Hello, Im a Noob here- where u buyin' ur dope?? :~}

[planejane]

Hello! Im Mark from Normandy Park, Washington-USA (near sea-tac airport) I run/own an auto mechanic shop business during the day for the past almost 18 years and have been at this work for 26.
Im currently building a Sopwith Camel and am toiling over the running gear- I think this was digging in deep for not having built any planes since my teens- I think i did a total of two back then- an Aeronica and another brand I think was a Cesna. I wanted to hang some in my front office.
Well needless to say this hobby was more popular back when- you could buy the clear and colored dope at JC Penneys or pretty much any hobby place. The only local hobby place has a few Guillow kits but no needed dopes.
Im not building this thing to fly- I'd hate to crash and burn a hundred hours of work!
So given that I bought some clear from e-bay and arrived what looked like old, rusty stock. It works but isnt fresh- Im using it to glue the tissue and then to seal the entire thing after I shrink up the tissue.
I used initially the thinned out wood glue to seal the balsa as someone here recommended.
If I don't care about fuelproof properties what is good brands and types of paint to use? Isnt there some basic colors you get then mix for other colors?
I made an order online at Hobby Fever for some new clear dope as I spilled the rusty old ebay bottle!
Sooo where do you buy your stuff?
Are you using the clear dope for applying the tissue?
Are you "clearing" the whole plane with clear dope after wetting and drying tissue?
Anyway- look forward to hearing from you!

[supercruiser]

Hi Mark,
I use Aero Gloss dope, occasionally. I got my bottles from a local hobby shop that was purging their stock. Got some bottles at half price. Retail: $5.69. I just bought a 2 .oz bottle for $1.00. Aero Gloss as far as I know does not produce dope anymore. I have a quart can of butyrate cream colored dope from an aircraft supply company.

I think many people are using UHU stick glue or similar to attach tissue to the frames. Also, most folks here use thinned acrylic paint for painting their models. For static display, you can use almost any type of paint.

My method, is to attach the tissue, wet and then let dry. Apply acrylic paint or dope with an airbrush. Then apply one coat of Krylon clear acrylic.

[BillParker]

what I use...

SIGSD145 SUPERCOAT CLEAR QUART EACH $15.99

at:

http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmart.exe/ProductsV5.html?L+Sig+hvyu1273+_Ddp_5fSearch1_02a46PaintSigSuperCDpe_01Search_02Index_01SubMenu_02None_01Menu_02CatProd_01Thumb_02Dope_01


bp

[Greyhound]

For the dope I use half water and half wood glue.
I also use acrylic paint for the final coat on the airplane.

[Mad Cap Romanian]

My new wholesaler has some Dope which I intend to by before April. It's older stock, so I'll have to examine it before I buy it to see if it's still good or not, but they have most of the Aerogloss Dope colours including Fokker DR.1 Red.

I'm in Canada, but let me know what colours you'd be interested in and I'll see if I can find them.

[thymekiller]

If its for static, skip the dope. Water shrink and use any paint.

thymekiller.

[kittyfritters]

I use Krylon Crystal Clear fixative, #1303, in the spray can. It's a gloss acrylic fixative that works very well if you or someone in your household is allergic to the components of dope. One caviat, it is not waterproof like dope, just water resistant, so you cannot use it on a seaplane, and if you get to the flying field on a morning with heavy dew you have to wait for the dew to lift before flying. You can paint over the Krylon acrylic fixative with acrylic paints or acylic inks, and nitrate dope. You cannot paint over it with butyrate dope (AeroGloss).

[thymekiller]

Good tip, kittyfritters. I wasnt sure about dope over krylon and dope.
Krylon works pretty good and its easy to apply. One can will treat many planes and it doesnt smell so strong. Weighs much less than diluted glue.
thymekiller

[planejane]

Thanks for all the good info, since its a display plane I'll likely go with acrylics and clear coat it. Does Krylon clear react with the decals- put them on before or after?

[planejane]

The dope stuff is nastay@! so i'll keep that to a minimum- however I really like the fast drying aspect how it adheres tissue whin I use clear.
i cant see putting so many hours into a Sopwith and then going to throw the fragile thing off a bridge or whatnot LOL