Painting my RV-6: How many gallons?

[Bad Sheila]

I am going to paint my RV6 silver. (Not metalic) What single stage paint do you recommend and how many gallons do I need?

[DanBaier]

I used Akzo Nobel UTech 3.8 Polyurethane. You should be able to get the paint locally at an autofinish paint supplier. For about 90-95 square feet it would take me about 1Qt paint + 1/3Qt Catalyst + 1/3Qt of laquer thinner shot though a Graco turbine HVLP. This was in warm dry weather without any accelerant or retarder.

Dan

[hgerhardt]

I did 2-stage on my -6 and it took about 3 qts basecoat and a little over a gallon clear.

BTW, there's no such thing as silver that's not metallic. If there wasn't any metal in it, it would be gray or clear instead of silver...

That said, you typically can't satisfactorily color-sand/buff single-stage metallics. So, what you spray is what you get... for better or worse. If you really want silver, then you ought to use a 2-stage system.

[Kyle Boatright]

IMO, a good painter will be able to paint an RV sized airplane with 3 gallons or less of single stage paint. A first timer will waste more paint, apply it too thick, etc. and may need more.

[KTM520guy]

Using Sherwin Williams Jet as an example. For a single color base plus two trim stripes you would need two gallons of base paint plus a quart each of you trim colors. Add to this 2 gallons of hardener for the base plus 2 quarts of hardener for the stripes and 1 gallon of reducer. If doing a two-tone fuselage add one more gallon of paint and another gallon of hardener. If all goes well you will have a bunch of paint left over. If you intend to do the painting yourself, try and makes friends with a painter. Ask him to buy the paint for you. Jobber discounts are pretty good. Man off the street prices are insane.

[Bad Sheila]

So I need 2 gallons of base, 2 gallons of hardener and 1 gallon of reducer for one color... is that right? It is going to be total silver with decals doing the rest of the plane.

[Bad Sheila]

Is this the "Jet" paint you refer to?

Polane? Solar Reflective Polyurethane Enamel
Polane Solar Reflective Polyurethane Enamel utilizes the latest technologies to provide a durable, heat-repelling coating for vinyl and aluminum applications in dark colors previously impossible to...

[KTM520guy]

Sorry about that. I should have said "JetGlo" my brain got ahead of my fingers and I missed a word.

Originally Posted by Bad Sheila

Is this the "Jet" paint you refer to?

Polane? Solar Reflective Polyurethane Enamel
Polane Solar Reflective Polyurethane Enamel utilizes the latest technologies to provide a durable, heat-repelling coating for vinyl and aluminum applications in dark colors previously impossible to...