Refinish A Foam Jet Ep 1 - Freewing F-14 Tomcat Assembly Mods & Paint Prep

[@senceralp]

When I retire from the Turkish Air Force, I can start my internship with you. 😃🇹🇷 I admire the work you do !

[@Thercgeek]

Haha, yes! Thank you for your kind words 😊

[@senceralp]

@@Thercgeek 😃You are very kind, my friend. When you make SOLOTÜRK, the whole fleet will be grateful. 🇹🇷

[@davidpoling7748]

I love these refinish series! Recently bought an airbrush and have been getting into refinishing and scratchbuilding myself! Just finished on a fms p39 I crashed a few years ago. Got it looking better than ever using a lot of your techniques. Thanks for the vids!

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks man, I’m so glad it’s been helpful! I’d love to see the end result. 😊

[@charlesrestivo870]

Just wanted u to know you are the best review and info for rc airplanes Simply no BS no yelling no useless infromation No cars no trucks No useless banter I've unsubscribed from them all .They all seem to think that they are A major Hollywood director ( there not ) Keep it up the adults enjoy your channel

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you so much for your kind feedback!

[@captainmax573]

Thanks for this! I’ve watched these videos multiple times, I’m redoing my F 14 tomcat in the VF 82 ghost squadron. The spackling tip, and the prime sand prime process is going to fix a lot of imperfections in my model. I bought this thing used for 450 bucks, had a receiver, and the afterburner kit. It was worth about $1000 and I bought it for 450 because of the condition it was in. The underside had some asphalt belly landing history and a lot of holes and dents and scratches. Thank god for spackle! It’s going to look great because of you! I appreciate the effort you put in to your videos

[@Thercgeek]

Awesome, thank you!

[@captainmax573]

@@Thercgeek any time! I have an important question about it though. The panel lines seem that they might not be filled completely, as in they recess enough for you to feel a texture in it, like less than a millimeter. This is before paint and primer and polycrilic. Once I do all of the refinishing, will they fill in and be smooth? Let me know soon! I am putting on the minwax in a few days.

[@alexgonzales1855]

I just got this plane and the goal is to do a refinish. Lots to learn. Thx Rc Geek..

[@Thercgeek]

I’m here to help if you have questions! Also, for what it’s worth I have a free scale painting guide available that should help: www.thercgeek.com/trcgscaleguide

[@88Steelblue]

Thank you so much for demonstrating in detail the filling, Polycrylic, then aerosol primer sequence. That will really help me with my new project 😀 Greeting from Old England.

[@Thercgeek]

So glad it’s helpful!

[@jprules2578]

If I can get my flyer friend to pull the trigger on a F-14 purchase....I'll get to use this info to refinish it.🤩

[@davidsnyder238]

So much good information, i could watch you build all day. Nice to see some familiarity in the underside, hiding the receiver and wires 😉 Great stuff so far my friend!

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks man! So glad it’s helpful. 😊

[@toysforboysrc]

Although I’m new to rc planes, I’ve been an auto body technician for 25 years so I enjoy this part as much as flying. FYI if and when experimenting with paint and body materials, anyones best bet is a local bodyshop supply store in your area. Especially for canned primer. Good ones are is U-Pol, Transtar and medallion for canned primers. It’s also difficult to find the right materials for rc air craft repair materials because there’s not a big market for it. A good way to find useful materials is to search them with the key word Auto Upholstery. That is a huge market and the materials are designed to work with plastics, different foams, rubber, vinyl, glass, wood exc. what ever you can’t find in the auto interior category, you will find it at Michael’s. You’ve been restoring airplanes for quite some time with all your experience, I want to thank you for showing us what you’ve learned restoring rc planes. It’s motivating and encouraging. Question: does the amount of material that goes into a plane on a resto enough to show when flying? Or is it minuscule?

[@toysforboysrc]

Why 180 on canned primer? Primer is much softer than bondo (body filler). Primer calls for 400-600 grit. Sanding in between coats of primer is easily done with 400 grit. If your using 180 grit for primer because the primer is clogging your sand paper, it’s because the quality of the primer is poor. I noticed you’ve been experimenting with different canned primers., I mentioned 3 brands in my comment, are you familiar with any of them?

