Paint ?

[JG3]

10 hours ago, skippydiesel said:

Great! At last someone responds with real/recent experience. Thank JG3.

 

Any chance of some photos?

Why did you choose this particular paint? 

What are you painting on to metal/composite/fabric/wood 

Oh! & I could do with some idea of your your methodology: ie spray gun type & nozzle, pressure settings, number of coats, temperature, mix by weight or volume, etc

First of all I'm not an expert painter by any standard. Painted several cars and several aircraft, with variable results but mostly very satisfactory.

Not trying to make 'show pony' standard, just good utility finish. Minimum weight and reasonable cost.

If you want porcelain gloss finish then use 2-pack, with the down-side of more weight, higher cost, and difficult to touch-up in future.

 

This is the paint that the local auto paint store carries, and I found it excellent.

Painting aluminium. Over etch primer.

Spray gun is an old, much-used Devilbis. Don't know the nozzle size.

At about 40psi.

I just fill the pot to about half then add some hardener, not measured, but not the full 4:1 ratio. Plenty hard enough with less chance of cracking.

Then add enamel thinners to suit. That's hard to explain but dip a stirrer and watch the paint flow off it. Steady stream slows to drip fairly soon after lifting out of the paint. If the steady stream persists then it needs more thinner; if it drips almost straight away then it's too thin....

Try it on the shed wall and set up to a good pattern spread and good paint flow.  It's not all as critical as many instructions imply, just experiment a bit and then start on out of the way areas to get the hang of it. Multi-coloured tests on the shed wall leave memories of previous paint jobs.

First one light coat, not necessarily just a mist coat, 10 minutes, then a good wet coat, 10 minutes, and then a final wet coat should be enough. No need for more than necessary.

 

Wishing you good luck with your efforts.

 

Just the lower portion of the cowling new paint. 

 

[skippydiesel]

Great job JG3.

 

I have an addendum to my original question; I want to paint an all metal aircraft (no real problems here) however it is fitted with a number of composite bits (cowling/tail & stabiliser/tail ends, wheel fairings). Would the "brains trust undercoat these, UV susceptible, parts with a UV resistant undercoat? If so what brand would you suggest?

[kgwilson]

I used Hi-Chem etch primer on all metal and fibreglass/composite parts. Thin till it runs off a stick in a continuous steam, no blobs & spray with a HVLP gun at around 24 psi. Perfect for both. Dries fast and is a smooth finish with no runs. Top coat is Industrial quality Dulux Luxathane 2 pack & Dulux FX metalic 2 pack.

[skippydiesel]

Kg - so no specially "treatment" for glass/composited bits. Was this an oversight or intentional?

[kgwilson]

The pre treatment of both aluminium and fibreglass & composites is with Prekote. I don't know what was used before this came along but with alloy it was Alodine which is one of a number of chromate conversion processes to chemically alter the surface of the alloy to prevent corrosion. The main problem is it is highly toxic and banned in many places now.

 

Prekote is non toxic and applied with scotchbrite pads. It foams up & is washed off with water. When the rinse water fully films the surface (no webbing) it is ready for priming which must be within 24 hours. Prekote is used in the aerospace industry on commercial and military aircraft. It creates a better surface for paint adhesion on both alloy & composites than chromate conversion does on aluminium. I still have a litre  of it. I bought a US gallon (3.8 litres) & probably used 2 1/2 litres on the entire aircraft.

 

The Application & MSDS sheets are attached. Magic stuff & smells nice too.

prekote_aircraft_application_procedures.pdf prekote_msds_sds.pdf

[skippydiesel]

Sounds/reads like its a top notch treatment.

 

My aircraft has been treated using Desoto 51x319 on external surfaces and Alodine BMS 10-11 internal. Finish coat , yet to be decided, but probably Glasurit 68

 

BUT

 

Composite bits are as supplied by Sonex (untreated) - should I do a UV resistant undercoat befor applying finish coat?