What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Least painful, easiest DIY paint?

rmartingt

Well Known Member
I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and therefore thinking about paint options before final assembly so I don't have to take the airplane down later.

I'm planning a simple paint job (or perhaps even all-white, with vinyl trim). Not worried about a showplane finish and I don't have loads of money to spend on it. Some might suggest "well then polish it!" but I've polished an RV before and never want to do that again :eek:

I have not yet spoken to any local paint shops (I will, before committing to something) but I'm also looking into what it will take to paint myself.

Trick is, I am absolutely terrible with a spraygun. For every one good-looking part I've shot with primer (Stewart Ekoprime), I got probably eight with runs, drips, spots, and just general nastiness. At least with rattlecans it's more like a 1:2 ratio.

Given that, does anyone have a suggestion for a forgiving, idiot-resistant paint system? Something that doesn't require loads of new equipment, magic incantations, and robotic repeatability?




On a different approach, I've really looked hard into rolling with marine paint (e.g. Alexseal 501) since it can be rolled or sprayed, and can be applied outdoors. Rolling sounds attractive and I've spoken to a couple guys who have done it on metal airplanes (a Sonex and some others) with reasonably good results.
 
rattle can is a bad idea.

single stage poly from southern polyurethanes would be my recommendation. It applies pretty well and can successfully be wet sand to fix mistakes. It will require expertise to apply, as runs are a reality if you do it wrong, as is orange peel.

Best way to avoid the painting learning curve is to wrap it with vynal. Much easier skill to acquire and mistakes are easy to fix.

Larry
 
I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and therefore thinking about paint options before final assembly so I don't have to take the airplane down later.

I'm planning a simple paint job (or perhaps even all-white, with vinyl trim). Not worried about a showplane finish and I don't have loads of money to spend on it. Some might suggest "well then polish it!" but I've polished an RV before and never want to do that again :eek:

I have not yet spoken to any local paint shops (I will, before committing to something) but I'm also looking into what it will take to paint myself.

Trick is, I am absolutely terrible with a spraygun. For every one good-looking part I've shot with primer (Stewart Ekoprime), I got probably eight with runs, drips, spots, and just general nastiness. At least with rattlecans it's more like a 1:2 ratio.

Given that, does anyone have a suggestion for a forgiving, idiot-resistant paint system? Something that doesn't require loads of new equipment, magic incantations, and robotic repeatability?




On a different approach, I've really looked hard into rolling with marine paint (e.g. Alexseal 501) since it can be rolled or sprayed, and can be applied outdoors. Rolling sounds attractive and I've spoken to a couple guys who have done it on metal airplanes (a Sonex and some others) with reasonably good results.

What kind of spray gun are you using?
 
Given that, does anyone have a suggestion for a forgiving, idiot-resistant paint system? Something that doesn't require loads of new equipment, magic incantations, and robotic repeatability?
Find a friend in EAA that has sprayed at least one plane before. I recommend even someone in vintage aircraft that has sprayed dope on fabric. They should be able to spray something that fits your quality level and your simple paint layout. You do all scuffing and surface prep and they just come in and spray. They may charge you a few dollars for the weekend of spraying but way cheaper than going to paint shop and better quality then just spraying yourself.
 
I'm in the same position as Bob in post #1. Recommendations welcome.

I thought long and hard about vinyl wrap and decided that I wasn't comfortable with wrapping the cowl of my RV-3B project, or getting close the canopy or doing the wheel pants or spinner. I did decide up on a high-quality vinyl and if you don't mind a bit of extra hassle, the Hexis line is good.

Dave
 
Simple and cheap

I painted my -8 three yrs ago. Followed Southern Polyurethane’s instructions to the letter for their direct to metal epoxy primer. Mostly used a DA sander with 120 paper to skuff the entire plane. Plane was disassembled and parts were placed on a rotating stand. Using a power sander made the sanding job easy. Primer sprayed beautifully with a turbine HVLP rig. The second photo is the wing with primer. SPI said not to spray their top coats with my HVLP and recommend DuPont Nasson which I used. No clear coat and no sanding of the top coat or between the primer and top coat. I’m a terrible painter and still got a good finish. First thing I ever painted with no runs! Used an Apollo spray gun with my old three stage turbine. This finish is light weight and low cost. Won’t win at OSK but I’ve still had a lot of compliments on it. The owner of SPI was always a phone call away and had expert advice.
 