[@Thercgeek]

I’m not familiar with those primers, I’ll check them out. My favorite primer was the ever coat stuff, but it’s not made anymore. Anyhow, I’m using 180 to knock down the primer quicker. The primer is being used to fill in the micro voids that come from the foam texture to fill that all in. The final primer coat is sanded with 600 grit in preparation for paint. In terms of the weight gain, it varies on the size of the airplane and the amount of material used. This tomcat is the first refinish I’ve done where I did notice the weight gain in flight. Mostly it was in the approach speed being notably faster than prior to the refinish. Unfortunately though, I didn’t weigh the airplane before the refinish, so I don’t know exactly what it was here. Generally speaking, I’ve found that foam airframes tend to fly better after a process like this. The smoother surface and stiffer airframe really help with that.

[@toysforboysrc]

@@Thercgeek ….. thanks so much for the reply. All this information is valuable especially for myself who’s totally new to flying. Here are autobody grade high build primers.. They “seem” pricy BUT, they are much bigger cans, have more surface build, dry faster & harder, won’t clog your sand paper and most importantly, these primers are “less harsh” on substrates and other repair materials. The solvents in these primers are “less volatile”. You’ll experience less to no reactions like lifting, flaking, sand scratch swelling or any defects that may present in the final paint finish when it comes to multiple layers with different types materials. HERE’S SOME GOOD ONES IVE USED 👇👇 👉 U-Pol Products 0791V Grey HIGH#5 Primer -12 oz a.co/d/c7wIHzv 👉 SEM 42013 Grey High Build Primer - 16 oz. a.co/d/1LUtH2G 👉Transtar 4603 Gray 2-in-1 Primer - 15oz a.co/d/4Yjn72l Stay away from commercialized products! The reason autobody grade materials is sooooo much better than publicly commercialized products is bcs the demand for high quality paint finishes and the performance of the products that accomplish that are in such high demand and there’s tons of competition with dozens of competing body shops and product manufacturers. Excuse my long comments lol but we all know what it’s like talking about what you love, you could talk about your pain all day too I would imagine 😁. Happy to of found your channel! I Do love watching you repair these air planes, it’s so gratifying….. please let me know or do a video trying out any one of these primers. I promises it will change the way you look at primers.

[@howardwilliams2587]

Absolutely beautiful, great work and thanks for sharing ...

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you!

[@kelser414]

Wow...gorgeous! Nice work, thanks for the video. And the fact that there's a Millennium Falcon sitting off to the side is just icing on the cake. Love it! :)

[@Thercgeek]

Haha, thanks! My kids and I are big Star Wars fans. 😁

[@mjg22]

Great… I’m loocking forward modify a foam plane using this process. 👍🏻

[@aerospacematt]

Just came from watching Top Gun! Man, I love that F-14!

[@alext.197]

All the way from Oakland california! My son and I are very eager to see the next stage! Once these tomcats are available again on motionRC 🥺 ⌚⏳ My son plans to refer to your series of F-14 refinishing content to do his! 💪🏾👍🏾 Keep the content coming your Amazing!

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you so much! I’m so glad it will be helpful. 😊

[@hammertime964]

Wow Chris, lotsa work. A true labor of love. Nice job🍻

[@Thercgeek]

Indeed, haha! But the work is always worth it in the end. 😊

[@johnatkinson6759]

Great Video.. Lots of tips and tricks... Looking forward to the cockpit details.

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks! Cockpit is the next installment which is just about ready.

[@VegasJD]

The automotive filler primer is great! I've not tried the Dupli-Color, but have used the Hot Rod Shop brand and it turns out great.

[@flyboy5736]

Love these workshop videos! Sooo much talent.

[@stephenthomas2311]

Thank you for making this vid. Looking forward to seeing more mods on this airframe.

[@MayMay-fe2ki]

Very good and patient modification. May I know those white material pasted on foamed plane ?

[@Thercgeek]

I mentioned it in the vid. It’s the shrink free spackle from Sherwinn Williams. 😊

[@mikenowland2739]

Great job Mr Geek 👍 Very informative .

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you!

[@verdw6587]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍Another great job Chris

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks!

[@jonoedwards4195]

RC FREAK Already! Great Show, talk about taking Us there Dude. Unreal Stuff, now Your gonna sweat like Desert Storm on its Maiden. Beauty Geek. Itsda Sheeeeeee We love.

