what primer do you recommend?

Just ordered the empanage kit and I was wondering what primer works best and where can you get it? Tools and kit should be here sometime next week and I wanted to get primer so I can start right in. Also, is there a cleaner thats used with it? Any info is appreciated. Thanks.

Uh-oh, here it comes.

Type in primer in the search box above. Trust me. Anythign that has EVER been uttered about primer, has already been uttered either here or on the RV List.

Primer

Ditch,

I went with a Sherwin Williams high solids epoxy primer for my empennage kit. The pros (IMHO) are 1) good moisture barrier, 2) good scratch resistance and 3) few people would argue it is a bad idea. Con: 1) it takes a lot of time and effort. This is how I prepped and applied.

1) Used Dawn dish soap and scrubbed each part with a scotch brite pad using distilled water from Wal-Mart in ~20 gallon bin using about 7 gallons.
2) Rise part with distilled water in ~20 gallon bin using ~ 7 gallons.
3) Pick up parts with nylon/plastic gloves to dry.
4) Dry at least over night.

Check weather for next day
At least 60F during spraying
At least 10 degrees difference between dew point and outside temp

5) Mix wash primer 484684 (w/other componets)
6) Get paint booth blowers, paint gun, etc ready.
7) Suit-up with respirator, Tyvek suit, etc.
8) Apply wash primer
9) Wait at about 1 hour while before epoxy primer (while doing steps 10 and 11)
10) Mix 483928 with other componets (after shaking)
11) Let stand for 20 minutes
12) Apply expoxy primer

I did the above in a 8'x8'x7' paint booth I made in my garage.

It is a pain, but I am glad I did it. I did one part with an zinc chromate rattle can in high humidity and did not like the result. It was/is very easy to scratch.

For the wings and fuselage I ordered the quick build which comes with the Sherwin Williams P60 G2 wash primer already applied. The wings are ~90% done except for part of the bottom skin and the fuselage is maybe 50% done. I consider the parts that have been done already on the QB are the "more" structural parts. The remaining parts that I will complete will be with a rattle can of SW 988, which you can get at the Sherwin Williams Automotive stores. ~$10 per can. I may put another sealer primer over with zinc chromate, but have not decided yet.


I would also recommend searching the folowing link:

http://www.paintcenter.org/pexpertqa1.cfm


Dave Syvertson
Sugar Land, TX
RV-10
Go Fighting Sioux

Well at least maybe it will get us off the latest hot topic for a little while.

Ditch, I started with AFS water based and ended up using an epoxy primer before I had gone to far. The epoxy was just easier to get the results I wanted and tough as nails. As mentioned above, do a search, you'll be able to read till your eyes are tired.

Good luck!

Wow, didn't know this was such a hot topic. I thought it would be as easy as mixing it up and spraying it on. Guess not. I think some of the extra work is a little over kill. I've painted on planes before, just repair work and I never did half the prep work and it turned out just fine. As long as there wasn't dirt or grease, it stuck. Anyway, I will read in the other forums and see what kind of arguing goes on at this site. Oh ya, do they prime just the ribs and internal structures or do they actually do the bottom of the skin as well? Is all that primer really necessary if you don't live or intend to fly along the coast with salty air? Just curious.

I started with Sherwin Williams P-60 but have switched to Dupont Vari-Prime because it looks much nicer to me. It offers only limited protection but is better than raw aluminum. With most surfaces being alclad that was good enough for me. Unless you are on the coast I don't see the need in all that primng except for parts made from aluminum angle and other extruded parts that are not alclad. My 1957 Cessna 172 was in great shape with no primer. you can always spray the insides of the wings and fuselage with corrosion protectant too. Except maybe because of resale value from an added value prospective I really don't see the point in priming every single piece.
As always, just my opinion and maybe mine alone.

NONE, run her naked.

Here's something to think about: How are you going to prime when it's 25 degrees out? I understand it sometimes gets that cold in Fargo. Got a warm place you can vent? Waiting for warm weather so I could prime has put my project on hold several times.

