick up some other colors and practice working with it on some of my less critical planes. Maybe the AXN needs a touch of color.

[F106DeltaDart]

Over the weekend I tried airbrushing on some house paint I had matched at Home Depot. I thinned it with denatured alcohol and it worked like a charm. The entire wing on my Spitfire was painted using the technique with no problems.

[Flygirl]

Over the weekend I tried airbrushing on some house paint I had matched at Home Depot. I thinned it with denatured alcohol and it worked like a charm. The entire wing on my Spitfire was painted using the technique with no problems.

Looks great DD!! As you walked out they were probably wondering why some guy would want to paint his house camoflage.... ;)

[F106DeltaDart]

Looks great DD!! As you walked out they were probably wondering why some guy would want to paint his house camoflage.... ;)

Thanks! I'm sure they've probably thought I am crazy for a while considering how many airplane parts I've brought in for them to paint match. If they ask I'll just tell them I'm trying to hide my house from those pesky 109s haha.

[doctormike]

I always assumed denatured alcohol would, somehow, ruin the paint. I'll have to try that. Boy, it should dry fast! Doc

[Prowler901]

So I went to my local Lowes with some color chips for my Alphajet. The guy there told me they couldn't do custom colors in the small sample sizes. It had to be a color that they sold in their system. If I wanted a custom color, then I had to buy a whole quart at $11. Is this the same everywhere? Are you all buying the quarts, or the small samples?

[TiredIronGRB]

So I went to my local Lowes with some color chips for my Alphajet. The guy there told me they couldn't do custom colors in the small sample sizes. It had to be a color that they sold in their system. If I wanted a custom color, then I had to buy a whole quart at $11. Is this the same everywhere? Are you all buying the quarts, or the small samples?

I get custom colors in the sample size from both Lowes and Home Depot, I like the flatter finish of the HD samples and it's usually a better match.

[Prowler901]

Thanks. I'll try HD. The Lowes guy just wouldn't do it.

[Dewey H Lee]

Yes I think that guy was giving you the runaround. Some clerks are like that. The guys at home depot and Lowe's around here get a kick out of me when I bring in a bomb or wing to be matched.

[Phatbob]

I've been airbrushing with latex for years. The best thinner is windshield washer fluid, thinning to the viscosity of milk. It has alcohol in it to aid in drying time and it $.99 a gallon. Latex may dry in minutes but needs a good week to fully cure. The plastic spinner on my P40 is latex painted, and clear coated with Krylon spray.

[tab28682]

Have also been airbrushing latex paint from sample bottles from Home Depot. Roy Vaillancourt has excellent info on latex paint for scale models on his web site:

http://www.vaillyaviation.com/docume...tspart1web.doc

He suggested windshield washer fluid for thinner, with 3% Floetrol latex paint additive, which helps the paint flow and lay down better on the surface a bit, before it sets.

The blue dye in the washer fluid evaporates with the fluid and does not affect final paint color after drying at all.

Here are two of my airbrushed models: my customized Eflite Convergence and my Dynam Me.262.

[hobbyt]

Taking notes on those tips. Nice work on the customized Eflite Convergence and Dynam Me.262.

[Pauly]

So really, what is the best to thin with? I see hear denatured alcohol, blue windshield washer fluid, so I don't know what to use. I have got some acrylic paint from the hobby section at Wally World. I have a ton of Testors paints that's used in regular model building, but I assume its out of the question for foam seeing you need to thin with thinner.

[RRHandy]

You can spray EPO with testors paint (enamel), MEK does not melt EPO so the testors thinner (mineral spirits) won't, R.

[Pauly]

You can spray EPO with testors paint (enamel), MEK does not melt EPO so the testors thinner (mineral spirits) won't, R.

So, you're saying the regular mineral spirits want hurt or melt foam? I just would like to know what would be the best thing to airbrush some foam planes with.

[Corsair 167]

I buy latex paint samples from LOWES and brush it on with no prep. The VALSPAR brand flows well without thinning, and probably would be even better after adding a LITTLE water to thin.

I have used Lowe's latex successfully, but it only comes in gloss, not flat.