[@Thercgeek]

Haha, thanks man! No doubt, it’s HOT right now. Good thing I maidened it already a while back. 🤣 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGmog6CVZ7WipK8

[@TheAmishSasquatch]

Great work!! I've been planning a hyper detail of my Freewing A-6, for the last few years. Maybe I'll get around to it. It'll be my first RC aircraft.

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks! The A-6 is a nice one too, though I wish it was a little bigger. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ema7fnynl7qpiMk

[@-cmafia-7745]

Awesome video and great work you're doing.

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you!

[@NeedSpeedRC]

Another great vid. Question about paint removal. I recently bought an used EFlight F-16 80mm. It’s was repainted to white and then coated in minwax/poly. I want to repaint. Should I use acetone and light weight sandpaper to strip so I can prep for repaint? Thanks.

[@Thercgeek]

You should be able to just paint right over that. If you’re concerned about the weight, then acetone should do the trick in stripping the paint off the airframe.

[@davidgilbert8051]

VF84 JOLLY ROGER HERE. I am scale building this bird. I knew Dale!

[@Thercgeek]

Very cool! He’s legit my hero, haha

[@cgross71]

Hi Chris, just amazing work, very nice. I plan to refinish an Arrows F-86 and will do it like you show here. One question: It seems that you did not strip any vinyl decals from that model, is that correct? Or were that all waterslide decals? Thank you!

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you! The decals were all water slides, so it was easier to just leave them on the surface.

[@boldlionpro2814]

Nice work, body work is tedious if you want those good results and it looks good. Thanks for the video. Take care with the spray and inhalation. Peace.

[@rohnnyvanderstraeten8639]

Hello Mr Geek, what kind of filler do you use? I damaged my E flight Viper 90 and now want to fill and repaint the glued pieces. Kindest regard from Belgium

[@Thercgeek]

I used sherwinn Williams shrink free spackle.

[@jaysonfarmer157]

Hi Chris, would you mind sharing where you get your color schemes and other details (panel lines, rivet locations, etc...) from to do your planes? BTW, bought one of your deflection meters. I am glad I did. Great product! Jayson

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks Jayson! When I do a scale project, I spend a lot of time researching online and in books for paint scheme ideas. once I find a paint scheme that I like, I drill down further trying to find whatever information I can on that particular airplane including plastic models and plastic model decals. For panel lines, I search for drawings in a similar way. For the tomcat though, Davao Products has a fantastic book with drawings in it that I used as a panel line reference.

[@darrenpearce5798]

Hi Chris. Thanks for sharing your expertise. Really enjoy all you videos and content. Do you have any simple tips for removing decals from foam aircraft? How did you do it on the F14?

[@Thercgeek]

On this one, I just left them on there and applied the refinish over them. I’ve tried lifting them up with tape with mixed success. I have heard soaking them in vinegar would do it, but I haven’t tried it.

[@darrenpearce5798]

@@Thercgeek thanks Chris.

[@michaelbrinkley9323]

Absolutely beautiful

[@flashted]

I've been looking for a way to refinish foam. I have a very small 50 mm jet that has waterslide decals all over it that just continually peel off. What kind of Automotive primer did you use that does not attack the foam? I used to cover Balsa with Minwax polyurethane and quarter ounce glass cloth, and then primer it paint it That's a little too heavy for this I thought about using Modge podge, but I don't like the streaks and I think it's a little heavier.

[@Thercgeek]

Which 50mm edf is it? You’ll need to determine if it’s made of epo or eps foam. Epo will allow you to spray it with pretty much any type of primer and paint, however if it’s eps foam, you’ll need to be much more careful. Epo foam is extremely resilient to solvents but eps foam is not.

[@tonyspears6437]

I've been asking about painting foam, thanks for the vid,,

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks for watching! 😊

[@LeoH3L1]

Would it be possible to remove a bit more of the foam and modify the main landing gear to fully disappear in side the fuselage, and maybe add a door?

[@Thercgeek]

I think it’s possible, yes. You’d need rotating main gear and then would have to fabricate the doors like the full scale.

[@s9523pink]

Wow, can’t wait to see the next posts!

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you!

[@rccowboys]

Man, you are my hero. lol. That was so much work and done so meticulously. Great job brotha! Beautiful plane! ;)

[@Thercgeek]

Haha, thanks so much for the kind words!