Attachments

  • 6E67DB92-B503-4540-B899-C9E236651905.jpeg
    6E67DB92-B503-4540-B899-C9E236651905.jpeg
    674.9 KB · Views: 387
  • D2549F34-EC05-488B-B38F-669133F72DBC.jpeg
    D2549F34-EC05-488B-B38F-669133F72DBC.jpeg
    69 KB · Views: 375
Last edited:
Trick is, I am absolutely terrible with a spraygun. For every one good-looking part I've shot with primer (Stewart Ekoprime), I got probably eight with runs, drips, spots, and just general nastiness. At least with rattlecans it's more like a 1:2 ratio.

We decide to build an RV and we learn skills we didn't have before. Riveting, removing rivets, reading engineering drawings, wiring, installing an engine, fiberglass work, installing a canopy without destroying it, etc, etc......

Learning how to spray paint is just another skill to be learned. Educate yourself, buy good equipment, and practice.......just as you did when learning to rivet. You can do it. :)
 
Polyurethanes are generally a terrible choice for repairs and touch-up, which you'll have to do if you have no experience spraying.

You could try your hand at polysiloxane (e.g. PPG PSX700) which is direct-to-metal epoxy but won't get destroyed by sunlight. It's not as easy to apply as acrylics (keeps running for a long time) but white is pretty forgiving and one can touch it up 20 years later with no prep as it bonds to itself. Use vinyl stickers for stripes and other flair--doesn't get any easier.
 
Nason Industrial

As mentioned ahove by a couple of people, 2-pack polyurethane is good for the top coat because it is easy to spray and is durable and can be buffed if there are any runs, dust or orange peel.

Nason Industrial is a reliable brand and 610 or 620 polyurethane is about $200 per gallon depending on color, where I live.

For priming, etch primer is suited to aluminum as it sticks well, is light weight, fast drying. Cost is about $80 per gallon.

Spraying technique can be learned by practising on a fender or trunk lid or hood from the auto wreckers.
 
Paint

I second vinyl. My plan is to vinyl the flat aluminum parts. I can paint. If the vinyl doesn't play out, I'll paint. I'm painting the curvy fiberglass parts.
A few suggestions
1. Good paint gun. HF sells a Sata copy. Black Widow HTE. I've used mine a few times and really like it. It lays down a nice coat. Iwatta and Sata are just a couple of the best. Once you find one, keep it clean. Disasseble after a session and get every spec of paint out.
2. Play paint. Learn with a less expensive paint. Yes, they are all a little different, but once you figure it out, spraying the expensive stuff will be a shorter and cheaper learning curve. I am a Kirker fan. They also manufacture Eastwood and Summit. Re-branded. I like Kirker EnduroPrime and UltraGlo single stage urethane. I still use P60G2 and my interior is Jet Flex. EnduroPrime is about $70 gallon plus $50 gallon hardener. UltraGlo gallons are about the same plus activator and reducer. Reducer works with both. Pretty cheap practice. Go to a junk yard and pull a hood or truck. Or spray the wife's car! :D
3. Learn to Cut & Buff. Easy to fix a multitude of problems like runs, drips, orange peel, etc and end up with a 12" paint job. Ask anyone who's seen my painted parts. They were 12 foot paint jobs before. :D
4. Make a list. You need supplies and equipment. Gotta have clean air for the paint gun and your lungs. Compressor, respirator, HobbyAir, etc.
5. Prep is probably more important than spraying paint. If the surface isn't perfect, paint won't be any better. Study how the experts do it. On VAF, sesrch for Dan Horton threads and read, read, read.
6. Read more. Better still, find a Mentor who knows how to paint and learn.
 
