I am almost finished with the horizontal stabilizer section of the empennage kit and I wanted to know what my options are for long term preservation. Can I prime the externals, including the skin, now so that they will be in good shape once I am ready to use them again? I am currently using Mar-Hyde and have been happy with it thus far on the internals. Is this something I can use externally and still be painted over later? For now the surface area is small so I have no problem using the rattle can.
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Assembly preservation
- Thread starter JetMech72
- Start date
Sam Buchanan
been here awhile
The alclad is good for a very long time provided there are no sweat stains or other substances that can promote corrosion. Wipe the tail pieces with lacquer thinner or other convenient solvent, then store them in a relatively dry location where air can circulate around them.
I would not prime the exterior surfaces because the primer needs to be a component of the paint system you will eventually use.
Enjoy your project!
BSwayze
Well Known Member
I'm not sure what you're worried about for the long term. My HS and other emp parts have been hanging in storage in my garage shop for several years and are as shiny and pretty as the day I pulled the rest of the blue vinyl off. This is common. I think if you have a reasonable shop environment, you have nothing to worry about.
I'm no expert when it comes to paint. There are others here who are more knowledgeable than I am, but I do understand that most exterior aircraft paints are applied as a 2-part system. That is, a primer that is specifically designed and formulated to bond with the topcoat for a strong long-lasting paint job. There's a lot of chemistry involved here. There's also a time factor, between when the primer is applied and the optimum time to spray the topcoat. Bottom line is, you don't want to use just any primer with any topcoat. And I don't think you want it sitting around a long time after priming before it's painted. So if you spray your stuff with Mar-Hyde now, my strong hunch is you'll be stripping it off later on in order to apply the proper primer designed to match whatever topcoat will be applied. If I were you, I'd hang my parts up in storage and build on.
I'm no expert when it comes to paint. There are others here who are more knowledgeable than I am, but I do understand that most exterior aircraft paints are applied as a 2-part system. That is, a primer that is specifically designed and formulated to bond with the topcoat for a strong long-lasting paint job. There's a lot of chemistry involved here. There's also a time factor, between when the primer is applied and the optimum time to spray the topcoat. Bottom line is, you don't want to use just any primer with any topcoat. And I don't think you want it sitting around a long time after priming before it's painted. So if you spray your stuff with Mar-Hyde now, my strong hunch is you'll be stripping it off later on in order to apply the proper primer designed to match whatever topcoat will be applied. If I were you, I'd hang my parts up in storage and build on.
BSwayze
Well Known Member
I understand. We all have scuffs and light scratches, though. Not a big deal. And I don't think there's a more humid place than the rainy northwest where I live. You can keep an eye on it, check it once/month or whatever. But I think you'll find that it's not an issue. Good luck with your project!