[@chuntitan6208]

Where do you buy the sherwin Williams spackle from. I seem to be having a hard time locating it. Cant find it for sale online or any info on where to buy it in store. Thanks

[@Thercgeek]

It can be purchased at a Sherwinn-Williams paint store: www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/products/shrink-free-spackling

[@anthonyjayakody3356]

Hi Chris, do you clear coat after primer as I see you did on the vertical stab section? I’m following your process to repaint my f14 but practicing on a 70mm F16 first. Thanks for your help-Ant

[@Thercgeek]

No, that's not necessary. What I did on the vertical tail areas was since I had used some spackle filler there, simply sealed up those areas with Polycrylic to receive the primer better.

[@anthonyjayakody3356]

@@Thercgeek okay I see what you mean. Thanks Chris, that’s great.

[@Bryan-qx2iy]

For fixing filling up ding-up rc foam plane (such as scratches), do you recommend using the Sherwin William sprackling as used in your video or would you recommend the foam tac foam finish filler. Thanks.

[@Thercgeek]

I use the sherwinn Williams spackle for that. I’m not familiar with the foam Tac filler, so can’t compare. I’d imagine it would be similar.

[@lextek595]

Always impressed and inspired!

[@bart57000]

Amazing, great job!! Can’t wait to see the next posts

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks!

[@doctor515]

Hi Chris, nice work, If I wanted to use Minwax Polycrylic only to toughen the skin on an EPO model. What gloss level would you recommend? I'd stay away from gloss on a military plane. There is clear matte, clear satin, clear semi-gloss and clear ultra flat ?

[@Thercgeek]

Id recommend a satin or flat. Gloss won’t look right on a military aircraft.

[@steelyerface21]

do you use the semi gloss, satin, or full gloss for the sealing coat of the polycrylic before primer

[@Thercgeek]

I usually use satin.

[@managerlmw5382]

Really does look like a fiberglass model. What was the foam type you used?

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks! The model is made of epo foam which is very resilient to solvents.

[@managerlmw5382]

@@Thercgeek Thanks, Chris! Once again, great tips.

[@boss2234]

Grate job good info as always.

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks!

[@jaykuster4831]

Awesome and informative as always. 😀

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks!

[@spinnetti]

Foam bashing is fun! Where's the air exits from your new NACA ducts?

[@Thercgeek]

The air is drawn into the inlets by the fans. There’s a slot in the foam behind the ESCs just forward of the fan face.

[@tomoyagerharz4756]

Hey Chris, I've started the refinish process on my f15. I was just wondering if the filler primer that you used will cover up any small imperfections that were not covered by the filler (Tiny dents and scratches) or if I should take the time and fill those in too? Also I couldn't find the minwax polycrylic so i'm gonna try and use Varathane polyurethane water based. Just wondering if this is a good brand, or if I should stick with the minwax one. Thanks!

[@Thercgeek]

The larger dents and dings you’ll want to fill. The primer will only fill the smaller stuff. So, I’ve used glaze putty on that stuff but you can also just use the spackle and spot treat with poly and then primer over that. I haven’t used verathane personally, but I’ve heard good things about it if it’s the stuff I’m thinking of.

[@tonykeaton5521]

I know this is an older video but I had a question-the F14 comes with out runner motors…what happens if you had 2 spare 1920KV inrunner motors😮? Would it be too much? Still learning here and I enjoy your knowledge-thank you RC🤘🏽

[@Thercgeek]

Well, I’m not sure they’d be a good match for the stock 12blade fans. However, that’s the standard motor for the 9blade fans now, so I’d recommend grabbing a couple of those fans and using them.

[@tonykeaton5521]

@@Thercgeek Hey RC, thank you for the reply and info. Much appreciated🤘🏽

[@steveneisen6705]

Are you making the cockpit files/parts available to purchase?

[@Thercgeek]

I’m still working on that. The website integration I had setup for the files didn’t work and my sla printer is down at the moment. I’ll have at least the parts available by the time the next installment posts.

[@tomoyagerharz4756]

Hey Chris, I wanted to know what kind of filler and polycrylic you used? I couldn't really understand what you were saying. Really like what you are doing!

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks! I’m using sherwinn williams shrink free spackle for filler and minwax polycrylic (minwax is the brand).

[@tomoyagerharz4756]

@@Thercgeek Thank you so much. Gonna go refinish a plane now!