Last edited:
I plan on painting my airplane (RV-6) soon and am preparing now. Novice painter, some experience, but not a pro. Painting your airplane is a good way to save $$ and learn a new skill. It's a lot of labor, durability of the finish is mostly about the quality of the prep.

One place to not try to save too much is the spray gun. There is no replacement for a good spray gun. The Harbor Freight "Black Widow" gun gets good reviews, and for about $225 is a good value. A talented painter can make almost any spray gun work, but for a novice we need all the help we can get and a good spray gun can make a difference. I bought a Devilbiss GP1 from Spray Guns Direct (before HF came out with the Black Widow) and am happy with it, about $350. You can easily spend $600-900 for a pro-quality gun, but results may only improve only marginally.

I'm going to use base coat/clear coat. It's easy to repair if needed. Single stage is also an option, but you have to get the color coverage and finish all at the same time. Of course it works, but not easier in my opinion.

I am going to use Tamco Paint. Epoxy primer, base, and Hi-Impact clear, (their recommendation). Tamco is a internet order company, similar to Kerker, Southern Polyurethane (SPI), and TCP Global. All good choices, can save many $$ over a major company like PPG. BTW, I used SPI epoxy primer for all my interior priming with good results.

Youtube has lots of videos on the how to's. Search "Paint Society", one of my favorites.

Good Luck,
 
Last edited:
Don’t fear painting your airplane. It’s easy. Just a few minutes and you’re done. All the work is in the prep and even that is not hard.

For paint systems I recommend Sherwin-Williams JetGlo. It’s easy to mix, easy to spray, looks great, and lasts a long time. They have a nice green mil spec primer for the metal also. For the fiberglass bits I like K36 from PPG. It’s about the easiest stuff to spray in the world and sands up like a dream.
 
My Paint

I planned on not doing my own paint. Hired a 'pro' (painted military stuff for his day job). Ended up firing him and doing it myself.

Had already settled on Southern Polyurethane's epoxy primer, and their single stage white. And a two tone job with Yellow PPG Acry Glo.

I found the PPG easier to spray. [PPG was way more expensive, hence the two different brands] I eventually got the trick with the SPoly White... some of the tricks: 1) you need a BIG compressor that won't fade out as you spay the whole fuselage. 2) SPoly says thinning is optional on their single stage. A bit of thinner is required for the PPG. So I tried putting a bit of thinner into my next session of SP White. WAY better results. Went from lots of orange peel issues to a near factory level finish.

I had painted cars in the long past - but that was pre Poly finishes. Different gun, different paint, way less toxic than this stuff. YOU NEED a hood and positive fresh air.
 
Plane1.JPG

The prep work is a lot of work. Scuffing, cleaning, cleaning and cleaning before priming. I cut round pieces of Scotch Brite and used my DA sander for scuffing. That worked really well and saved a lot of rubbing by hand. It created a nice tooth for the primer.

Racking the parts needs to be done so the parts don't swing too much when spraying.

The shop preparation takes some time too. Many options to consider for this. I cut hole in my shop back wall for filters and a large fan in the roll up door opening. Next time I'm all set... I used a good mask with filters and a tyvec full coverall suit and a head sock. Not feeling any ill effects yet!

I used PPG Delfleet Evolution FDGH paint and white Epoxy primer for the best result making my Matterhorn white really look good. Not cheap paint.

White paint was really difficult to see the paint laying down. Plenty of good lighting is really important.

Weather is really important too. I painted in the winter because I was so anxious to get my plane finished. It was 40 deg. outside, so I had to heat the shop, turn off the heat, then spray. In the spring on much warmer day, I had some small parts to re-paint. It was much better painting with good weather. Paint laid out better.

I found that my paint was easily able to be wet sanded and buffed out in the few places that needed orange peel fixed.

It was a lot of work. Some help would have helped a lot for scuffing and cleaning and moving parts around.

All in all, it was a great experience. I would do it again.

Having the folks at the paint supplier that could offer good advice was good too.

About $4000.00 for everything I needed, about a year ago.

