12 February 2011
In a last-ditch attempt to avoid another eight-hour paint-stripping marathon (plus re-filling of all the holes, etc.), I resorted to Plan B on my model yacht's paintwork -- laying fresh strips of model aeroplane tissue over a fresh coat of wet primer where peeling away the bubbles of gloss paint had left gaping holes three layers of paint thick.
It seemes to have worked remarkably well.
This was the technique I was originally going to try, until persuaded by the man in the model shop that one couldn't possibly use tissue without doping it (which is fine on the convex curves of the hull, but proved fatal on the concave curves near the fin, since when the tissue contracts under the dope it inevitably pulls taut across the hollow and leaves a bubble). I suspect that it is, in fact, the technique that was intended by the old-time yacht restorers.
Everything depends on whether the tissue will pull tight again as the wet paint dries, or whether it will successfully have 'skinned over' the edges of the hole...
It seemes to have worked remarkably well.
This was the technique I was originally going to try, until persuaded by the man in the model shop that one couldn't possibly use tissue without doping it (which is fine on the convex curves of the hull, but proved fatal on the concave curves near the fin, since when the tissue contracts under the dope it inevitably pulls taut across the hollow and leaves a bubble). I suspect that it is, in fact, the technique that was intended by the old-time yacht restorers.
Everything depends on whether the tissue will pull tight again as the wet paint dries, or whether it will successfully have 'skinned over' the edges of the hole...