Painting an Airplane

[SteveB63]

TL;DR: I'm painting an airplane. I need help figuring which equipment and paint to buy, and some tips on technique.


I know this isn't the kind of thing that's normally posted here, but I've actually found more useful information on vehicle painting in this forum than anywhere else. What I'm painting is a lot like a car, it just... has wings. If nothing else, this could be very entertaining for you guys.

I have an airplane that needs painting. As in, there's missing paint all over it. It needs to be painted for corrosion resistance, but in the process I also want to make it look better. Most airplane owners are loaded and would just pay somebody $25k to do it for them, but that ain't me.

My standards aren't exactly high. I want the colors (white on top, red on bottom) to be solid and have a clean line between them. I need the paint to be smooth for aerodynamic purposes. Shiny would be a bonus. Showroom perfect is not necessary - anything would be an upgrade from what I have right now. Wet sanding between/after coats is not a problem.

I've never painted with a HVLP sprayer before, but do have a little experience touching up cars (read: rattle cans only). I'm very mechanically inclined and am usually pretty good at picking up new things like this quickly, so I'm hoping that will be the case here as well.

I've already purchased a 3M full-face respirator and appropriate filters. I've also got the yellow 3M masking tape and blue fine line tape, as well as tape with plastic already on it. I have a 26 gallon 5.5HP 9.9 CFM air compressor. I don't have the cash to spend on something bigger, but could purchase a receiver tank or something if needed.

I don't have a gun or any accessories. I keep reading that the Harbor Freight purple gun would be perfect for my needs and is more or less disposable, so that's what I'm considering. I'm doing my research, but haven't yet figured out exactly what else I need with it.

I also need some advice on what kind of auto paint to get - I want something simple that won't require a lot of extra coats or a more complicated process. Again, my standards aren't high, so simplicity beats something that will take a lot more work but only look 10% better. I'd love to be able to complete the process over the course of a few days, but I'm seeing a lot of things about not taking too long of a break between coats or between base and clear.

The biggest complication is that I can't move or disassemble the plane. So I'll be painting at all angles, including while underneath it with only about 18" of clearance. I've seen videos of people using the purple gun to spray upside down, but I haven't yet figured out how they're doing it.

I have removed any flaking or chipping paint, and sanded all the edges down to give it as smooth a base as possible. Stripping the plane is not an option, unfortunately. I've also primed all bare metal with a rattle can zinc phosphate primer to prevent corrosion (very important in aviation). It sanded down nice and smooth with some wet 2000-grit sandpaper.

Feel free to give me a hard time - I'm definitely taking on a big job and am not quite ready for it. But any helpful information you can give along with that ribbing would be greatly appreciated.



*For any of you who may be familiar with planes and FAA regulations about painting them: I am following all required rules & regulations while doing this. It's being done under the supervision of an A&P, and will be properly checked out & signed off. I've left out some of that information above for the sake of brevity & clarity.

 

[whateg01]

*For any of you who may be familiar with planes and FAA regulations about painting them: I am following all required rules & regulations while doing this. It's being done under the supervision of an A&P, and will be properly checked out & signed off. I've left out some of that information above for the sake of brevity & clarity.

Not being a smart ***, but what advice does the a&p have?

 

[GeoBruin]

Sounds like a cool project. I'm sure you'll get some help here.

@dnschmidt might have some good recommendations on a paint gun that will work with your compressor.

 

[SteveB63]

Not being a smart ***, but what advice does the a&p have?

Not at all. It's a very valid question.

He's been an A&P for decades, and gave me some great advice (what can & can't be painted, what would need to be removed & re-balanced if it's painted, don't sand the rivets, etc.). But he's not a painter, and was clear about that (in the same way that your average auto mechanic would have limited experience painting cars).

