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JetFlex WR help

NavyS3BNFO

Well Known Member
I decided to paint the interior of my RV-8 with JetFlex WR but I'm really struggling with application and wondering what others have done. I'm using an el-cheapo Harbor Freight HVLP gun and applying it directly to the aluminum (no primer). I've cleaned and scuffed the aluminum and cleaned again before spraying.

It seems too thick to spray without reducing so I reduced it with about 20% water. The paint docs say you can reduce 10-25%. I thought I mixed it well but I had areas of water droplets on my part which of course didn't come out well. I tried again and mixed even more but had similar results and in some areas it didn't seem to adhere.

So, my questions for anyone who have used JetFlex WR are:

- Are you using a primer before spraying JetFlex?
- Did you reduce and if so, how much?
- Any other lessons learned? Paint gun setup etc?

Thanks
 
I decided to paint the interior of my RV-8 with JetFlex WR but I'm really struggling with application and wondering what others have done. I'm using an el-cheapo Harbor Freight HVLP gun and applying it directly to the aluminum (no primer). I've cleaned and scuffed the aluminum and cleaned again before spraying.

It seems too thick to spray without reducing so I reduced it with about 20% water. The paint docs say you can reduce 10-25%. I thought I mixed it well but I had areas of water droplets on my part which of course didn't come out well. I tried again and mixed even more but had similar results and in some areas it didn't seem to adhere.

So, my questions for anyone who have used JetFlex WR are:

- Are you using a primer before spraying JetFlex?
- Did you reduce and if so, how much?
- Any other lessons learned? Paint gun setup etc?

Thanks

I am currently spraying JetFlex WR in my interior. A tough thing with paint and advice online is that we may have completely different levels of quality that we find acceptable. I actually wanted a little bit of texture which I think disguises flaws in a way that I'm good with but someone else may hate. My opinion is that things are coming out pretty dang good on my interior.

-I am using primer. Rustoleum Self-Etching in a rattle can. Light 400 dry sand.
-I am reducing to 2-1. I guess that's 30% water so a little outside the PDS but having considerable success with that so not changing anything. I sprayed a lot of test cards and this is what works for me. Distilled water for reduction.
-I have used two separate gun setups now. First was an Earlex 5500 HVLP with a turbine and the 1.8mm needle setup. I have switched over to a 3M Accuspray now, also using the 1.8mm nozzle. Both guns spray well but the 3M unit is a pleasure to use, clean up, and store pre-mixed paint. At 2:1 dilution and the gun operating exactly per 3M instructions the paint goes on a little better than what I was getting with the Earlex...probably because of having more adjustment.

Glad to offer a few other things I have learned after several sessions with the JetFlex WR.

-Cleanliness matters. I am fanatical about distilled water and ammonia cleanup. Distilled water rinse. A few times I think I have had some trace ammonia left behind and got some fisheyes. Most of them flatten as the paint cures but still something to avoid.
-Apply the first coat relatively heavy. 'Medium wet'. This isn't like other paints where you start light. You don't want runny puddles of course, but it takes a good wet coat. Jetflex really does self flatten as it cures.
-Per the PDS, spray a second coat 15-20 minutes after the first. Just leave the parts hanging and come back and spray them again. This second coat blends and flattens right into the first very nicely.
-If a part needs re-spray or your workflow means I can't do the second application at 15-20 minutes, then I wet sand at 600 then spray one more medium coat.
-Don't squeeze the last bits out of the paint cup. My experience has been that when running out the mist starts to dry and leaves a fairly persistent dusty texture. If you get this, the recoat is unlikely to smooth it over and you'll have some sanding to do.

I'm pre-finishing my interior before assembly so this has been what I learned over several sessions. I spent the last month of build time doing mostly parts prep and it's finally coming together. All of this is fairly fresh on my mind and I have enjoyed learning to paint with this stuff.
 

