Touch up paint work advice

[Mosquito]

I am looking to touch up the nose of a sailplane that the safety orange has been faded by the sun. What is the best way to do this? Do I chemically clean the area and then re-spray or sand the area lightly first? Has anyone found any Safety Orange that does a good job matching that of what is used on our sailplanes?

Tim

[Asher Carmichael]

Tim,
The first step is to determine what kind of paint is on the model already. You mentioned that it is faded so it is doubtful it is an automotive or 2K type catalyzed paint. More than likely it is acrylic lacquer or enamel which is pretty much what you’ll find in typical spray bombs. Use some lacquer thinner on a rag to see if it affects the paint. If it affects it easily it is probably lacquer and if less so then enamel. Safe bet is to go with enamel but a true acrylic enamel won’t be as “hard” as lacquer and takes a loooong time to dry up to its true wear potential. If you’re in doubt and want to go with lacquer just make sure the first couple of coats are light.
If you are happy with the base the orange is on I would clean it with alcohol or mineral spirits, allow to dry and then mask with 3M fine line tape or similar. The orange that is there should be a sufficient primer surface so a scuff sanding with 320-400grit (no finer or coarser) wet/dry paper, used dry, should be all you need to do. Clean again after sanding but avoid too much cleaner so as to avoid disturbing the tape.
Apply as many coats as needed to cover but no more than 4-5. It helps the paint flow if you allow it to sit in a pan of hot water for 5 minutes or so before applying.
As far as color matching/brands go, you’ll have to figure that out. Auto paint stores will mix and fill aerosol bombs for you if you have a sample color. Unfortunately, I think they will only do this with acrylic enamel. It’s OK but as I said it takes a long time to dry.
Good luck. I’m sure others will chime in to offer help.
Asher

[Steve P]

No need to chime, Asher nailed it!

It is, however, why I switched to high quality fluorescent vinyl. Doesn’t work in all applications (heavy curves) but it sure looks great and lasts.

[Asher Carmichael]

Tim,
After further consideration, you might try using a polishing compound on the faded paint before going the repaint route. It may just be oxidized and need a good polishing. Finesse-it 2 by 3M or Turbo Cut by Wizards are both great choices and are available at your local auto paint supply store.

[Mosquito]

Asher and Steve,

Thanks much for the info. The vinyl does sound intriguing!

Tim

[Swiss1]

Tim, Flourescent or Neon colours need a lot of light coats to build up to the vivid effect you want, and must always be applied over a white base, sometimes up to 10 applications, I know this as I built many Formula 1 models in the day and the McLaren,s were finished in Flourescent Red. Another thing is that usually these colours do not gloss up, so a clear coat is needed in most cases!
Just my 2 cents worth

Jeremy
SCCAAA TT TN

[lenb]

If you end up repainting the orange, use a UV clear over it to help with color fade. Those flourescent colors don't like being in the sun

[DennisB]

The other option is to go with a non fluorescent color like blood orange or a bright red. No more hassles with fading.

[Swiss1]

The other option is to go with a non fluorescent color like blood orange or a bright red. No more hassles with fading.

Actually Red is the most susceptive colour to fade due to it's pigment!

Jeremy
SCCAAA TT TN​​​​​​​