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dspender

Well Known Member
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I am ready to prime some parts of my 10 empennage to prevent corrosion. I plan to use a rattle can with self etching primer. However there are a number of parts which are smaller and would be difficult to hold as I spray them. I watched Brian Carpenter on an EAA tip for homebuilders demonstrate the Alodyne process with acid etching. This appears to be an easy process for these smaller parts. 1) will this work sufficiently to protect against corrosion on those parts that are difficult to spray 2) will the fact that some of the parts still have Alclad and other parts have been sanded free of Alclad due to deburring attempts affect the Alodyne process? Thank you.
 
One thing you can do for small parts is make a spray table which is nothing more than a open box frame with legs covered in coarse wire mesh. That will keeps the small parts from blowing around as you spray them.

Lots of opinions on priming techniques (do a search and you'll have days of reading to pour through). They didn't call'em primer wars for nothing.

For alodine to work, you have to remove the alclad layer hence the acid etch step. Essentially you are replacing one oxidation layer (the Alclad aluminum oxide layer) with a new one produced by the alodine chemical reaction. I learned this process:
1. Wash in Dawn to remove oils
2. Etch with Alumiprep
3. Alodine
4. Prime (if taking it all the way for max protection)

Not advocating pro or con as to whether to do or not do any of this, that's just the process.

FWIW, I started out on my emp by doing everything. By the time I got to the fuse I was wasn't doing any of it (exception: I'd spot prime with a rattle can a bad scratch and the like). Infer whatever you'd like from that.
 
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One note on this – If you Alodine – Then do not use a etch primer – Use a epoxy primer – Why ? - The Alodine will have etched into the alu surface .. hence using an etch primer on top of that is not the right combination – I was told this by a chemical guy in the paint lab at PPG here in UK ...
 
I picked up a damaged screen door at Lowes for $10. I covered one side with some plastic sheeting and when I need to prime parts I lay it across a couple sawhorse and place the parts on the screen and go to work. It stores up against the wall when not being used.

Rattle can works fine for the empennage, I did the same thing. When it comes to the rest of the parts though, shaking spray cans gets old, and expensive. I use AKZO primer in a HVLP spray gun and it works great. I don't wish to start primer wars episode 643, but I live near the ocean, so I will prime on.

Chris
 
priming table

I had several baby gates leftover from days with puppies. They are in the aviation (babies) section at Wally World. Cheap. I layed one over two sawhorses. One advantage is they adjust from about 2' to about 4'. It works great for small parts and even skins.
For primer, I really like Sherwin Williams in my HVLP gun.
 
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