How To Guide:
RC Helicopter Painting
Wouldn’t it be great if your RC helicopter would catch the attention of the crowd because of its one of a kind color? Most
certainly you will feel like a proud papa if spectators would rave over the excellent paint job done on your newest
"baby".
But if you think you can change the color of your RC helicopter overnight to dazzle people at the park the very next day,
think again! If your canopy is made of customized fiberglass, painting the canopy would take the better part of the week.
But if you have factory made plastic canopy, a simple air brush tool can do it in less time.
Well go back to fiberglass canopy painting; you need to prepare the canopy before any painting can be done. You have to
sand the rough edges, joints and seams; fill up dents and body flaws before the primer is applied.
You can start the process by thoroughly washing all the fiberglass parts using a mild detergent and warm water. The
purpose is to remove all manufacturing and molding residues. Wipe all the parts to be painted with Acetone to remove oil
or grease. Scuff the area to be painted using an abrasive pad so that the primer and any adhesive that will be used will
stick and hold fast to the surface.
Use a 1/16” drill bit if you need to make any holes or cutouts. Using 320 grit sandpaper, rough sand all the parts and
accessories. Carefully inspect the parts to see if you need to use a filler to adjust any surface dents and imperfections.
Air bubbles need to be filled too. Many fiberglass fillers are available but it would be advisable to consult craftsmen
and hobby shop owners as to the suitability of the product. Fillers that shrink are not advisable for large areas.
The next procedure is the application of the primer. A primer is needed for two reasons. First, primer paint will adhere
forcefully to the surface to be painted, thus providing the best surface for the paint to stick to. Second, by priming the
surface to be painted all the imperfections will be visible. Once a flaw is noted, it needs to be filled, dried, sanded
again and sprayed with the primer for the second time. This process has to be repeated until surface perfection is
achieved. This process could be tedious and would take a lot of your time.
You can now select the color of the paint and spray paint the canopy of your RC helicopter. Be sure to follow the
directions set by the paint manufacturer to achieve the best results.
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