[@tomoyagerharz4756]

@@Thercgeek Hey Chris, I've started the refinish process on my f15. I was just wondering if the filler primer that you used will cover up any small imperfections that were not covered by the filler (Tiny dents and scratches) or if I should take the time and fill those in too? Also I couldn't find the minwax polycrylic so i'm gonna try and use Varathane polyurethane water based. Just wondering if this is a good brand, or if I should stick with the minwax one. Thanks!

[@steelyerface21]

also another question about the fillers used, what type of lightweight spaclke do you use on the vertical stabs "lightweight spackle" and why do you choose to use it there and then use the 3m filler putty for some of the surface blemish stuff instead? Thanks, great build

[@Thercgeek]

I used the same sherwinn Williams spackle I used on the rest of the airframe. The spackle was used there because the gaps being filled were wider than the 3m glaze putty would effectively fill and it was also easier to sand. The 3m stuff is only just a surface filler for small imperfections mostly and doesn’t have much body to it.

[@steelyerface21]

@@Thercgeek awesome, dap has a "flexible spackling" that says it can be sanded and painted? would that be something worth possibly using since the foam is in theory flexible and compressible?

[@Thercgeek]

If that’s the stuff from Home Depot, it’s garbage. The sherwinn williams stuff is really good and sands nicely. I’ve tried others that include the stuff with primers in it and they ball up as you sand it. Not the case with sherwinn Williams.

[@steelyerface21]

Thanks again one last qiestion. I have a dynam 109 i want to repaint. Do you recommend just sanding the stock paint before sealing with the clear minwax or stripping off the old paint entirely? Seems like a major production to remove it all but if its likely to debond all the new paint if i dont then maybe i should. Acetone or just clear over the existing? Thoughts ? Thanks!!!

[@Thercgeek]

I’d recommend skipping stripping the paint. Just prep right over the paint.

[@PepperPete11]

Are you not concerned with the additional weight you are adding to the aircraft? Like that amount of paint, filler, epoxy cover is going to add a LOT. Are you re-enforcing the swing wing mech like many have done? Such as installing the metal plate to prevent body flex?

[@Thercgeek]

Improvements could be made, but I’m not concerned. I’ve found that a refinish like this results in a generally better flying airplane. It’s a combination of the smooth surface, the stiffer airframe as well as a little higher wing loading. Though, the fw f14 doesn’t need additional weight, it is what it is to get a nice finish. The model has actually already flown in full paint and it flies great! 😁 kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGmog6CVZ7WipK8

[@MMFF00]

Can you use this same method on warbirds as well? Or do you prefer the method used in your P-51 refinishing video?

[@Thercgeek]

Yeah, this pretty much is the same method. Only difference is that I didn’t strip the paint before starting the refinish.

[@MMFF00]

@@Thercgeek awesome, thanks! I plan on refinishing my FMS 80mm Super Hornet to a Blue Angels finish and my P-51 is yet to be decided lol.

[@MMFF00]

@@Thercgeek do you sand the polycrilic before the first coat of primer?

[@Thercgeek]

Yeah, a light sanding with 180 grit sand paper is good.

[@MMFF00]

@@Thercgeek awesome! Can’t wait to see how great that Tomcat looks when you’re finished!

[@chrisr4274]

Do you sand the Minwax in-between coats?

[@Thercgeek]

I don’t usually.

[@terry-aprillitts8718]

Looks great 👍

[@spiroskatsikas]

Great video Great content ❤

[@captainmax573]

My panel Lines might not be filled completely, as in they recess enough for you to feel a texture in it, like less than a millimeter. This is before paint and primer and polycrilic. Once I do all of the refinishing, will they fill in and be smooth? Let me know soon! I am putting on the minwax in a few days.

[@Thercgeek]

That’s not uncommon. The issue is the softness of the foam and it lightly compressing while sanding. A lot of that gets smoothed out in the primer/sand process. However, you can always do another pass on the filler. Larger imperfections you definitely want to fill before poly and primer.

[@captainmax573]

@@Thercgeek thanks man! I appreciate it!

[@NICHOLASRGLORIOSO]

WOW!!! I Didnt Realize you were SOOOOOOOO FAST DUDE!!! 😝😝😱😱🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Thercgeek]

That’s how I do! 🤣

[@NICHOLASRGLORIOSO]

@@Thercgeek 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!! "SPEEDY GEEKOLEZ"!!! 😂😂😂

[@Deansgurl]

Can this spackle be used to fill in cracks in my fuselage maybe 1/2 inch deep.

