What's new
Van's Air Force

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

Primer mistake

donoltman

Active Member
I primed my rudder parts yesterday with P6OG2 wash primer. Today, in preparation for riveting I discovered that I had actually primed the outside of one of my skins. What an idiot. Do I need to order a new skin or will the shop that eventually paints the airplane be able to deal with wash primer on the skin and still get the paint to work? I can't believe how easy it it to make mistakes in the beginning when you're a rookie.
Don
 
promote adhesion

Frankly, I don't see the problem. According to this document, the wash primer will promote adhesion. Nevertheless, let the painter know what you used. Better yet, take the bottle with you.

Barry

A. Wash primers are water-thin coatings of phosphoric acid in solutions of vinyl butyral resin, alcohol and other ingredients. They are generally applied to give a dry film thickness of 0.3-0.5 mils (8-13 microns). The purpose of wash primers is to passivate steel and galvanized surfaces before applying a full bodied primer. Their functions are to passivate the surface and temporarily provide corrosion resistance, and they are used to provide an adhesive base for the next coating. Sometimes, wash primers are also applied to aluminum and other metals to enhance adhesion of the next coats of paint. When treating aluminum and other difficult-to-paint metals, wash primers are often specially formulated so that there is no excess un-reacted acid on the surface after is has been applied.
 
Mr. Nomad makes an excellent point. When I did some priming on the wing of the -12 I used a primer that was not compatable with the paint system the painter was going to use. It was not a huge deal, but it had to be removed and slowed us down by a day. I assisted in painting so I got to remove it.

Make sure you talk to your painter, or paint supply people to make sure you use compatible products on your build.
 
Back
Top