 

[dnschmidt]

How do you not sand the rivets? You’re using P800 so very little metal, basically none, will be removed from the rivets. Also paint will not stick to 2000 grit scratches. 800 grit used on an interface pad on a DA sander is the normal for pre-paint preparation so that the paint has something to stick to. I recommend Sunmight film discs as they are much cheaper than the 3M 260L For paint I would recommend single stage urethane over base clear if you’re using non-metallic paint as you'll need only half as much effort since you're putting down both your color and clearcoat at the same time. Fine line tape between the colors for a sharp edge. The gun is going to be an issue as none actually spray upside down. What enables you to spray upside down is a bladder system like the 3M PPS 1.0 or 2.0, or the hundreds of copies of PPS 1.0 now available since the PPS 1.0 went off of patent and 3M has moved on to PPS 2.0. I personally use the DeVilbiss Dekups system which is basically the same thing. I’d use the ASTRO blue Euro-Pro gun as it’s both cheap and very high quality. Your compressor is the absolute bare minimum needed and you’re going to have to take breaks to enable it to keep up. A good filter regulator is mandatory as water and paint don’t do well together. Paint a section at a time.

 

[Chipm]

Good advice above from people with more experience painting, so I'll share advice on the mental side: i once met a facility manager at a factory who painted old Porsches on the side. I told him I would never have the guts to try for fear of ruining the car. He replied, in a very cool German accent, that you "just go to work sanding and painting. If you get it wrong, remove it and try again."

Have fun and post pics.

 

[zendriver]

TL;DR: I'm painting an airplane. I need help figuring which equipment and paint to buy, and some tips on technique.


I know this isn't the kind of thing that's normally posted here, but I've actually found more useful information on vehicle painting in this forum than anywhere else. What I'm painting is a lot like a car, it just... has wings. If nothing else, this could be very entertaining for you guys.

I have an airplane that needs painting. As in, there's missing paint all over it. It needs to be painted for corrosion resistance, but in the process I also want to make it look better. Most airplane owners are loaded and would just pay somebody $25k to do it for them, but that ain't me.

My standards aren't exactly high. I want the colors (white on top, red on bottom) to be solid and have a clean line between them. I need the paint to be smooth for aerodynamic purposes. Shiny would be a bonus. Showroom perfect is not necessary - anything would be an upgrade from what I have right now. Wet sanding between/after coats is not a problem.

I've never painted with a HVLP sprayer before, but do have a little experience touching up cars (read: rattle cans only). I'm very mechanically inclined and am usually pretty good at picking up new things like this quickly, so I'm hoping that will be the case here as well.

I've already purchased a 3M full-face respirator and appropriate filters. I've also got the yellow 3M masking tape and blue fine line tape, as well as tape with plastic already on it. I have a 26 gallon 5.5HP 9.9 CFM air compressor. I don't have the cash to spend on something bigger, but could purchase a receiver tank or something if needed.

I don't have a gun or any accessories. I keep reading that the Harbor Freight purple gun would be perfect for my needs and is more or less disposable, so that's what I'm considering. I'm doing my research, but haven't yet figured out exactly what else I need with it.

I also need some advice on what kind of auto paint to get - I want something simple that won't require a lot of extra coats or a more complicated process. Again, my standards aren't high, so simplicity beats something that will take a lot more work but only look 10% better. I'd love to be able to complete the process over the course of a few days, but I'm seeing a lot of things about not taking too long of a break between coats or between base and clear.

The biggest complication is that I can't move or disassemble the plane. So I'll be painting at all angles, including while underneath it with only about 18" of clearance. I've seen videos of people using the purple gun to spray upside down, but I haven't yet figured out how they're doing it.

I have removed any flaking or chipping paint, and sanded all the edges down to give it as smooth a base as possible. Stripping the plane is not an option, unfortunately. I've also primed all bare metal with a rattle can zinc phosphate primer to prevent corrosion (very important in aviation). It sanded down nice and smooth with some wet 2000-grit sandpaper.

Feel free to give me a hard time - I'm definitely taking on a big job and am not quite ready for it. But any helpful information you can give along with that ribbing would be greatly appreciated.



*For any of you who may be familiar with planes and FAA regulations about painting them: I am following all required rules & regulations while doing this. It's being done under the supervision of an A&P, and will be properly checked out & signed off. I've left out some of that information above for the sake of brevity & clarity.

