The Best Way To Paint Depron Foam

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9808
Comment this article

Many people build and design RC planes and though some models are made of balsa or bass wood, most home built models are made of Depron foam. Flying an RC airplane can be a very interesting hobby and painting these planes in unique colors and creative patterns can be even more fun.

Depronfoam provides the builder the best option since its very strong and very light for it size. Best of all, the depronfoam can be sanded, taped, and or painted to form any model the builder can imagine.

Most builders have no issues building with depron foam. Airplanes, but questions always come up when painting or finishing. No body want to fly and ugly plane, so here are some tips to help you finish your depron foam radio control airplane model.

Painting the foam planes

Though Depron foam planes are sturdy, the foam itself may be a little difficult to paint if not using the correct foam safe paint..If you properly prepare your depronplanes, they will look perfectly and very attractive. It’s a real pleasure flying a plane that is all spruced-up and looks shiny and new.

• Take a sanding block of medium ...
... grade and run it right across the surface of the plane that needs to be painted. This will smoothen all the hard surfaces a that are on the surface. You also want to sand down the leading edges of the plane so there is less wind resistance. To give the final surface a professional look, you can spread a small amount of spackle on the surface of the plane and leave it to dry out. Rub the spackle down and smoothen it till it is flush with the surface of the plane.

• Use a compressed air can to blow-off all the remnants of dust. Now apply very thin layers of fiberglass-cloth to the surface of the Depron foam. This will create a sealed and hard surface which creates an effective barrier between the paint application and the surface of the Depron foam. Smooth the polyurethane coating with the sanding block once it has dried-off.

• Mix together some talcum powder and polyurethane coating that has a water base in a 1:1 ratio. Apply a generous coat of this over the fiberglass cloth that has now been firmly sealed. Use a plastic spreader for filling in all the indentations and leave it out to dry before you sand it down again. Use the canned air to blow off the excess dust.

• Use a foam brush and apply 2 coats of latex house-paint. The first coat has to be completely dry before you apply the next one. This acts as an effective primer. Let it cure completely and sand it down to a very smooth finish using a small amount of water as you do so. Now wipe off the water and use the compressed air can to get rid of the moisture.

• Now comes the fun part. Use spray paint to paint different designs of your choice, on the body and the wings of the plane. Use a good quality acrylic paint can. If you are using a brush to apply it, thin the paint down suitably before you do so. Spray the paint from a distance of 4-6” and use multiple coats. This will ensure that the paint does not look transparent. Let it dry overnight.

The painting is all done. The only thing left to do is to apply 2 coats of acrylic clear-coat over the paint. The material will have to be sprayed with an airbrush. This clear coat seals the color and protects the paint. Let the Depron foamplane now dry overnight and then add transfers and decals as you like.

Resource box:

Grayson Hobby has Depron Foam sheets in various sizes. You can build, paint these Depron Foam at home in model and colors of your choice.