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Interior Painting

dicel87

Well Known Member
As I have looked all over the web at the many many really nice web sites of RVs under construction, I had a question about interior color choice.

Seems like all the ones I have seen are a very light grey or white....while this is certainly attractive doesn't it show scuffs and wear over time?

Why is it I never see a really dark interior?

Just curious....thanks for a great forum.

Scott
 
interior paint - Cardinal Industries

Scott,
Many others builders were using rattle cans of air-dry acrylic enamel from Cardinal Industries, with a light grey/white that matches the powdercoat on Van's steel parts(can't seem to find the ID# for the color, maybe someone else can help). I just copied what they did. It works pretty well. It won't stand up to dragging a wrench over it, but otherwise it has been pretty durable. The light color also makes the cockpit brighter.
Mark Andrews N598X
exterior not painted yet
 
Interior Color

Think about a dark color under that "Greenhouse" canopy without much ventilation. HOT!

Derrell
7A Finish
 
I love mine! Its Rustoleum Hammered Dark Bronze.
FUSELAGE%20220.jpg


Jeff B.
 
Attn: Jeff B.

NICE!

That Rustoleum 'hammered' finish is some great paint, right out of the old rattle can.

That's the first time I have seen it used in a cockpit. I really like it!

(footnote: for those not familiar with the Rustoleum Hammered Finish, it is a simple, one can application. Not some two can, overcoating process. Just one can and a really nice effect. It is also available in multiple color variations.)

Thanks for sharing the photo.
 
Use good paint, it pays off

I shot mine with PPG Concept. It's a few shades darker than the Van's color. I painted all the powedercoating as well. Once the PPG paint has cured it's really hard. I painted my interior early on in construction and now that the plane is about done there are almost no scratches in the paint. I didn't protect the paint at all, just climed all over it. I think it's worth using a good paint that won't chip.

As for that Van's powder coating, I don't think it's worth trying to match it unless you really like the color. That powder coating isn't very durable, at least not near as durable at PPG Concept.
 
Very cool Jeff....you have a tip up? Got any more pics of the cockpit area? How about the panel paint...same color?

I hadn't thought about how hot a darker interior would be so thats a good thing to consider. But as much as I like all the lighter colored ones I have seen, I was just looking for ideas to make something a little different from the crowd.

Scott
 
Jeff,

Looks like we are very close to having the same color cockpit:

Flap%20Motor%20Installed.jpg


I used Rust-o-leum anodized bronze. I sprayed the cockpit with the painting gun (not bad for the first time!) and now I just use rattle cans to make any touch-ups required.

Ron
RV-9A - Finishing Kit Stuff, and wiring!
 
color and location

Derrell said:
Think about a dark color under that "Greenhouse" canopy without much ventilation. HOT!

Derrell
7A Finish

A dark color might have been a better choice in my case... living in North Dakota. Arizona pilots might do better with light colors.
Mark Andrews N598X
 
Even in the winter the greenhouse effect is strong. Your feet freeze while you cruise around in a light, long-sleeve shirt. Be careful painting it a dark color or the summer sun will just bake you.
 
Thanks! There are quite a few pics on my site under FUSELAGE that show the interior. I wanted something that was low glare. Most of the planes I have been in had the lighter grey and I could see reflection of the inside of the plane just about everywhere on the canopy. I am building a tip-up mainly for the visibilty factor. Besides a little sweat never hurt anyone.
Climb till its cool! ;)
 
What type of interior paint?

I am almost at the point of painting my interior, which is primed with dupont vari-prime. I am considering what paint to use. Imron seems a likely choice, since it is a dupont product, and I understand it to be very durable. I also have heard that it sometimes chips.

I would appreciate the feedback from those of you who have information that might help in my decision.