Don't aircraft require specialized paint?

 

[Old tool guy]

Don't aircraft require specialized paint?

The best is that rare anti-gravity paint.

 

[johninct]

Your primer is now too smooth , scuff it up with some 600 grit. Also, you are going to find out if your rattle can primer is compatible with your paint. I would use Imron 3:1.

 

[dnschmidt]

No, the best airplane paint is Dupont Imron polyurethane which will kill you in a minute without an air supplied hood but normal automotive paints work just fine.

 

[Airframer]

Per part 43 app A, painting is considered preventive maintenance, which should allow you, the aircraft owner/pilot, to sign off. Weight and balance/flight controls will be through your AMT friend.

Where are you located?

I've been in aircraft paint (commercial and military) for a couple decades, feel free to pm me any questions.

 

[CJM8515]

that compressor aint gonna cut it. you need a 60 gallon at least. the issue isnt so much the cfm but the small tank. maybe adding an extra tank helps but i doubt it. maybe look into a lvlp gun?

 

[mrbill55]

Per part 43 app A, painting is considered preventive maintenance, which should allow you, the aircraft owner/pilot, to sign off. Weight and balance/flight controls will be through your AMT friend.

Where are you located?

I've been in aircraft paint (commercial and military) for a couple decades, feel free to pm me any questions.

Talk to him about weights and airframe balance, then talk him in to better safety equipment, PLEASE!!!!!

Bill S.

PS: Yeah, I've done a few

 

[dnschmidt]

A good turbine setup might be viable for what you want to do but a good one (four or five stage turbine) is a thousand bucks.

https://www.amazon.com/Fuji-2805-T75G-Mini-Mite-Gravity-System/dp/B01B9X3GKW?tag=atomicindus08-20

You're not going to get the finish possible with a SATA or an Iwata professional gun but for what you're asking for it will definitely work.

 

[SteveB63]

How do you not sand the rivets? You’re using P800 so very little metal, basically none, will be removed from the rivets. Also paint will not stick to 2000 grit scratches. 800 grit used on an interface pad on a DA sander is the normal for pre-paint preparation so that the paint has something to stick to. I recommend Sunmight film discs as they are much cheaper than the 3M 260L For paint I would recommend single stage urethane over base clear if you’re using non-metallic paint as you'll need only half as much effort since you're putting down both your color and clearcoat at the same time. Fine line tape between the colors for a sharp edge. The gun is going to be an issue as none actually spray upside down. What enables you to spray upside down is a bladder system like the 3M PPS 1.0 or 2.0, or the hundreds of copies of PPS 1.0 now available since the PPS 1.0 went off of patent and 3M has moved on to PPS 2.0. I personally use the DeVilbiss Dekups system which is basically the same thing. I’d use the ASTRO blue Euro-Pro gun as it’s both cheap and very high quality. Your compressor is the absolute bare minimum needed and you’re going to have to take breaks to enable it to keep up. A good filter regulator is mandatory as water and paint don’t do well together. Paint a section at a time.

Lots of good info here. I'll try to respond to all of it, and everyone else's too.

So there are lots of horror stories of people accidentally sanding too much of the rivets off of their planes when sanding them down, and turning them into a pile of scrap. I've only seen one in person, but it was a 7-figure turboprop that's now worth nothing. I don't know exactly "how much is too much", so my rule has been that if I'm sanding paint, I can use high grit sandpaper, but if I'm hitting bare metal, I switch to scotchbrite/scuff pads. Finding out I took a little too much off is not something I want to do a mile or two off the ground.

From what I had read, single stage seemed like what I was looking for. I was considering going metallic red - is that not available as a single stage paint?

I see that there are various ASTRO blue guns - the model numbers seem to be EUROHE10#, where # is the tip size? Which size would you recommend for a single stage urethane? And it looks like I would probably need the DeKUPS starter kit?

I definitely want to paint a section at a time and take a break between them while the compressor catches up. Would I be wise to get a receiver tank to up my volume a little?

Any recommendations on the filter?

No, the best airplane paint is Dupont Imron polyurethane which will kill you in a minute without an air supplied hood but normal automotive paints work just fine.

