Quickbuild fuselage and interior paint

[RScott]

Craig,

Before you use window cleaner again, you might want to check for ammonia. As I understand it ammonia can corrode aluminum.

[APilot4Fun]

Thanks to all.
I'm going to check out what I can get locally in a quality rattle can primer and paint like the PPG Brian suggests. Anyone have an idea of just how many cans it takes to cover all interior surfaces?

Jeff's rotating fuselage stand is cool. I think I'll flip my fuselage over and wash the exterior so the water runs out rather than filling the interior. I just don't know if a power washer is called for in this case but, I may feel differently if I owned such an item.

Scotchbrite on the interior surfaces should be like the empennage parts I did. Think a wash afterwards with dilute Alumiprep (from a spray bottle) before the interior paint is overkill? I know some like white gas or acetone and it just wipes on and dries in a second or two but I kinda like the way Alumiprep works and leaves a brite clean surface.

I felt OK using the cheep window cleaner I used on the very small area I cleaned as the cleaner couldn't clean a window all too well. I think it was mostly blue water. I sprayed it on a paper towel and tried to remove a small patch of the oily film and it came right off with ease.

It will be a bit before I get to working on all of this but the more I get figured out beforehand, the easier it will be to get to work when the time comes. Thanks again to all so far.

-Craig

[TShort]

I would be careful washing the inside of the QB with anything like alumiprep - it is an acid and will likely get trapped between riveted layers and be difficult to wash out. This could cause corrosion down the road.

I plan to clean the oil off the outside with acetone or MEK and a bunch of rags. Don't know for sure what I'm going to do on the interior.

[rv8ch]

Originally Posted by RV_7A

...Once installed on my rotating fuselage stand I moved it into the driveway, mixed up some Dawn detergent in my 50 gallon trash can and fed my pressure washer from it. I blasted every square inch of the fuselage inside and out, right side up and upside down. It dried in about 30 minutes in the sun. There is no oils residue anywhere....

This is what I would do if I could do it again. I spent a lot of time cleaning the interior with a shop vac before I painted and so did my local car paint shop, but when the paint was sprayed inside the cockpit dust and debris flew everywhere. 90% of it will be covered up, but a good power washing is a great way to go.

[dypen]

Originally Posted by rv8ch

This is what I would do if I could do it again. I spent a lot of time cleaning the interior with a shop vac before I painted and so did my local car paint shop, but when the paint was sprayed inside the cockpit dust and debris flew everywhere. 90% of it will be covered up, but a good power washing is a great way to go.

Is this the way to clean interior and exterior you recommend?

[RhodeIsland9]

I wiped down the interior with alcohol (didn't want to remove the wash primer, just clean it). Light scuff with scotch brite pad. Vac and wipe down again. Epoxy prime and paint.

I've never been a fan of rattle cans for anything other than very small jobs.
HVLP spray guns are fairly inexpensive these days and you might even save money over rattle cans in the long run.

For the exterior wipe throughly with MEK. Wash with a mild detergent like Dawn, let dry and then prep as you would normaly would for your paint system.

[rv8gibbo]

Take your fuse outside, hose it out, mix up a bucket of warm soapy water and scrub down the entire inside with a scotch brite pad & the soapy water, hose out allow to dry then wipe in down with a lint free rag & wax and grease remover! If you don't rub down the entire surface properly with a scotch pad the paint will not etch to the surface and will peal off.

Regards
Gibbo

[longline]

I discovered that the company that produces the SEM primer has another product line, or two. One caters to the auto repair trade. When I called the tech rep at SEM he pointed out that SEM primer will not stand up to UV, nor is it robust enough for use as a top coat. He steered me towards a product that is designed to go over aluminum and stainless steel, without primer. Apparently it is a self etching top coat when applied to aluminum. Lots of colors to choose from...
My project was well past quick build when I go it, so I ripped out everything in the interior, covered the windshield, cleaned the interior (big PITA, that) and used 2.5 cans of the product to get back to aft of the baggage area. It has held up nicely under the abuse of the continuing build.
If anyone is interested in the product line I will get the information when I get back to the hangar in a day or so.

[N62XS]

Originally Posted by Ironflight

Paint - I'm a slacker - rattle can primer and finish for the entire interior - much of which then was covered with fabric eventually.

Enjoy the journey!

Paul

My 8 was a quickbuild. Simple prep and spray with PPG polyurethane. No issues with Factory boat crud, but expensive compared to rattle can. I'm with Paul 1000%. On my 6A slowbuild, prep, clean, primed with Marhyde rattle can and sprayed with Cardinal custom mixed rattle can. New 6 slowbuild interior, currently under construction, is getting rattle can again. Sam Buchanan has the best philosophy on these things. Check his page out.

[rv9builder]

Originally Posted by longline

If anyone is interested in the product line I will get the information when I get back to the hangar in a day or so.

I'd like to know what product you used. Sounds like a good solution.
Thanks,