Received my new (to me) heli with two sets of Woodies, one blade has a few breaks in the coating, no apparent damage, maybe hanger rashed. The coating has come loose all over & I'm sure it would disintegrate on spin up.

Can I peel & paint the blades? I'm thinking some high contrast bands to make the disc more visible against the scenery. White root, black tip (w/red & white end for tracking), couple of high vis colors in between.

~psguardian

The covering can be replaced, and it does add strength to the blade so is important. Some have had good results replacing it with paint, but depends on the blades. Some have open area's, so paint alone won't work on those types of blades.

I am pretty sure they are full blades under the plastic skins.

Wonder if they make clear shrink tube large enough.

~psguardian

use this stuff , its the same for covering balsa planes . you should have no problems fixing them

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0093p?&C=QAA
you also need a covering iron http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...&I=LXHZ17&P=ML

I had thought of that, but all the angles at the tip makes me wonder if it would work.

~psguardian

hi ,2 coats of krylon crystal clear acrlic as base will soak in bare wood and hardens
outer layer.have done this works good ,blades ive done this on the covering
was just a qiuck cheap way to finnish blade ,not was done to add strenght

Back in the old days, before the fiber glass, the carbon fibre blades and electric helis, all that were available were nitro, gas and wood blades. The blades came with cover that you would need to "heat shrink." The cover was used for one purpose ... to prevent the fumes from degrading the blades.

Paint all you want. Just make sure to balance the blades afterward. Note .... more paints equate to heavier blades.

1. Peel the plastic coating and remove hardware from blades
2. Lightly sand and use filler if dents are excessive, sand accordingly
3. Use a sealer type primer, and sand again till absolutely smooth
4. Wipe with alcohol or other mild cleaner/degreaser.
5. Paint blades with enamel or epoxy paint, about two coats of top coat.
6. Apply clear coat if desired.

As stated, painting wood without proper sealing just dont work well. Need to make it smooth, be sure to let the blades dry completely between each step. It does take a while and if done properly, the paint will add almost as much strength as the plastic coating.

Been there....done that.

This is what I was hoping for! I am forcing myself to do more SIM time before I take this one out, so bench time is no issue. Anyone know of a thread detailing such a prepping / priming / painting process?

~psguardian

Wow my first search criteria must have been flawed LoL.

Looks like most threads pretty much match your instructions metalbenderusn. Looks like I have a me late night project for after the kids are asleep.

~psguardian

Just had an idea. Put some stain and clear on them. Woodgrain baby! Might as well be unique. Im gonna do this just for the heck of it! Will get some chuckles at the field for sure.

If there is a decent grain pattern that might work LoL.

~psguardian

Peel and paint/ stain. I have done both several times. The wood is smooth enough under the sheeting. I did not sand or prime them, pick a spray color and tape off your design and the root/plastic grip. I really like the look of a natural mixed with walnut min wax stain finished with some spray ureathane. Be sure to check weight and CG when done. They will break much easier when hitting the ground with out the sheeting, so you head will take less impact. I tipped my 450 over with a pair I did and didn't even bend the main shaft. I would keep the flying to sport with them though.