Tony Johnson
RV8A Orlando
 
Imron can be difficult

Imron can bit a bit of a problem to repair. Try PPG Concept. I've been using it for a while and it's incredibly strong. I've dropped so many tools on the painted floor of my plane and not even a small chip. Also it's much easier to buff out and repair than Imron. Imron seems to be more of a one shot deal, great if you get it right but a pain if you don't. I've never had great luck with it.

They are both very toxic. Most good paints are so invest in a good resperator or better yet get a forced air resperator if you really want to be safe.
 
Most modern Urethane,Polyester and Acrylic paints are easy to paint and very equal in durability. In my opinion, where most people are painting their interiors with rattle can, any name brand paint will work great. Anything you paint on the interior will chip. The thinner the coat the better for that reason since touch up is inevitable. I have already painted my HS and Rudder with Glasurit and Diamont and they came out show quality.
 
A point to make, though, is that both Imron and Concept are urethane based products. What that means is that they are inherently less prone to chipping than other, more brittle paints such as lacquers and even enamels.

If you find that chipping is a problem with any of the urethane paints, then it's more likely that you're having a problem between the topcoat urethane and the primer.
Related directly to the subject being discussed here, I'll bet that lot's of builders prime their interiors sometimes months before painting. That can lead to case hardening of the primer which offers less adhesive "support", even if sanded well.
The answer for a long-cured primer is to sand first, and then spray an overthinned coat of the same primer on top of itself. Then after only a proper flash time of probably less than an hour, you can come right back and spray the topcoat.

If you're getting chipping, look closely at the chipped area and you'll probably see that the delamination occured between the bottom surface of the topcoat and the top surface of the primer.
That would indicate a failure of bond rather than a failure of paint.
 
ppg over vari prime?

My interior has been primed in vari prime, which was applied over a year ago. I will be priming freshly made pieces as I produce them. When I am ready to apply the interior paint, which will be soon, I intend to clean, scuff and shoot a new coat of vari prime just before the topcoat.

I am wondering if there would be a problem if I decided to use the PPG Concept over the dupont vari prime?

On another note, my interior that will not be painted with a topcoat, as well as the inside of my wings and other pieces, are primed with vari prime. I have heard that vari prime is not a good corrosion barrier unless it is topcoated. Does anyone have the real scoop on that issue?

Thanks,

Tony Johnson
N12TJ Reserved
RV8A Orlando
 
Do a search on this forum about Veriprime (and other primers) being, or not being, effective without topcoating.

As far as painting the year old Veriprime with Concept, I don't see any basic problems with topcoating the fresh coat of Veriprime with Concept, but since you have a choice, I'd much prefer using the PPG DP/LF epoxy primer as the fresh sealer rather than Veriprime, and then topcoat with Concept.

In the real world, you can usually get away with mixing brands (if you know what you're doing), however, why introduce an unknown variable if you don't have to?
Whenever I "think" about doing something even a little bit different, I invariably stop and compare whatever time or money I might be saving against how much time and money I would spend if I had to do it OVER. :mad:
 
Mixing primers with PPG Concept

The DP primers from PPG are great but for a few small parts I've used rattle can self etching primer. Seems to work quite well. The guy in the hanger behind me uses nothing but rattle can paint under PPG Concept and he hasn't had any problems. Just make sure the part is clean and use an acid etch on the surface before you prime. I've found that the acid etch has more to do with the final outcome than the actual brand of primer.
 
qustion: At what point in the construction process of the fuse do you recommend painting. I'm still early on in fuse construction and I'm priming as I go. But should I consider final interior painting as I go too?

Bob
 
Bob

Right before you have to start bolting things on for good, paint the fuselage. It's earlier in the process than you would think. Basically a little ways past the QG stage.

About priming you may want to only prime where things go together so you can put a fresh coat of primer on shortly before you put the color coat on. If not you may end up getting tool oil and fingerprints all over your primed parts and the color coat may not stick as well.
 
A light color actually "looks" more roomy. Also gray goes with any exterior color in case you later change your mind.
Mel
 
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