Blaine,
I am getting close to the painting stage on my 9A. Your paint job looks great. Can you tell me what you are using for "color sanded" and cut and buff, to get it to the gloss you have?
Thanks,
Mark Donahue
This thread;
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=60631&highlight=cut+buff
I used the 3M products. Found a great buffer at Northern Tools. Their house brand "Clutch". Soft start, comes with bonnets, sale was about $89.
I didn't plan on color sanding but closer inspection I had some ugly orange peel.
If you haven't found this link I learned a few things there;
http://www.mnwing.org/N32SEPaint.pdf
My setup is almost a duplicate of what he did. I'll share a couple of lessons. Don't use plastic on the floor. Paint won't stick to it and peels off and becomes airborne contamination. Going to replace with painters paper dropcloth.
Turn fan off before entering or exiting paint booth. Carport/Booth has zippered doorway. When opening it sucks whatever contamination there is outside of the doorway back in. Let air equilize for a few seconds.
Tyvek shoot suite, Hobbyaire, case of latex gloves, clean slippers for the booth. Don't track **** in your work boots. This whole outfit had a fringe benefit; the wife couldn't even smell that I had been painting when I came in the house. And no chemical headaches indicating that you've killed off braincells.
Compression sprayer with water and a drop or 2 of dish soap. Spray the floor, and around the doorway on the outside.
Buy as many lights as you can afford, fit, have power for, etc. Even moveable spotlights will help. Since painting irregular parts means moving around it seems I always had a shadow in the spray pattern. You think you see the overlap and know where your going until you move to another angle then you see the dry spot or curtain, etc. I learned to paint things outdoors. This whole booth gig is a lesson.
We have to use low VOC paint which I also hadn't used before. This sprays different then the old Urathanes. Still getting the hang of it.
I oriented all parts horizontal to minimize curtains (runs).
Buffed the wingtips today and realized I got thrifty with the paint on the edges. Next time (!?) I'll hose it on those areas. It requires a light touch when sanding around the tip edges. Even with 1500 on the DA it will cut fast if only in contact with 1/8" sharp tip edge.
And a tidbit I learned from a car painter; I asked him how I could smooth out my strokes. "Simple-a shot or 2 of Jack Daniels before you start"
Mark, I didn't mean to ramble on.