For stripes, I had the sign place make custom masks for certain details. I spent three days to get my stripes straight. No way anybody will be able to say they aren't!
 
Last edited:
Spray Gun

Buy a really nice spray gun on eBay, clean after each use, resell it. With a good spray gun and and a little practice you can amaze yourself.
 
Trick is, I am absolutely terrible with a spraygun. For every one good-looking part I've shot with primer (Stewart Ekoprime), I got probably eight with runs, drips, spots, and just general nastiness.

Bob, don't judge your performance based on one product. Different paints do spray and flow out differently. Sometimes the difference is like magic.

A fancy gun is not required, but it's nice. FWIW, I've tried some good ones, and mostly I'm still spraying with the same HF gun, 20 years later.

Cutting and buffing is worthwhile skill. Most super slick paint was not sprayed that way.

Assemble some glare lights, and keep them positioned so you can really see how the spray is impacting the surface and building under the fan of the gun. Concentrate on looking at the fan contact, not at the surface as a whole. And if you wear glasses, make sure the focal length is correct for the distance, eyeball to surface contact.

The lights are just 4 ft tube lights, rotating on a stand. In the end, even if you don't like painting with them, they make great work lights in a dark hangar.
.
 

Attachments

  • Glare Light3.jpg
    Glare Light3.jpg
    214.3 KB · Views: 189
  • Glare Light2.jpg
    Glare Light2.jpg
    188.7 KB · Views: 138
Last edited:
Direct to metal?

Polyurethanes are generally a terrible choice for repairs and touch-up, which you'll have to do if you have no experience spraying.

You could try your hand at polysiloxane (e.g. PPG PSX700) which is direct-to-metal epoxy but won't get destroyed by sunlight. It's not as easy to apply as acrylics (keeps running for a long time) but white is pretty forgiving and one can touch it up 20 years later with no prep as it bonds to itself. Use vinyl stickers for stripes and other flair--doesn't get any easier.

Do I understand correctly that this paint can be applied DIRECTLY over aluminum without a primer?
Ed
 
Do I understand correctly that this paint can be applied DIRECTLY over aluminum without a primer?
Ed

Apparently, it is an all in one paint coating that doesn't need primer. Seems targetted to the marine industry. marketted as a protective coating. I suspect there are reasons that this is not all the rage in painting cars and planes, but couldn't say what they are.

poly paint systems have a slight amount of permeability (to release solvents over the first few months) and therefore need a primer coat to seal the base metal. Epoxy primers are very strong and fully seal, but will degrade from UV exposure over the years if not top coated.
 
Simple scheme

Single stage PPG paint, cut and buff per Dan Horton, vinyl stripes, 14 years later. Worked for me and you can touch up with a rattle can from the auto paint store.
Figs

IMG_2146.jpg
 
I painted my -8 three yrs ago. Followed Southern Polyurethane’s instructions to the letter for their direct to metal epoxy primer. Mostly used a DA sander with 120 paper to skuff the entire plane. Plane was disassembled and parts were placed on a rotating stand. Using a power sander made the sanding job easy. Primer sprayed beautifully with a turbine HVLP rig. The second photo is the wing with primer. SPI said not to spray their top coats with my HVLP and recommend DuPont Nasson which I used. No clear coat and no sanding of the top coat or between the primer and top coat. I’m a terrible painter and still got a good finish. First thing I ever painted with no runs! Used an Apollo spray gun with my old three stage turbine. This finish is light weight and low cost. Won’t win at OSK but I’ve still had a lot of compliments on it. The owner of SPI was always a phone call away and had expert advice.

Curious about this. My pro car painter who clear-coated my carbon fiber instrument panel was not happy that I'd prep sanded it with 400 wet. Said those scratches would show through the clear and he's have to re-prep first with 600. My A&P painter who's going to show me how it's done in a few weeks was concerned in similar manner that gel coat and metal prep with 400 might be too coarse for optimum results.

What's the recommended grit to prep aluminum skins for prime and paint, without using a high-build primer and sanding between coats?
 
