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Interior Paint - $JetFlex$ and gloss

unitink72

Well Known Member
I'd like to get started painting the interior as I assemble it. I've seen a few recommendations:
  1. JetFlex WR
    I don't like that they describe this as not being as durable as regular JetFlex which is 2-component. Durability is probably my most important requirement. Haven't checked price.
  2. JetFlex
    Would go with this if it wasn't $400!!
  3. Rattle Cans
    Don't like that option. Already ruled it out.
  4. Urathane (both 1 and 2-stage)
    Cheaper (>=$100). As durable as JetFlex?

I got 3 quotes for JetFlex and they ranged from about $400-$475 shipped. No way Jose.
There was a post I found where Mr. Horton recomended 1-stage urathane. I've shot base/clear before and don't like the idea of that much work so the 1-stage is appealing. Called my local PPG and they gave me these options:

PPG TrueFinish - an industrial coating with very low gloss rating of 10-12
PPG Pitthane - Their next step up in gloss ratings at 60-70. Durable, and drys in 6 hours

Are there any other urathanes out there that people have used and like? I might even be open to base/clear if there's a huge durability improvement.

I'm probably going to color it medium to dark gray. Are there any concerns about gloss in an RV-10? I won't color the panel or glareshield with this stuff. The Jetflex is in between my two PPG options at a 20-30 gloss units rating (1-100 range). Would 60-70 be too much?
 
I used Jetflex WR in my interior and it was a great paint for a beginner. It self-leveled and made it look like I knew what I was doing. I have almost 100 flight hours on it now, plus hundreds of hours crawling in and out putting in avionics and interior, and it still looks great. I have only had to touch-up a spot on the roll bar that gets scrubbed off opening and closing the canopy and a few other places that got scratched one way or another. I would say after it cures it is very durable. YMMV. :D

BTW - I only used a bit more than one quart for the interior and I painted all of it, even what is hidden by carpet and interior. I believe it was about $120 a quart.
 
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I used JetFlex WR on my RV-9A interior. There is some wear on the seat backs where you rub getting in and out. The underlying Akzo-Nobel epoxy primer shows through and that stuff is VERY tough.

Shooting the WR was easy once you get it thinned properly for your gun.

I went with a beige/gray that is lighter in color. It is fine for my warmer climate here in SoCal, but it does show up as reflections in photos. I painted the panel in the same color, then labeled it with the DecalPro transfer labels. I covered the labels with flat clear Rustoleum spray can stuff and that has held up just fine. If I were to do it over, I would go darker, even though it might be hotter.

I don't recall JetFlex WR being that expensive. I got it from Alliance Coatings in El Cajon, CA. Give them a call. I needed about a quart and a half to finish off all of the interior surfaces. Probably for your RV-10 you will need a it more than that.
 
I've started painting pieces with the JetFlex WR. I'm using a tan/grey color. I'm still not an expert yet on using it, but it seems pretty good. It does seem pretty durable once it has had a chance to dry. I bought mine from Skygeek.
 
Jet Flex SB

I'm in the other camp. Jet Flex SB. Used a little over 1/2 of two quarts. Black and Gray so I spent a little more. Both flat. The only caveot is the hardener has a life span once opened. I get about a year on it stored in the fridge. I painted before assembly so the rivets would show.
 
jet Flex

I went with regular jet flex. I used one quart, and a little more because I wasn't efficient. It goes on well and I did not use a lot of paint; I used quite a bit more wash primer as the first coat. I will do this again. The paint is amazingly easy to flow and to get to come out looking decent. It is very forgiving of temperature, skills and techniques.
 
Polane T

I used dark gray SW Polane T on the RV 14 interior over the SW wash primer Van's specs for the QB fuselage. I matched the Polane color to my Dark gray leather interior. I used a lighter gray paint for my one piece instrument panel as a backdrop to the black G3X avionics. I posted pics on the RV14 panel thread last year. Boeing uses a mil spec version of the same paint Polane L for some interior work.
After it fully cures it is tough stuff. It is a 1:1 Polyurethane/Catalyst-V66 V27 that is less than $150 for two quart kit. This is an industrial coating sold in SW commercial stores (not retail stores). Easy to spray. I sprayed my QB fuselage after joining the tail section as it was perfectly new and clean. After the Polane T cured I covered the inside with moving blankets and foam pads while working inside. Looks great after 200 hours flying.

https://oem.sherwin-williams.com/pr...lvent/catalyzed/polane-t-polyurethane-enamel/
 
SW Genesis

Maybe take a look aT SW genesis. I shot my entire airframe this way and it was easy to lay down and reasonably priced. I was directed to look that way by someone who is in the business, and he was right. Added bonus: if you shoot an automotive color, you go to Autozone for your touch up paint. ;)
 
Interior Paint

I painted my interior with a two part epoxy primer from Summit Racing, it?s very easy to work with and produced a nice flat/satin finish. I bought a quart each of grey and white and mixed them to get the color I wanted. It seems to stick very well to aluminum and since it?s epoxy I think it will prove to be very durable, time will tell. Here is a link. https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-up230q
 
JetFlex WR

Another happy JetFlex WR user here. My hangar is attached to the house, so I chose it because of the need to avoid paint fumes getting into the living space. Very happy with the ease of application as well as the durability. I ordered it in a light tan color with flattener. Painted the whole interior, including the cabin top and doors using cheap Harbor Freight HVLP guns. The water based paint eats up those guns, so I went through 3 or 4 of them, but at $12 a pop, I just bought some when they were on sale and threw them out when done.
 
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