Painting Windshield Interior

[CharlieWaffles]

I am about to install my windshield and have read about using black pigment to die the epoxy when doing the fiberglass lay up. But I'm thinking about voids and gaps that would stand out in contrast to the epoxy, plus it is unlikely that there is a way to ensure a uniform laydown. So I'm thinking of transferring the lay up line to the interior and then painting the interior surface with some black paint to mask the area. Has anyone else done this?

 

[Rupester]

Yup .... Sure did.

I think it looks great ... I ended up with a 1/2" of painted area above the final line of the laid-up Fairing. looks quite neat, IMHO.

 

[Pat Stewart]

That's the way I did it plus an extra 1 1/2 inches all the way around. Looks great.

 

[N15JB]

I painted the interior of my windscreen, but if I were doing it again I would tint the epoxy. One way to avoid voids is to paint a coat of tinted epoxy directly on the exterior of the windscreen just before you start laying up the layers of glass.

Jim Berry
RV-10

 

[aturner]

If you are clever enough to figure out the layup line before forming the fairing, painting the inside of the windshield before installation would be the best way to go. After installation, access to that area is difficult. I did it the hard way - after everything else was done. On my second attempt, krylon fusion worked well, laid on in many thin coats. Don't ask about the first attempt, but sanding it back off, with the difficult access, was a miserable job. You also want to paint the glareshield before installing the windshield.

 

[Auburntsts]

I went the tinted epoxy route, using it for every layup. It came out fine -- no voids or gaps. I'd do it the same way if I had to do it again. From the outside it looks like carbonfiber. Of course that's temporary as it will eventually get covered by micro as I fair it out, but it's too cold to do that now.

 

[9GT]

I tinted also with no problems.

 

[alpinelakespilot2000]

Tint only. Paint not at all necessary.

 

[rleffler]

Like Todd, Steve, and David, tinted epoxy when I laid up the fiberglass. No voids, looks great. I didn't find the need to paint. I'm sure I would have black paint everywhere if I attempted to paint.

 

[Pat Stewart]

I laid out the finished lines before bonding in the windshield. That allowed me to paint an extra 1 1/2 inches extra before installing. Looks just like a car windshield. Tinting the expoxy works as well, I did that on a previous build.

Pat

 

[9GT]

I laid out the finished lines before bonding in the windshield. That allowed me to paint an extra 1 1/2 inches extra before installing. Looks just like a car windshield. Tinting the expoxy works as well, I did that on a previous build.

Pat

So in effect you made the viewing area smaller?

 

[Pat Stewart]

Yes sir, now I can only see 99 percent but boy does it look good from the outside and you cannot see the trim around the head liner from the outside.

Pat

 

[paul330]

I am planning to make a fairing from leather off-cuts from my interior kit. Around the arch, I will fit a length of rubber P-extrusion to hide my less-than-expert glue filleting......