interior painting costs

tonyjohnson · #1 01-27-2006, 04:53 PM

I just had the interior of my 8A painted. I supplied the paint. The painter had to sandblast the "powder coat" off the roll bar, seat back weldment, gear mounts, and some other pieces. They sprayed a coat of primer over the existing old coat and applied a coat of PPG.

The bill was $1445!!! Along with the cost of the paint and primer that makes the total cost about $1800 !!!!

In retrospect two words are running around inside my head......rattle can!

I would be interested in knowing how much the rest of you guys paid to have the interior of your planes painted. Those of you who are considering having someone else paint the interior should be aware of the cost in making your decision. I should have probably set an upper limit on the cost with the painter before he began...it was my bad for not doing so.

robertahegy · #2 01-27-2006, 05:56 PM

I think the cost of painting my interior was less than $10.00. Rustoleum Accents Rattlecan.

And it still looks great after two years.

Roberta

Ironflight · #3 01-27-2006, 06:19 PM

Now Roberta, you're REALLY going to make him feel bad!!!

I'll be kinder - I bet mine cost TWICE what Roberta paid - maybe even THREE TIMES!!

(Rattle cans....Home Depot...)

Paul

tonyjohnson · #4 01-27-2006, 06:57 PM

Perhaps we should have a forum for "stupid mistakes in planning and building". Other builders could learn from the mistakes of others who are willing to fess up to really stupid decisions.

I will be the first to wear the dunce cap.

I could have paid for my catto prop, or my emag/pmag setup, or a lot of other things with the money I spent on my interior paint, after deducting the cost of some rattle cans.

N62XS · #5 01-27-2006, 08:30 PM

Tony:

I had mine done at a local body shop with PPG concepts the paint was $70 and the shop charge $250 for prep and spray. I had my canopy bow drilled, welded in 5/16" handles and powder coated for $80.

I'd ask for a partial refund.

Robby

mark manda · #6 01-27-2006, 08:46 PM

20-- 30 hrs. labor. Expensive paint supplies.

How's it look? And it will last.

Captain Avgas · #7 01-27-2006, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tonyjohnson

I just had the interior of my 8A painted. I supplied the paint. The painter had to sandblast the "powder coat" off the roll bar, seat back weldment, gear mounts, and some other pieces. They sprayed a coat of primer over the existing old coat and applied a coat of PPG.

The bill was $1445!!! Along with the cost of the paint and primer that makes the total cost about $1800 !!!!

In retrospect two words are running around inside my head......rattle can!

I would be interested in knowing how much the rest of you guys paid to have the interior of your planes painted. Those of you who are considering having someone else paint the interior should be aware of the cost in making your decision. I should have probably set an upper limit on the cost with the painter before he began...it was my bad for not doing so.

Presumably the PPG is a two pack polyurethane paint and it will perform infinitely better in the long run than a single pack product from a spray can. The trouble with using cheap paints on the interior is that if they do not perform well it will be a nightmare to get them off and start again. You've done the right thing.....your only mistake was not getting a firm quotation before you let the contractor start. Always a fatal move. You either get ripped off or you end up in a major argument. Let's not get confused between paint quality and bad subcontract management.

rv8ch · #8 01-28-2006, 02:11 AM

I had my interior painted by a pro, and it will cost me in the 4 figure range, but my guy didn't do a very good job. I think the real problem was the QB wash primer, which I tried to wipe down as much as possible. He put AKZO 2-pack epoxy down, then a light grey top coat. It scratches easily, right down to the metal. I'm just touching up with a rattle can. I know how you feel!

tonyjohnson · #9 01-28-2006, 05:54 AM

Mark,

It looks good. I have no idea how long it will last. There are already some small nicks, for instance on the rudder pedal weldment.

Hard Knox seems to have gotten the best deal on a pro paint job. I think that auto paint shops may be the ticket if you want to go pro. If his vendor was in my area and I had known about him I would have used him. Perhaps that is another idea for a data base here.

The main lesson seems to be as Bob suggests, to make sure you know the maximum bill before the work begins. That applies to all work, not just paint.

mhflyit · #10 01-28-2006, 10:34 AM

I reached the internal paint stage just as Paul Dye posted his painting secrets - wow I was lucky with this timing. So I am now using Home Depot Rustoleum, Light Industrial Gray w/their primer. I used a Sherwin Williams rattle can primer for the tail which cost twice as much as the Rustoleum (both low cost)

I've sprayed the internal loose panels and baked them (250deg for 3 hrs in the oven) - my wife is understanding! They have slight orange peel if I wiggle the parts in light, but at arms length and 45degs which is the typical test for cosmetic painted parts such as those on vacuum cleaners, Xerox machines etc its indistinguishable. I test sprayed an internal side panel and that looks good after a few hours of curing.

All in all I am extremely pleased with the color, apparent toughness (from regular handling only at this point), ease of application (use the plastic spray gun attachment- <$5) and cost. This technique lets you keep on building and creates a professional look.

Paul Dye - thank you

Matt Hurley

8QB - fuse/wings