Authentic WWII Colors For Your Scale Warbird

WarbirdColors primers and paints are water-based polyurethane coatings designed specifically for model aircraft builders. Utilizing state of the art spectrometer analysis, WarbirdColors paints have been matched to the colors utilized by the countries embroiled in World War II, WarbirdColors now gives the builder a safe, simple to use, authentic color match for their scale warbird.

WarbirdColors primers and paints are water-based, therefore they are non-flammable and thus safe to use indoors. Additionally they are low in VOC (volatile organic compounds, or thinners), low odor, and clean-up easily using water. WarbirdColors primers and paints can be applied over all materials encountered in scale modeling such as fiberglass, wood, metal, and fabric coverings. They can be applied using a brush, standard spray equipment, a HVLP spray system, or via airbrush.

WarbirdColors Instructions

With any paint job, the quality of the final finish is directly proportional to the quality of surface preparation done prior to painting. Surfaces must be sanded to a smooth finish and all holes, dings, gaps, etc. must be filled with the appropriate material and sanded smooth. Wooden surfaces must be covered with fiberglass or some form of covering such as nylon, silk, polyester fabric covering etc. and sealed with epoxy resin or dope. Failure to do so may cause the wood to expand or warp, and possibly split along the wood grains due to the water present within the paints. All fiberglass and molded plastic parts should be sanded lightly using a fine-grit sandpaper and washed and wiped clean prior to painting to remove any parting agents and surface residues, and provide a clean bonding surface for the paints. WarbirdColors primers and paints can be applied using either brush or spray equipment. Regardless of the method used, the following guidelines should be followed.

Mixing

WarbirdColors primers and paints are high-solid, high pigment content coatings. These solids and pigments will settle in the can over time. These solids MUST be mixed prior to painting. It is recommended that WarbirdColors Primers and paints be stirred (as opposed to shaken) to thoroughly mix the solids and pigments prior to any other steps in the painting process.

Thinning

WarbirdColors primers and paints are high-solids, high pigment content coatings. Consequently heavy coats are not recommended. Multiple light coats are recommended, with the last coat being "wet" to provide the optimal finish. Due to the high solids, high pigment content of these coatings it is recommended that they be thinned, using water, before application. In most cases, WarbirdColors primers and paints should be thinned approximately 15-25% prior to application. This will vary depending upon the method used (brushed or sprayed), as well as the type of equipment utilized for the application. Conventional spray systems will typically require more thinning than the newer HVLP (High Volume-Low Pressure) systems. Using the newer HVLP systems, it may be necessary to thin as much as 30% before use, while a typical airbrush system using the large tip may require as much as 40-50% thinning. Before painting your model, it is suggested that a sample or test object be painted first to insure the proper viscosity for the equipment being used.

Covalent Bonding

WarbirdColors primers and paints are designed to be used with a covalent bonding agent, or crosslinking additive. It is the addition of this bonding agent or crosslinker which gives WarbirdColors primers and paints the additional property of resistence to model airplane fuels. Proper usage of this crosslinker will provide fuel proofing for model airplane fuels containing up to 15% nitromethane content. The crosslinker must be added to the paint in the amount of 8 drops of crosslinker per one ounce of paint. The crosslinking additive also acts as a catalyst or hardner. Therefore you should only mix the amount of paint to be used within a short period of time. Once the bonding agent is added to WarbirdColors it can only be stored for a limited amount of time before it will begin to harden or jell. During the painting process it may be necessary to clean the spray-tip to insure a smooth finish.

Clean-Up

After painting, clean-up should be done quickly, within 30 minutes, using water. If allowed to completely dry, it may be necessary to use an additional solvent, such as toluene, to clean-up your spray equipment.