That's pretty much what I had heard. Are there any particular automotive paints that you recommend? Something nice looking, but easy to apply and forgiving?

Thanks for all your help. You obviously know a lot, and I'm here to learn, so I really appreciate it.

 

[SteveB63]

Don't aircraft require specialized paint?

My understanding is that planes that go higher and faster do need specialized paint, but 120mph bug smashers like this one that will never go over 10,000' won't endure anything more extreme than a car that lives outside year-round.

 

[SteveB63]

Per part 43 app A, painting is considered preventive maintenance, which should allow you, the aircraft owner/pilot, to sign off. Weight and balance/flight controls will be through your AMT friend.

Where are you located?

I've been in aircraft paint (commercial and military) for a couple decades, feel free to pm me any questions.

Again, I was a little overly simple in my initial post for the sake of brevity and clarity. You are, of course, 100% correct. I do like to consult an A&P before I dive into anything I've never attempted before, but his sign-off will only be required if/when we work on balanced control surfaces.

I'll definitely send you a PM a little later on (busy day today). I'd love any advice you can give me.

 

[gtae07]

FWIW automotive urethanes have been used quite successfully on homebuilts.

I can't paint for **** and quite frankly I'm scared of them from a toxicity standpoint so I'll probably wind up paying someone to paint mine eventually.

 

[SteveB63]

that compressor aint gonna cut it. you need a 60 gallon at least. the issue isnt so much the cfm but the small tank. maybe adding an extra tank helps but i doubt it. maybe look into a lvlp gun?

My (very limited) understanding is that lvlp was less beginner-friendly. I'm not sure exactly what makes it that way. Is that an accurate statement, or do I have some bad info?

I can grab an 11-gallon receiver tank easily, but I'll have to look a little more if I need something bigger than that. I don't plan on painting the whole thing in one go, if that makes a difference. I'm really not sure what to expect as far as performance (sq. ft or minutes) per tank fill with my 26 gallon.

 

[SteveB63]

Talk to him about weights and airframe balance, then talk him in to better safety equipment, PLEASE!!!!!

Bill S.

PS: Yeah, I've done a few

Any recommendations on better safety equipment? I had read that most people used a respirator for automotive paints. Of course, most people could be idiots, or it could be a different type of paint. As I say whenever I have to pay for maintenance on my plane, "I don't want to spend more than I have to, but I really do like being alive." If I need better equipment to continue to be alive, so be it.

 

[SteveB63]

A good turbine setup might be viable for what you want to do but a good one (four or five stage turbine) is a thousand bucks.

https://www.amazon.com/Fuji-2805-T75G-Mini-Mite-Gravity-System/dp/B01B9X3GKW?tag=atomicindus08-20

You're not going to get the finish possible with a SATA or an Iwata professional gun but for what you're asking for it will definitely work.

That's quite a chunk of change. Is the difference in performance significant vs the setup I have right now and the EuroPro gun?

 

[dnschmidt]

The Euro-Pro when used properly will give a better finish than the turbine but will put out a lot more overspray if run at 29 PSIG is it should be. If you paint in sections you'll get away with your compressor. If you try to do too much at one time you'll pay a price in runs.

 

[mrbill55]

Any recommendations on better safety equipment? I had read that most people used a respirator for automotive paints. Of course, most people could be idiots, or it could be a different type of paint. As I say whenever I have to pay for maintenance on my plane, "I don't want to spend more than I have to, but I really do like being alive." If I need better equipment to continue to be alive, so be it.

That's quite a chunk of change. Is the difference in performance significant vs the setup I have right now and the EuroPro gun?