FWIW, Sherwin Williams makes a rattle can primer you can use down to 40 deg. or less. NAPA's primer looks identical.

Several issuses back in the RVator they reported on a test where they left test pieces outside under a stairway for several months, maybe a year. One was naked, one had a wash primer, I believe, and the third I think had an epoxy primer. At the end of the test period, where it rains 40-50 inches a year and is humid from late October thru April, they found light corrosion on the unprotected piece, none on the others. You gonna leave your plane out in the weather?

RScott said:

Here's something to think about: How are you going to prime when it's 25 degrees out? I understand it sometimes gets that cold in Fargo. Got a warm place you can vent? Waiting for warm weather so I could prime has put my project on hold several times.

FWIW, Sherwin Williams makes a rattle can primer you can use down to 40 deg. or less. NAPA's primer looks identical.

Several issuses back in the RVator they reported on a test where they left test pieces outside under a stairway for several months, maybe a year. One was naked, one had a wash primer, I believe, and the third I think had an epoxy primer. At the end of the test period, where it rains 40-50 inches a year and is humid from late October thru April, they found light corrosion on the unprotected piece, none on the others. You gonna leave your plane out in the weather?

Click to expand...

Well I would rather not prime any of it to tell you the truth but I just assumed that's what everyone did and I don't want to be the only one out there that doesn't. I do have a heated garage that I can prime in during the winter. For peace of mind I think I will atleast use a rattle can to start. If it doesn't hole up, or gets to costly, I'll just quit the priming. So its perfectly ok not to prime anything hu? Any idea what percentage of planes aren't primed? I was taught in A&P school that everything you spray on weighs lbs. Keep the weight down.

Just to help you out just a bit more. I talked with Bruce at Vans and he said the next airplane he builds will be with NO primer. Oh and your concern about flying into the coast area, if there are rain clouds in the area if you do, just fly close to them and let the natural water wash the aircraft off. Forget the prime, you'll get the aircraft done much faster. Check out the older cessna's they had none and 60 years later they're still ok and flying. To my knowledge none have crashed because they are not primed.

If you are into taking forever to get the plane done and you have nothing better to do, then by all means, prime away. Have fun if you decide to do so. And of course suck in some fumes, and enjoy.

Another approach to priming

One of our predecessor builders gave his priming philosophy on his website a year or two ago. I found his an interesting and pragmatic approach. He said the areas where corrosion "sneaks up" on owners is in the areas you can't see, where metal-to-metal surfaces are riveted or bolted or bonded. In those areas, accumulated moisture can't evaporate as readily, thus inviting corrosion over time. How many times have you heard, "Look in the wings of an old C-172 ... it's all shiny .. no corrosion there." Well sure, the areas you can see allow evaporation. As such, our "ancestral" builder decided he would prime only those surfaces that would end up bonded or riveted together ...which would drastically reduce the overall amount of priming, yet offer increased protection . I liked his philosophy so much, that's what I have done .. with rattle-can zinc chromate and zinc-oxide. Cheap, easy, and offering increased protection of the investment. IMHO. Saves a ton of time, too.

Rupester

one thing to remember, if there are two types of metal touching each other you NEED a barrier. I don't prime, I paint those areas. When I put my steps on I painted the inside area that goes in the plane with rustoleum then I put proseal between the step and the fuse, that way the rustoleum is seperated from the outside and then I'll do the prime and paint for final on the outside, step and fuse painted the same color.

Well if vans said no primer, that's as good as gold to me. No primer. Thanks for all the info and time saving advice. I'm sure I'll have more questions as we go along. Now just need the empanage to show up. I was tried calling the FAA today to let them know what I was going to do and see whats all involved on their part. They were all out of the office. Anybody got a quick answer as to when I get ahold of them and how involved they get with the project?

Take some pictures of YOU and the project through different stages. In the end you get a hold of the FAA. I don't think you need to tell them yet. I haven't and I'm doing the finish kit. If you know of a tech advisor through the Eaa have him or her come by and check your progress. Other than that, build away.