Paint Question

Wolf · #1 07-23-2010, 08:49 PM

I painted half of the fuselage today in red Delfleet. The paint didn't seem to flow out properly and came out with orange peel. It seems I forgot the thinner when I mixed the paint. My question is can I buff this out later if I leave it or is it best to sand it down and re-paint it? Do I need to sand it all the way down flat or just rough it up?

Kyle Boatright · #2 07-23-2010, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolf

I painted half of the fuselage today in red Delfleet. The paint didn't seem to flow out properly and came out with orange peel. It seems I forgot the thinner when I mixed the paint. My question is can I buff this out later if I leave it or is it best to sand it down and re-paint it? Do I need to sand it all the way down flat or just rough it up?

Depends on how severe the orange peel is. Also, depends on how good you are with sandpaper and a buffer. Personally, I'd sand it flat and respray. My experience in trying to sand and buff a metal airplane is that you're almost guaranteed to sand or buff through the paint over a rivet or a skin edge.

One suggestion is before you squirt any paint on the airplane, spray some on something else - a scrap part, a piece of flashing, etc. to make sure the paint gun is working properly and the paint is flowing out correctly.

Wolf · #3 07-23-2010, 09:26 PM

Kyle:

I think you are right, I had pretty much decided to sand it tomorrow and re-paint it. I bought way too much paint so that is not an issue, just hate to lose a day. Thanks for the advice.

Jay

pierre smith · #4 07-24-2010, 04:56 AM

...you can also get better results by wet sanding. Get some wet-or-dry 220 grit and a water hose, keeping the surface wet. The sandpaper will wear out before it clogs.

Best,

Kyle Boatright · #5 07-24-2010, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pierre smith

...you can also get better results by wet sanding. Get some wet-or-dry 220 grit and a water hose, keeping the surface wet. The sandpaper will wear out before it clogs.

Best,

Pierre probably has more experience in this than I do, but 220 seems very coarse and would probably leave marks that would transfer through unless you apply a thick finish coat. I'd use 400 or higher grit. And, like Pierre said, wet sanding is the way to go.

Guy Prevost · #6 07-24-2010, 07:52 AM

I would wet sand with 400. In fact, I have a fair amount of experience doing that on an RV

DanH · #7 07-24-2010, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolf

I painted half of the fuselage today in red Delfleet. The paint didn't seem to flow out properly and came out with orange peel. It seems I forgot the thinner when I mixed the paint. My question is can I buff this out later if I leave it or is it best to sand it down and re-paint it? Do I need to sand it all the way down flat or just rough it up?

Two options, depending....

You can wet sand with 1500-2000 then compound with a foam pad, IF you have enough paint thickness to cut off perhaps one full coat....best bet is three coats, cut off one. And Kyle is right, you gotta be real careful about edges and rivets.

Even a good paint finish is improved with this process. I'm using 3M's Trizact system; 1500 grit Hookit disks on a soft pad followed by a buffer, foam pads, 3000 grit compound and a polishing compound:

You can sand the orange peel flat and shoot new paint. If a non-metallic, 400 grit is fine. If metallic or pearl, use 800 grit.

tomcostanza · #8 07-24-2010, 10:34 AM

That's amazing Dan. It doesn't even look like paint. What kind of paint was it? I was under the impression that you couldn't buff polyurethane.

-Tom

DanH · #9 07-24-2010, 11:26 AM

https://buyat.ppg.com/refinishProduc...c-04551702a5df

DBC pearl base and DCU2021 clear. The 2021 tends to bead up along edges, but it cuts nice. Yes, it's a urethane.

I'm just learning how to use this line. Friend and and RV8 builder Bill Woods is really good with PPG and recommends a different clear, but I forgot what it was. Hey, Bill, you out there?

chinch · #10 07-24-2010, 05:28 PM

Hi Dan

Can you please do into more detail about how you achieved that particular finish? Did you shoot it yourself? In a booth, garage or back yard? HLVP? What primer did you use? How many coats of base and clear? How big a difference is there between the last coat of clear and what the cutting polishing process achieves (as shown in the photos)?

Sorry for the newbie questions, but would love to know - that result is glorious! Can mere mortals achieve it too?