The equipment you need starts with a 3M 6000 series respirator, then a Tyvek, 1 piece paint suit with hood assembly. Both of these items are minimum requirements when spraying Polyurethane paint and etch type primers. I say this as what you are spraying out can be absorbed through your skin, and eventually will kill you.
Next, your choice of compressor is too small, you did not mention any desiccant/filtration equipment to make certain there is no water/oil contaminants in the air supplied to your paint gun. While we are on the subject of paint guns, your $99.95 Astro gun will not offer you enough control to properly lay paint on your plane. You really need an electrostatic spray gun for laying out a controlled mixture of paint product of your choice, mixed with clean, dry, cool air. We have yet to talk about solvent pop, comparable materials, your spot priming vs overall priming, the layers of original paint, your initial primer, your sealer, then your topcoat(s) of actual paint. These are all things that you need to known and understand before you attempt to spray your plane. Check with the original manufacturer of yours, as they will have specifications for minimum and maximum coats of material. It is not as easy as painting a car, and again, in your case, the last thing you want to find out is that your wings, which are already 100lbs too heavy due to your repaint, now have an additional 300-400lbs of ice building up on them at 10,000 feet, or you hit severe wind shear at the same time. Again, every ounce, let alone every pound makes a difference when you are cruising through the air, and any shortcuts you decide to take, might just be the difference between life and death, or you having to use your newly installed ballistic parachute system.....I think you get where I'm coming from, if not, then you need to discuss with more qualified folks than you are here with me.........


Further questions, let me know.


Bill S.

 

[dnschmidt]

Lots of good info here. I'll try to respond to all of it, and everyone else's too.

So there are lots of horror stories of people accidentally sanding too much of the rivets off of their planes when sanding them down, and turning them into a pile of scrap. I've only seen one in person, but it was a 7-figure turboprop that's now worth nothing. I don't know exactly "how much is too much", so my rule has been that if I'm sanding paint, I can use high grit sandpaper, but if I'm hitting bare metal, I switch to scotchbrite/scuff pads. Finding out I took a little too much off is not something I want to do a mile or two off the ground.

From what I had read, single stage seemed like what I was looking for. I was considering going metallic red - is that not available as a single stage paint?

I see that there are various ASTRO blue guns - the model numbers seem to be EUROHE10#, where # is the tip size? Which size would you recommend for a single stage urethane? And it looks like I would probably need the DeKUPS starter kit?

I definitely want to paint a section at a time and take a break between them while the compressor catches up. Would I be wise to get a receiver tank to up my volume a little?

Any recommendations on the filter?




That's pretty much what I had heard. Are there any particular automotive paints that you recommend? Something nice looking, but easy to apply and forgiving?

Thanks for all your help. You obviously know a lot, and I'm here to learn, so I really appreciate it.

For single stage the 1.5mm is good as single stage is thicker than basecoat/clearcoat. NO YOU DON'T WANT TO TRY METALLIC'S IN SINGLE STAGE ESPECIALLY AS A ROOKIE as it will look like ****. Any decent filter/dryer/regulator should work unless you live in a very humid area. I live in the desert so water in my lines is not an issue for me as typically relative humidity is about 25%. You will sand until the end of time with P800 and never affect a rivet. What you've seeing is somebody trying to strip a plane with 60 grit and that will certainly remove metal. Using a red or gray Scotchbrite pad and a sanding paste such as Presta makes is an excellent alternative to sanding with paper. Particularly on hard to reach areas. Sanding paste is sort of like Comet cleanser as it contains abrasives in soap. All your trying to do is matte the surface so that the paint will stick.

 

[IRQVET]

I've painted a lot of aircraft, provided you don't need to pop rivet and replace any damaged panels, it's a pretty straight forward project just on a larger scale. Obviously with aircraft you cannot use body fillers/ Bondo due to the weight distribution issues it can cause with aircraft that you can get away with-with cars.

Now keep in mind what I'm about to tell you might not be the greenest way to do things, I worked at a commercial aircraft paint shop- and this is just how "we" did it. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way. . .

Depending on your state and their regulations, that's what will dictate what you can buy and ultimately use. Our paint shop was in California, and we were one of two shops that had the grandfathered rights to use the products we did. But that is also why most people would fly across the state just have their plane painted by us.

Stripping: We used MEK in backpack sprayers, and once the paint began bubbling, we hit it with high pressure water sprayers to remove the old paint.