Curious about this. My pro car painter who clear-coated my carbon fiber instrument panel was not happy that I'd prep sanded it with 400 wet. Said those scratches would show through the clear and he's have to re-prep first with 600. My A&P painter who's going to show me how it's done in a few weeks was concerned in similar manner that gel coat and metal prep with 400 might be too coarse for optimum results.

What's the recommended grit to prep aluminum skins for prime and paint, without using a high-build primer and sanding between coats?

different paints go on in different thicknesses with different wet outs and have different solid contents. For base coat application, most use 400 wet for solid colors and 600 for metallics (more sensitive to scratches disrupting the layout of the mica). Most high solids, clear coat goes on very thick and would smooth out 100 grit sanding marks in three coats, maybe two. It is the base coat that is very thin and won't cover much. SPI epoxy primer will smooth out 220 grit scratches in 2 coats. I typically sand the metal with 180, epoxy primer, followed by 2K primer, then block with 180 or 220 dry and wet sand with 400; sometimes need more coats to do this. Then base coat. If I skipped the 2K primer, like for planes, I would wet sand the epoxy with 400 with a moderately stiff baked pad; Not a hard block, but not a soft color sanding sponge. If the primer laid down nicely with no meaningful dust, I would skip the wet sanding. Best to check the data sheet for the base coat paint you plan to use. There will be a grit recommendation for that specific paint; Some cover better than others. Also depends upon the color. Some colors require more coats for full coverage and more coats fill scratches better than fewer coats.

sanding carbon fiber with 400 followed by just clear coat is a complete non-issue, unless your painter thins it aggressively and sprays very thin coats.

Larry
 
Last edited:
SPI actually recommend 80 grit with a DA sander. I went a little finer with 120. Sounds harsh but that grit on a DA sander doesn't leave deep scratches. Scratches didn’t show through the primer and primer certainly stuck to the aluminum well. I used two light coats of primer. On areas I sanded by hand where the power sander would not work, I used red Scotch pad.
 
Last edited:
I use 80 or 100 grit to ruff in body filler. All general sanding is done with 180 grit. If I’m scuffing primer, I use 320. Paints like JetGlo, Alumigrip, or Imron will cover 180 scratches. If you plan on painting with automotive base/clear, you can prime over 180 then scuff the primer with 600 or 800. Base coat will not cover anything.
 
Epoxy primers are very strong and fully seal, but will degrade from UV exposure over the years if not top coated.

I set some small parts on a south-facing window ledge. 6 months later, the epoxy primer was a very different shade of green. Since then, I haven't store primed parts on the window ledge anymore.
 
I'm curious WHERE all this painting is happening. My local airport does not allow spray painting in the hangars.
 
I'm curious WHERE all this painting is happening. My local airport does not allow spray painting in the hangars.

Neither does mine. But that's the airport authority's rule. The FBO ain't into the enforcement business and I know of multiple airplanes that have been painted in hangars. Including an RV-8 in the hangar adjacent to mine where the painter didn't manage airflow well, so I had to claybar my whole airplane to remove overspray.
 
I'm curious WHERE all this painting is happening. My local airport does not allow spray painting in the hangars.

I met a guy in Stockton that had a paint shop. Surprised the heck out of me. He even said that the city built the hanger to his specs.
 
Allowed...

Be a good neighbor. The fumes WILL carry. Don't stink out your neighbors (especially if they become aware that the stink is toxic!) and they are unlikely to stink you out.

Which means sometimes I needed to find something else to do that day.
 
A data point in DIY research

This thread stimulated me to do some research on guns, striping, base/clear as my experience in paints and auto paints is 30+ yrs old.

It is a long video but well narrated and rapidly (pay attention) addresses many of the standard questions I had, YMMV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow71HxdrZsc

I have been through hours of bad videos and this one was a really good overview.
 
Be a good neighbor. The fumes WILL carry. Don't stink out your neighbors (especially if they become aware that the stink is toxic!) and they are unlikely to stink you out.

Which means sometimes I needed to find something else to do that day.