[@Thercgeek]

Yep, it’ll fill that assuming we’re not talking about a large 1/2” deep surface area needing filling. Just allow some extra time to dry fully before sanding.

[@LastBastionLabs]

What a great video! Keep up the great work.

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you!

[@davidgilbert8051]

Are the 3D cockpit parts available?

[@Thercgeek]

Shoot me an email and I can make that happen. Thercgeek.com/contact

[@drmrjon]

Does the refinish process help keep the foam from popcorning in the sun at all?

[@Thercgeek]

No, there's no finish out there that will stop that. It's just the nature of EPO foam unfortunately and how it reacts to heat.

[@drmrjon]

@@Thercgeek Have you ever tried applying anything like Zpoxy finish resin to a EPO foam surface, sanding and priming it?

[@Thercgeek]

I’ve only used the zpoxy for fiberglassing. I haven’t tried it as a replacement for the poly. The poly is pretty quick and painless. The epoxy would be a little more involved process, but would probably work decently.

[@anthonyjayakody3356]

Hi Chris! I’ve been watching your F14 vids over and over and learning a lot so thanks. I’m about to purchase a Futaba radio, what one would you recommend to allow me to achieve the swing wing spoiler set up you have? I’ll be going from a DX8 to Futaba. Thanks a lot-Ant

[@Thercgeek]

Thank you! To achieve the spoileron and full span flap mod, it requires a minimum of 9 channels. I’m not very familiar with futaba, so can’t say specifically which one, but I’d recommend 10-12 channels to have options in the future. 😊

[@anthonyjayakody3356]

@@Thercgeek awesome, thanks Chris. I will have a good look to see what 10/12 channel I can get hold off. Thanks for your help. Much appreciated.

[@edgelineaerialsolutionsllc7615]

What primer do you prefer the most ?

[@Thercgeek]

Duplicolor filler primer is my preference these days which is what I used on this model: amzn.to/3Vv9ST2

[@gromitvt10]

What spackle knife is that? Thanks

[@Thercgeek]

It’s an artist palette knife. I use it for applying all sorts of fillers.

[@rickbaker6000]

Chris have you ever tried to use lightweight fiberglass to cover a foam plane to protect it from dings. Maybe using epoxy instead of fiberglass resin that would melt the foam.

[@Thercgeek]

You could do fiberglass, but the polycrylic is just quicker and less hassle.

[@PatBALEX]

Great job Chris.. Filling in those panel lines really do make it look smoother.. I picked up a few things from you here.. Thanks.. By the way on youtube some guy did put rotating main gear on his FW F-14.. No flying videos yet.. Be a while before I get My FW F-14.. But the wheels in my head are turning... Thank you..

[@Thercgeek]

I’ve seen a few folks mod that. I personally just didn’t want to spend the time to re-engineer that whole area. I have a 3d printed wing glove pylon that I plan to install to help hide the tires ultimately.

[@dsarnson]

Super! Can't wait to see more...Have you tried mod-podge as opposed to polycrylic? I have used it on a couple (less intensive) bashes, and it is nice stuff to prep the surface. Cheers from OH!

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks! I’ve heard of mod-podge but I’ve not tried it.

[@tomoyagerharz4756]

Hello, I have finished filling my f15. Do I sand after a layer of polycrylic? Or do I just leave it as is? I am very confused.

[@Thercgeek]

If you haven’t already, you’ll need to sand the filler smooth. Once it’s filled and sanded to your liking, then apply the poly coats.

[@tomoyagerharz4756]

@@Thercgeek Yes I have sanded the filler but I do not know if I am supposed to sand the poly coats down? I am thinking that I shouldn't.

[@Thercgeek]

I usually just do a light sanding of the final poly coat before primer. Not much more than that.

[@FEboats]

Use SEM high build primer. It’s the best stuff from a spray can.

[@DadsRCHangar]

Amazing Chris, look forward to the next one. I was surprised you didn’t take of the decals, I thought you normally do that. Looks great. So how many hours to this stage you think you did?

[@Thercgeek]

I’ve found the paint jobs now adhere quite well, so I’ve just been doing the prep work over that. In terms of hours, I’m not really sure. It takes a bit of time to get a smooth finish.

[@enzok6414]

I found the Benchcraft hollow rubber wheel to be an easy fit with stock rims. Just need to add some material to the rim to get a tight fit. Robart 3” rubber wheels socket are too big for stock rims.

