How long should paint dry before masking?

Thanks Phil, I'll give it at least 48. No sanding should be required as it laid down like glass. I'm very happy with the look. I usually like to clear coat my models but I am pushing weight limits now, so I may restrict that only to the area forward of the wing. There is a raw balsa cheek on the inboard side opposite the engine that I'll prime first, and then sand it back down to where I start seeing wood peek through again.

Red and black eh ?,
Sounds familiar to me, jokes , I live red and black they have a really nice racy contrast the trouble I had on the Reno was I used enamel for the red To give it that glossy look left it for a day or so to dry then fuel proofed it trouble was either I didn't leave enough time for the enamel to dry or put too much fuel proof on as I had a couple of runs Didn't thin the fuel provider down as I don't have any thinners at the mo dumbass left the lid off !!! Let's see some pics rusty

Paint dry time depends on temperature and humidity. More drying time is preferable to less unless you wish to risk doing damage that would be difficult to repair.

Who's in a rush anyway?

SD

I would expect that switching from heavy painted fabric wing coverings to ultracote or some other shrink film would save you ounces!

Priming then sanding down to the wood is going to save you weight while you fill the grain. This is also going to reduce how much final coat paint you need.

I thought this airplane was getting the same size engine that was on it previously...

Phil

pkrankow wrote:I would expect that switching from heavy painted fabric wing coverings to ultracote or some other shrink film would save you ounces!

Priming then sanding down to the wood is going to save you weight while you fill the grain. This is also going to reduce how much final coat paint you need.

I thought this airplane was getting the same size engine that was on it previously...

Phil

It saved a bunch. It came to me with thick fabric that weighed over 4oz, posted somewhere in this thread. It has Monokote on the wings now. After painting the rear fuse and adding the rudder and elevator horn hardware it only gained 0.2 oz, up from 16.4 to 16.6oz. I might get there under the wire. The engine is smaller than the original OS 40. I have a Thunder Tiger Pro BB25 for it, a hot little number at 10.1oz. I don't know if that includes the muffler. The engine/fuel tank and a little more paint is all that will be added before it's finished.

The rudder is proving to be a challenge figuring out how to attach it straight with good glue. I'm leaning towards old fashioned airplane cement that I can pre-glue and hold in place, eying a straight edge while it hardens. Epoxy would be better but one off-line angle after it hardens and I have a real problem on my hands.

Two ideas......

Straight pins. They only leave small holes and are easily covered back up in paint. On my Ringmaster I used toothpicks. I pre-drilled small holes in the fuse and the rudder, pushed in the toohpicks, used epoxy and pushed the rudder on. Nice and straight and now it has a little extra strength.

I was trying to do it with pins. The rudder would only wrap around the stab and pin down if they barely stick out. I'll try again tomorrow. I couldn't seem to do much of anything right tonight, so I ended up doing nothing. Probably a good thing.