This is why you proactively talk with your neighbors and explain that you’re building an airplane and will do everything you can to make sure it doesn’t bother them. But if/when it dies, they should immediately let you know and you’ll take care of the issue to their satisfaction. That goes a long way to heading off problems.
 
I'm curious WHERE all this painting is happening. My local airport does not allow spray painting in the hangars.

My airport has the same policy. Outside the hangar worked for me. It was a calm morning in May with temps around 70 deg F. All prep work and masking was completed the day before inside the hangar. The job was just the aft fuse, top side, not the entire plane.
 
Last edited:
Vinyl wrap

What about vinyl wrap then clear coat to protect it? Best of both worlds?

Just a thought.
Keith
 
Do I understand correctly that this paint can be applied DIRECTLY over aluminum without a primer?
Ed

Correct, it will bond just like epoxy primer (I don't believe the Si-O bond contributes much to adhesion, but it does stop UV from chalking the carbon bonds; any chemists on here please correct me). You'll still want to prep as usual, scuff or etch.

I've been using it over the years for pieces, about to do the whole airplane with the white (+vinyl flair). White hides well after a few thin coats, so the entire airplane's worth could weigh ~7 lbs if one is light on the trigger.

It's not as easy to apply as acrylic: it runs for a long time, cures very slowly and requires many thin coats for quality finish, which is likely why pro shops don't normally use it--time is money. It does cut and buff like a dream though, and it's much more mechanically and chemically resistant than acrylics or urethanes. For us tinkerers the recoat-without-prep feature seems really attractive if you plan on keeping your airplane for a long time.
attachment.php
 

Attachments

  • spinner.png
    spinner.png
    2 MB · Views: 229
What about vinyl wrap then clear coat to protect it? Best of both worlds?

Worst of both worlds, sorry.

The vinyl, a good one anyway, has plenty of gloss and is fairly durable for a hangared plane. And when all the installation steps are complete, it's done. As people have said, it's definitely doable.

Dave
 
Consider vinyl wrap. Much easier than painting, cheaper, less weight, and easy for a beginner

I had a neighbor vinyl his airplane. He said it was half the weight and half the money. Found out later that the money was the same. A couple years later it started to bubble and peel.
 
I always wondered about oil seeping under vinyl wrap at seams and causing it to start to separate. Is this an issue?
 
It can be. Also the vinyl on the cowling is prone to failure. The compound curve of the cowl and the heat from the engine take their toll.
 
Vinyl

My cowling was vinyl wrapped in 2018 and has not lifted due to heat or oil. I wrapped the leading edge of the wings and have a seeping rivet. The vinyl has captured the fuel as a bubble. I’m tired of looking at it so I’ll rewrap that wing this month.

It cost me $3,000 to wrap the plant in 2018. I will rewrap it this fall, if the vinyl has gone up 50% to 4,500 I am still under the cost of professional paint and I can change colors easily.
 
Well, here I am almost a year later from making the initial post. Every attempt to contact local painters (both established shops and pros who do side work) has either resulted in being ghosted after the first phone call, or my phone calls/emails disappearing into the aether never to be answered at all.

I've also been attempting to get the fiberglass parts into some semblance of ready to paint, but at this point all I want to do with anything fiberglass is drag it all outside and (standing upwind, of course) light it on fire. I just spent 3-4 hours sanding the failed, gummy, never-quite-fully-cured attempt at squeegeed neat epoxy from my aft canopy fairing, and now I get to re-fill and try to sand that POS again.:mad:

Basically I'm at the point of finding filling/sanding/body work to be infuriating, miserable, and next to pointless. I don't much care, as long as oil/moisture can't seep in--can't see it from the cockpit, after all.

Unfortunately, I can't just leave it unpainted either--even if I just left the metal as-is the fiberglass needs to be painted with something, for sealing and UV protection at least. So I have to come up with something, and on further research rolling appears to be even more work and more sanding. So I at least need a primer to cover the fiberglass bits, and then possibly all the way for a topcoat. Soooo...

