What's your favourite fuel proofer

It isn't?

Who is making it?

A quick search shows a few retailers with odd stocks of old cans of Solarlac but most colours are out of stock.

I recently found a jar of the stuff in the shed, the lid was so rusted, I had to cut it off. The paint inside was still good though. I used some to finish off a refurb project. It sets like an enamel paint but smells more like a cellulose type. I suspect it's enamel which is somewhat fuelproof but with a fast evaporating solvent. I am told by a professional modeller that you can thin most enamel paint with cellulose solvent.

Solarfilm! Straight from the 'horses' mouth'

'we do have stocks of Clearcoat and Solarlac but can’t be shipped as they are not accepted by Royal Mail or the Couriers as they are flammable'

So if you can get to Coppull you can get some - shame I'm based in South Norfolk!

Edited By Ron Gray on 24/11/2020 13:02:57

They're not making it though, that's old stock, and as you say you have to collect...

I think the excuse of " flammable and couriers wont take is " is just an excuse as they cant be bothered . I have just ordered and received. Some disposable gas canisters , 5 ltr can of cellulose thinners . 1 ltr Two pack paint hardener etc. All flammable and delivered by couriers OK not the Royal Mail but no problem . I was lucky with some Clearcote as a friend bought me a liter of it at old warden last year.

You could perhaps arrange your own collection from Solarfilm via a courier . Wont cost anymore than a normal collection/delivery.

I arranged a collection for a large box of engines last year and no problem

Hi Doc . We only get bits of the story . It was done for some reason , why ? we will never know . Perhaps a bitter man ?

I used to use couriers on a regular basis and always had a problem with ‘dangerous’ goods, the category under which flammable goods are listed.

Edited By Ron Gray on 24/11/2020 15:46:34

Edited By Ron Gray on 24/11/2020 15:48:35

To be honest I don’t mind, I did ask Andrew if he would sell the ‘recipe’ but he said it would be cheaper to buy his stock of it!

I suspect some sums were done, with a result like "sell everything and close up now, get to retire, keep going, go broke".

That is frankly ridiculous.

On another note; the Rustins two pack seems to pose no problem when ironing on film. It appeared to soften very slightly under heat whilst doing so.

To you Nigel, maybe, to Andrew obviously not! Things may change when stocks dwindle down but as I haven't a clue how much stock he has I don't know when (if) that will be!

I understood from published articles that the problem is that Andrew has no interest in model planes and hence no incentive to maintain the company.

Barry, I thought I'd read that he wasn't a modeller and is now ready to retire so doesn't see it as a priority to pass the baton. Maybe I misread or mis-remember the article.

Sure, I guess my thought was whether holding on to the machinery and larger building to house them would maintain any kind of profitability.

Time will tell!

In the meantime I'm still looking for a courier to pick up some flammable goods at a reasonable price!

Hi all.

I 've come across this product while searching the web .

Anyone have experience of it .

Would you chemists out there have any views .

It's for automotive use and does not need to be mixed with a hardener and should be ok for petrol diesel and oils etc. not sure about our fuels though .

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/322296388960

MIPA C10 1K CLEAR COAT 1L LACQUER / HIGH GLOSS/ UV RESISTANT/ READY FOR USE/RFU | eBay

It is supplied by Luxon Trade Ltd.

Keith,

I'm no chemist but there seems to be a recurring pattern with anything other than two pack; it may well hold back low nitro glow fuel if cleaned off promptly, but is unlikely to resist higher nitro exhaust for long. There's quite a selection of spray lacquers in Halfords (I only know because the primers are usually hiding from me) and I've only used a gloss lacquer for balancing wooden props.

If a single pack acrylic did work, it would be excellent; nobody on the thread has flagged it, as far as I recall; if you try it, let us know.

My latest (Anderson's Rocket .. think Stevenson's with fewer wheels .. ) will have Oracolour two pack over white Halfords primer, if it ever warms up enough to spray in the garage.

BTC

The problem is that notromethane is a very power solvent, it is used in cyno debonders which should tell you something about its properties. I have followed all the threads on fuel proofers and although some people claim there is a single part proofer that works, I have never found one that works 100%. Enamel paints given several months to harden can be used for low nitro fuels but anything above 5% needs a 2 part coat.

A.

Oracover make two-part fuel proof matching colours and a clear one. You have to buy the matching hardener, of which there are two sorts, one for brushing and a hardener/thinner combined, which is for spraying. Either hardener is ok for all colours and of course you can use either hardener for the same paint if you need to spray part of the model and brush other parts.

I've used the red and it's fine, though fairly expensive.

You can get it from Sussex Model Centre though they often have to get it from the distributor.

Like Andy above I have never found a single part stuff to be 100% proof.

I looked at the Oracover products but the amount you get and for the price, it would cost too much to finish a large model.

A.