[@Thercgeek]

Good to know! I’m using a 2.75” diameter robart tire which looks and fits about perfectly.

[@mithrandir1313]

filling those HUGE cordwise Trenches... are you able to feel a performance improvement?

[@Thercgeek]

The models tend to fly slicker I’ve found and generally better. It’s partly due to the smoothness of the airframe and also the added rigidity you get from the polycrylic.

[@dutchloveRC]

all I can say is WOW

[@rubencarin]

I notice that when you are spraying the primer paint that you are spraying close to the surface, I heard that it'll eat the foam, has to be 12 inches away??? Whats the secret? Is it because of the 4 layers of polycrylic wax? By the way, you always do an awesome incredible work!!!!! My hat's off to you, Brian!!!

[@Thercgeek]

All of these foam airframes these days are made of epo foam which is extremely resilient to solvents, so melting isn’t an issue with it like it’s with eps (beer cooler) foam. I’ve sprayed any number of paints and primers on epo including lacquers without any problems. The only thing you might run into is some swelling of the foam beads if the paint or primer is applied to wet.

[@f1matt]

Amazing job on the finish and many mods

[@Thercgeek]

Thanks!

[@drone19730602]

How long did this process take ?

[@Thercgeek]

Honestly, I’m not sure. With the modifications made at the same time, it added time. It’s really a function of how smooth you want to make it.

[@drone19730602]

@@Thercgeek appreciate you taking time to respond

[@blbills]

How much weight does this add?

[@Thercgeek]

It really varies quite a bit on the airframe and the airframe size. It also relates to how many coats of primer that are used too. That said, in most cases I’ve found that the models actually fly better following a refinish like this due to the smoother surface and the stiffer airframe.

[@danb7207]

Some people watch Saturday/Sunday cartoons. I watch The RC GEEK😂

[@Thercgeek]

Haha, thanks! 🤣😁

[@stevestonrcguy5393]

Awesome

[@stevestonrcguy5393]

I may have missed it in the video but what kind of sandpaper do you use on the foam before priming? Thx

[@Thercgeek]

I’m using 180grit to sand the filler down and also for sanding the primer. You want to be careful not to bust through the foam top layer as it will start to whisker if it does.

[@IJustGotHere]

Looks 👍👌🙂👊

[@kylewashington5567]

I want my f 14 done by you.

[@williamwallace9427]

RIP Dale Snodgrass

[@Thercgeek]

😢 He was (and still is) an aviation legend!

[@Mikinct]

Epo foam?

[@Thercgeek]

Yep

[@Mikinct]

@Thercgeek Great videos mate, very educational. Have you ever made a great looking ec plane using ready board foam / dollar tree Foamboards? I mean if you remove the paper the foam even painted hasn't looked great to me yet. What fillers use to smooth out areas where curved shapes were needed. What paints used? Spray can Acrylic paints or regular Acrylic Paint with a brush. Could you apply miniwax, sand then paint? Any advice would help. I wanna try using that green foam you used previously on a build.

[@MCsRC777]

What got me watching your channel was you working on the sky ray, nothing on that for years, some of us, I think , would like to see the what I consider the real modeler side from you again, filling foam panel lines is getting old. Not hating , foam is gettin old, just saying, Still a great channel!

[@Thercgeek]

I understand. this F-14 is kind of the last big foam refinish as I want to get back to some of those build projects I’ve had waiting for so long. The challenge I’ve had has been finding a balance between my own projects and the reviews, etc. doesn’t help that my main field with the big paved runway was closed permanently. 😢 now flying larger models requires a much long drive to accomplish.

[@MACE1-1]

Dale Snodgrass ...Vern Snodgrass hmmmmm naaa couldn't be...

[@AN-ce1nd]

Should have glassed it

[@Thercgeek]

For epo, this is quicker and lighter. It it was balsa, glassing all the way.

[@Captndarty]

All this time and effort on a foamy why not put that onto a fiberglass Tomcat make it perfect and call it a day?

[@Thercgeek]

All in due time as I have a DCU kit that I’ll be building at some point. This is a more instant gratification process and is a bit quicker than a full build. Also, it is a model I can fly here locally. Unfortunately my primary field with the big 600ft runway was closed permanently, so larger models require a much longer drive now to fly. 😕

[@Captndarty]

@@Thercgeek Ah solid points.