------

I have a big 60gal compressor and previously used one of the purple HF HVLP guns out in the driveway. Whatever I end up doing will either be outside in the back yard, or possibly inside my workshop (which is jammed full of other stuff and also doubles as my work-from-home office, so setting up a booth in there would be a huge PITA).

Are there any primers and/or paints out there that (in order):

1. can (not should, but can) be applied outdoors? Perhaps an intermediate solution could be a pop-up temporary garage (e.g. https://smile.amazon.com/Peaktop-Outdoor-Removable-Reinforced-Triangular/dp/B088JZ8ZYD) but a fancy indoor booth is probably out of the realm of possible.

2. can be used with a standard filter respirator (e.g. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z4EB/) vs. a full supplied-air (hobbyair like) system?

3. Requires the fewest sand/shoot/sand/shoot cycles?

4. Has a decent gold color available (still weighing two-color vs. plain boring white with vinyl trim)?


-----

With all that said I'm getting really intrigued by the polysiloxane idea mentioned earlier. Google search says it was developed to protect launch pads by the ocean and supposedly the Coast Guard uses it as topside paint so I'd imagine it would be good for an airplane that may be parked outside at first. I'm kinda thinking about buying a can and playing with it. Might even be good for the roof of our van (the clearcoat is all but destroyed)...
 
Here you go:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D9FJX2P

And for paint system, the best quality for the most reasonable price and least effort is ...

http://airtechcoatings.com

Call and ask for Robbie, he will get you started with all the right gear. He's very direct and not much for chit-chat but definitely knows what he's talking about.

I switched to Airtech from Stewarts topcoat ... Stewarts makes a great covering system but the waterborne topcoat is incredibly finicky on temps, humidity, and skill. I could never get it right or consistent just practicing. Airtech topcoats just go on and level out, done! Super easy first time.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
I just spent 3-4 hours sanding the failed, gummy, never-quite-fully-cured attempt at squeegeed neat epoxy from my aft canopy fairing, and now I get to re-fill and try to sand that POS again.:mad:

This is why I won't try the neat epoxy method for pinholes. Just not enough mass for the needed thermal cure. I tried it once with the same results as you and swore never again. Polyester or vynalster products do MUCH better curing with thin coats like this.

On the 10, 1 did 2 coats of epoxy primer. Cured for 24 hours, then 4 more coats (wait step is critical) followed by 4 coats of 2K primer. Then block with 180 or 220 and apply a couple more coats of 2K if not to your liking. It is OK to sand into the epoxy primer coat and can paint right over it without more 2K.

Letting the primer cure for 24 hours is key to letting the bridged primer over the hols to get hard enough to resist the solvents from follow on coats.
 
Neat epoxy

Something went wrong. Maybe cure temp too low?
I've done every fiberglass part on the airplane using a neat epoxy step.
Everyone seems to have a favorite paint.
Easiest is probably rattle can.
I like Kirker paints. They also rebrand as Summit and Eastwood.
This is Kirker EnduroPrime and Single Stage Ultra Glo painted in my Tuff Shed. Basically outside.
20221028_160215.jpg
 
Be a good neighbor. The fumes WILL carry. Don't stink out your neighbors (especially if they become aware that the stink is toxic!) and they are unlikely to stink you out.

Which means sometimes I needed to find something else to do that day.
This happened to me some years ago, and it took a month to get the white overspray off of my grey biplane...
 
Well, here I am almost a year later from making the initial post. Every attempt to contact local painters (both established shops and pros who do side work) has either resulted in being ghosted after the first phone call, or my phone calls/emails disappearing into the aether never to be answered at all.

I've also been attempting to get the fiberglass parts into some semblance of ready to paint, but at this point all I want to do with anything fiberglass is drag it all outside and (standing upwind, of course) light it on fire. I just spent 3-4 hours sanding the failed, gummy, never-quite-fully-cured attempt at squeegeed neat epoxy from my aft canopy fairing, and now I get to re-fill and try to sand that POS again.:mad:

Basically I'm at the point of finding filling/sanding/body work to be infuriating, miserable, and next to pointless. I don't much care, as long as oil/moisture can't seep in--can't see it from the cockpit, after all.