Prep: Most of the paint the MEK couldn't remove were around the rivets. So you're going to spend a ton of time with a rotary wheel/ brush getting into all those areas. (Ever count how many rivets are on an aircraft?) You're going to spend a lot of time during this part of the process. They the body of the aircraft gets hit with a DA and 220 grit.

Paint: We exclusively used Dupont Enron primer and their single stage paints. I've painted cars with left over paint we had from aircraft projects. I watched people wreck those cars, and the paint flexed with the damage and didn't chip away or crack. That stuff adheres to the surface like iron. As a painter, you can't really compare it any other product I've ever used. But with that said, make sure you are using BRAND NEW painters tape so you don't get bleeds, cause if you don't, you're going to hate life.

There is obviously a lot of things I'm glancing over that go with painting, but you can google search the basics if you have no experience painting. One thing I will say is you better have a helper and teach them how to mix paint. Cause if you think you'll have the time to continuously mix and spray under a tight time window, you're braver than I am.

My immediate question is: Do you have paint booth large enough for an aircraft? Or are you going to do a full disassembly?

 

[PCustoms]

We exclusively used Dupont Enron primer and their single stage paints.

Sure about that?

 

[Paycheck]

Please cover the static ports!

 

[SteveB63]

The equipment you need starts with a 3M 6000 series respirator, then a Tyvek, 1 piece paint suit with hood assembly. Both of these items are minimum requirements when spraying Polyurethane paint and etch type primers. I say this as what you are spraying out can be absorbed through your skin, and eventually will kill you.
Next, your choice of compressor is too small, you did not mention any desiccant/filtration equipment to make certain there is no water/oil contaminants in the air supplied to your paint gun. While we are on the subject of paint guns, your $99.95 Astro gun will not offer you enough control to properly lay paint on your plane. You really need an electrostatic spray gun for laying out a controlled mixture of paint product of your choice, mixed with clean, dry, cool air. We have yet to talk about solvent pop, comparable materials, your spot priming vs overall priming, the layers of original paint, your initial primer, your sealer, then your topcoat(s) of actual paint. These are all things that you need to known and understand before you attempt to spray your plane. Check with the original manufacturer of yours, as they will have specifications for minimum and maximum coats of material. It is not as easy as painting a car, and again, in your case, the last thing you want to find out is that your wings, which are already 100lbs too heavy due to your repaint, now have an additional 300-400lbs of ice building up on them at 10,000 feet, or you hit severe wind shear at the same time. Again, every ounce, let alone every pound makes a difference when you are cruising through the air, and any shortcuts you decide to take, might just be the difference between life and death, or you having to use your newly installed ballistic parachute system.....I think you get where I'm coming from, if not, then you need to discuss with more qualified folks than you are here with me.........


Further questions, let me know.


Bill S.

I mentioned the respirator in my original post (I've got the 6800), but did not mention the Tyvek suits that I also purchased. My apologies.
As for the rest of it, yes, I 100% am researching those things, and this is one of the places I've come to do that. Don't worry, I'm not starting tomorrow or anything like that. I do indeed get where you're coming from, and appreciate the advice. Like I said above, I really like being alive.

 

[SteveB63]

For single state the 1.5mm is good as single stage is thicker than basecoat/clearcoat. NO YOU DON'T WANT TO TRY METALLIC'S IN SINGLE STAGE ESPECIALLY AS A ROOKIE as it will look like ****. Any decent filter/dryer/regulator should work unless you live in a very humid area. I live in the desert so water in my lines is not an issue for me as typically relative humidity is about 25%. You will sand until the end of time with P800 and never affect a rivet. What you've seeing is somebody trying to strip a plane with 60 grit and that will certainly remove metal. Using a red or gray Scotchbrite pad and a sanding paste such as Presta makes is an excellent alternative to sanding with paper. Particularly on hard to reach areas. Sanding paste is sort of like Comet cleanser as it contains abrasives in soap. All your trying to do is matte the surface so that the paint will stick.

So would there be a two stage option that would do well for metallic? Or should I just give up on that option? It would look really, really nice, but I don't want to take on more than I'm capable of doing well.