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+1 on Jetflex WR in the 3M Accuspray. Worked great and easy to clean-up for this first time painter. I used the 1.3 nozzle. :)
 
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I had poor results with an el-cheepo HVLP gun. I read the tech docs for Jetflex WR and bought a very expensive ($500) Devilbiss Techna gun with the recommended tip and got much better results. You can get a pebbled or a smooth finish if you want depending on how much water reducer you use and the gun settings.
 
I use a HF gun for shooting my Akzo primer and it works fine for that. I decided to buy a better gun for spraying the Jetflex WR on top of the primer.

Part of the problem with the HF gun is the tip size is too small for the realatively thick Jetflex WR. If my memory serves the HF gun comes with a 1.4 tip.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00407SHY0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are certainly better, more expensive guns out there. This one seems to work fine though.


I think my spray job has turned out pretty well for the most part. I'm not sure shooting it directly on bare aluminum is going to work great though. I think the Jetflex WR needs a prepped surface to adhere to. Even on top of my Akzo it is not as durable as the Akzo which may be expected since the Akzo is an epoxy primer. I'm certainly not an expert though.
 
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Thanks!

Thanks for all the feedback - especially Nate's detailed writeup. I definitely see where I can improve my process. It sounds like I need to lay down a primer coat first. That was me just being lazy....

After shooting primer I also had a hard time laying down a thicker coat of the JetFlex which led to coverage problems. Plus I wasn't doing a second coat as Nate detailed in his writeup.

At least I practiced on parts that will be less noticeable than others....
 
AKZO Compatible?

I am beginning the firewall/tunnel stage of my 14 fuselage build. Before I go any further I need to decide on course of action for interior prep/paint. I am a huge advocate of learning from other people's experiences.

Our entire build has been painstakingly prepped and primed using AKZO. I am extremely happy with the results. My "plan" (subject to change if someone has built a better mousetrap) is to prime the interior (minus the steel firewall) as we have the rest of the build and then (after assembly) mask, scuff, spray final paint using JetFlex WR. I have read where others have painted before assembly but I believe that is going to significantly slow my build (we are working toward a 10/24 paint slot at Evoke). Our interior will eventually have sound barrier/interior panels and pockets/carpet. There will be some painted surface visible but not a significant amount.

My question is are there any flaws in my plan? MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION - Anyone have experience spraying JetFlex WR over AKZO? Good results?

I'm thinking one day to scuff and prep vs several days doing it piece-by-piece. I'm also thinking less chance of damaging paint during assembly?

Opinions welcome...
 
MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION - Anyone have experience spraying JetFlex WR over AKZO? Good results?

I did Akzo primer then the Jetflex WR on the interior pieces. 9 years of flying now and it has held up just fine. There are a couple of places on the seat back where I put my hands getting in and out of the airplane and the Jetflex has worn down. The underlying Akzo is doing just fine (that stuff is indestructible). It gives a bit of "patina" to the interior and I'm fine with that.
 
Thanks Bruce. I would venture to guess that any paint will wear down over 9 years of in-and-out use. I was thinking about using a tip from Stu's YouTube video on his RV8 and making some either chrome or powder coated trim pieces to protect the high wear areas.

I did Akzo primer then the Jetflex WR on the interior pieces. 9 years of flying now and it has held up just fine. There are a couple of places on the seat back where I put my hands getting in and out of the airplane and the Jetflex has worn down. The underlying Akzo is doing just fine (that stuff is indestructible). It gives a bit of "patina" to the interior and I'm fine with that.
 
I took a while to mask off the areas I didn’t want to paint, but I did the majority of the interior after it had been assembled. I sprayed the removable covers separately. No problems over the Akko. Just scuff and wipe with lacquer thinner. Then I wiped it down with a tack cloth. It turned really good.
 
JetFlex kinda looks like poo when sprayed. It will flow out as it dries and will look nice when dry. I use an RP spray gun with a 1.4 tip.
 
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