Unfortunately, I can't just leave it unpainted either--even if I just left the metal as-is the fiberglass needs to be painted with something, for sealing and UV protection at least. So I have to come up with something, and on further research rolling appears to be even more work and more sanding. So I at least need a primer to cover the fiberglass bits, and then possibly all the way for a topcoat. Soooo...

------

I have a big 60gal compressor and previously used one of the purple HF HVLP guns out in the driveway. Whatever I end up doing will either be outside in the back yard, or possibly inside my workshop (which is jammed full of other stuff and also doubles as my work-from-home office, so setting up a booth in there would be a huge PITA).

Are there any primers and/or paints out there that (in order):

1. can (not should, but can) be applied outdoors? Perhaps an intermediate solution could be a pop-up temporary garage (e.g. https://smile.amazon.com/Peaktop-Outdoor-Removable-Reinforced-Triangular/dp/B088JZ8ZYD) but a fancy indoor booth is probably out of the realm of possible.

2. can be used with a standard filter respirator (e.g. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z4EB/) vs. a full supplied-air (hobbyair like) system?

3. Requires the fewest sand/shoot/sand/shoot cycles?

4. Has a decent gold color available (still weighing two-color vs. plain boring white with vinyl trim)?


-----

With all that said I'm getting really intrigued by the polysiloxane idea mentioned earlier. Google search says it was developed to protect launch pads by the ocean and supposedly the Coast Guard uses it as topside paint so I'd imagine it would be good for an airplane that may be parked outside at first. I'm kinda thinking about buying a can and playing with it. Might even be good for the roof of our van (the clearcoat is all but destroyed)...
I know most shops won’t talk to you if they are not going to make money off of you. If you would like, pm me and we can trade contact info. I’ll answer any question that I am able. I don’t know everything but I have done this a lot.
 
Well, here I am almost a year later from making the initial post. Every attempt to contact local painters (both established shops and pros who do side work) has either resulted in being ghosted after the first phone call, or my phone calls/emails disappearing into the aether never to be answered at all.

I've also been attempting to get the fiberglass parts into some semblance of ready to paint, but at this point all I want to do with anything fiberglass is drag it all outside and (standing upwind, of course) light it on fire. I just spent 3-4 hours sanding the failed, gummy, never-quite-fully-cured attempt at squeegeed neat epoxy from my aft canopy fairing, and now I get to re-fill and try to sand that POS again.:mad:

One thing about DIY painting is you will be doing a lot of sanding.

Have you tried wet sanding? It will reduce the amount of fiberglass dust. Also instead of sanding the epoxy layer, do a float coat of epoxy + microbaloon and wait for it to completely cure and sand that layer. The microbaloon is easier to sand. It may take a week. If it's not fully cured, you sand paper will be gummed up.

Regarding your original question, I just used the automotive paint which is 2-part epoxy primer and single stage paint for the color coat. You can find all of your supply at the local automotive paint, or shop online from Summit Racing or Eastwood. If you use clear coat, it will be an extra step.

In the end, you will be doing a lot of wet sanding after the initial epoxy primer. More sanding after the touch up primer too.

After your color coat, you will be doing more polishing (search for DanH method). The sanding and the prep and the polishing are the really labor intensive steps. This is why the professional charge so much for painting your airplane. Spraying paint or primer onto your airplane is the easy part.

Sanding the epoxy primer is just like sanding your epoxy part. You have to wait for the primer to fully cure or you gum up the sand paper. Use wet sanding to get the smoothest possible surface before spraying color, and to keep the dust under control. It took me one day to spray epoxy on the empenage but it took a full week just to wet sand the parts. I forgot how long it took to wet sand the wings and the fuselage but I know it took forever.

Think of painting your airplane is just like a major step in your airplane building. It is the dirtiest, labor intensive stage of building your airplane. If you have learned to build your airplane, painting is just another skill to learn.

Last 2cents: if your goal is to have an award winning airplane, pay good money for the best professional paint job.
 
Back
Top