I do live in a very humid area - I think we're going to be in the 60-90% range for the next few days. If anybody has a recommendation for a good filter/dryer/regulator, that would be great.

Thanks for the tips on sanding/matting the paint.

 

[SteveB63]

I've painted a lot of aircraft, provided you don't need to pop rivet and replace any damaged panels, it's a pretty straight forward project just on a larger scale. Obviously with aircraft you cannot use body fillers/ Bondo due to the weight distribution issues it can cause with aircraft that you can get away with-with cars.

Now keep in mind what I'm about to tell you might not be the greenest way to do things, I worked at a commercial aircraft paint shop- and this is just how "we" did it. Now that the disclaimer is out of the way. . .

Depending on your state and their regulations, that's what will dictate what you can buy and ultimately use. Our paint shop was in California, and we were one of two shops that had the grandfathered rights to use the products we did. But that is also why most people would fly across the state just have their plane painted by us.

Stripping: We used MEK in backpack sprayers, and once the paint began bubbling, we hit it with high pressure water sprayers to remove the old paint.

Prep: Most of the paint the MEK couldn't remove were around the rivets. So you're going to spend a ton of time with a rotary wheel/ brush getting into all those areas. (Ever count how many rivets are on an aircraft?) You're going to spend a lot of time during this part of the process. They the body of the aircraft gets hit with a DA and 220 grit.

Paint: We exclusively used Dupont Enron primer and their single stage paints. I've painted cars with left over paint we had from aircraft projects. I watched people wreck those cars, and the paint flexed with the damage and didn't chip away or crack. That stuff adheres to the surface like iron. As a painter, you can't really compare it any other product I've ever used. But with that said, make sure you are using BRAND NEW painters tape so you don't get bleeds, cause if you don't, you're going to hate life.

There is obviously a lot of things I'm glancing over that go with painting, but you can google search the basics if you have no experience painting. One thing I will say is you better have a helper and teach them how to mix paint. Cause if you think you'll have the time to continuously mix and spray under a tight time window, you're braver than I am.

My immediate question is: Do you have paint booth large enough for an aircraft? Or are you going to do a full disassembly?

I was going to ask my A&P about Bondo. I'd need about 1/2 an ounce to take care of some very small bad spots, but wasn't sure if that was a terrible idea or not.

Unfortunately stripping the entire plane is not an option where it is. I'm hoping to be able to turn the (single-plane) hangar itself into a makeshift paint booth. From what I've seen talking to other people who have done paint work on their own planes, that's pretty common.

 

[SteveB63]

Please cover the static ports!

100%. No, 1000%.

 

[mrbill55]

So would there be a two stage option that would do well for metallic? Or should I just give up on that option? It would look really, really nice, but I don't want to take on more than I'm capable of doing well.

I do live in a very humid area - I think we're going to be in the 60-90% range for the next few days. If anybody has a recommendation for a good filter/dryer/regulator, that would be great.

Thanks for the tips on sanding/matting the paint.

Two stage is not happening, and when you are laying out metallic in a single stage, you will not like the final product as the metallic will "mottle" or "tiger stripe" if you have not been painting cars for 5-10 years.

Humidity wise, you can shoot in that range, but will need to know exactly what the humidity level is when you are mixing your paint product to shoot, and have a plethora of reducers available for your heat/humidity levels, as each combination requires a different mix to speed up, or slow down the curing process. As for dryer/desiccant setup, for private use, I like the Tsunami systems......You will need an enclosed building with good ventilation and proper intake and exhaust filtration, and of course, explosive proof lighting and blower motors for your intake and exhaust systems. Not only are the fumes deadly, but explosive as well.

Bill S.

 

[CJM8515]

My (very limited) understanding is that lvlp was less beginner-friendly. I'm not sure exactly what makes it that way. Is that an accurate statement, or do I have some bad info?

I can grab an 11-gallon receiver tank easily, but I'll have to look a little more if I need something bigger than that. I don't plan on painting the whole thing in one go, if that makes a difference. I'm really not sure what to expect as far as performance (sq. ft or minutes) per tank fill with my 26 gallon.

i mean if you panel paint maybe it will work idk?

 

[IRQVET]

Sure about that?

Outside incorrectly spelling it, yes.

 

[SteveB63]

Two stage is not happening, and when you are laying out metallic in a single stage, you will not like the final product as the metallic will "mottle" or "tiger stripe" if you have not been painting cars for 5-10 years.

Humidity wise, you can shoot in that range, but will need to know exactly what the humidity level is when you are mixing your paint product to shoot, and have a plethora of reducers available for your heat/humidity levels, as each combination requires a different mix to speed up, or slow down the curing process. As for dryer/desiccant setup, for private use, I like the Tsunami systems......You will need an enclosed building with good ventilation and proper intake and exhaust filtration, and of course, explosive proof lighting and blower motors for your intake and exhaust systems. Not only are the fumes deadly, but explosive as well.

Bill S.

That's another question I had been tossing around. I'm thinking I may have to do this at night when the airport is more or less abandoned. It's a pretty busy airport, and there are plenty of other planes in close proximity. I'm pretty sure the sparks some of them throw out when they start up could be... problematic.

Maybe I should just rattle can the whole thing. That would look great, right?

 

[mrbill55]

That's another question I had been tossing around. I'm thinking I may have to do this at night when the airport is more or less abandoned. It's a pretty busy airport, and there are plenty of other planes in close proximity. I'm pretty sure the sparks some of them throw out when they start up could be... problematic.

Maybe I should just rattle can the whole thing. That would look great, right?

You cannot spray the plane outside, certainly not within 300 yards of another plane, or you'll be liable for the overspray that can contaminate another persons plane. Think they won't find you, you are mistaken. A lesson like that can bankrupt you(mentally, physically, financially), if someone with a bug up their behind gets wind and notifies the correct authorities to your environmental disaster.

 

[pcmeiners]

My friend had his plane repainted. They used Imron and an electrostatic spray unit due to needing to cover rivets and seams properly, that was after the entire plane was chemically stripped. Big issue, the aluminum panels need to be checked for corrosion before painting. If using a non electrostatic sprayer, the rivets/seams will not be covered with paint properly. Cost $23000

 

[dcg9381]

That's another question I had been tossing around. I'm thinking I may have to do this at night when the airport is more or less abandoned. It's a pretty busy airport, and there are plenty of other planes in close proximity. I'm pretty sure the sparks some of them throw out when they start up could be... problematic.

Steve, this is an aluminum plane, right? I believe they still chemically strip them.

Do this in the open air at an airport and I agree, you're gonna over-spray something very expensive. And they will find you. They may not find your body.

By all means start on a car. The amount of work this takes is immense and a decent outcome requires a paint booth.

Maybe ask the experimental guys - The EAA... They build aluminum all the time and have experience painting their own aircraft. Anyone with an RV-x.

 

[SteveB63]

You cannot spray the plane outside, certainly not within 300 yards of another plane, or you'll be liable for the overspray that can contaminate another persons plane. Think they won't find you, you are mistaken. A lesson like that can bankrupt you(mentally, physically, financially), if someone with a bug up their behind gets wind and notifies the correct authorities to your environmental disaster.

Yeah, like I said, the plane is in a private hangar and the idea is to turn it into a makeshift paint booth. I definitely will not be painting it outside. I can only imagine how mad I would be if I found my plane covered in overspray.

My real question about the explosive potential of the paint was related to it being in the hangar. If I'm spraying in a hangar/paint booth filled with fumes, and somebody outside starts up their plane, have I just created a situation where I'm basically standing inside a big bomb?

 

[SteveB63]

Steve, this is an aluminum plane, right? I believe they still chemically strip them.

Do this in the open air at an airport and I agree, you're gonna over-spray something very expensive. And they will find you. They may not find your body.

By all means start on a car. The amount of work this takes is immense and a decent outcome requires a paint booth.

Maybe ask the experimental guys - The EAA... They build aluminum all the time and have experience painting their own aircraft. Anyone with an RV-x.

Yep, I've got feelers out on an RV forum as well. Great source of info too.