What are the differences between aviation paint and automotive? Trying to figure out the pro's and con's.
Yeah Bill, that's why I'm going to try the Alexseal in general, and with their roller additive in particular. Unlike most (all?) the other poly's, you don't need to sand between coats with Alexseal if you keep inside their re-coat window. I rolled-n-tipped my 38' sailboat with Awlgrip and it works like a charm. The downside, as you noted, is having to sand the whole thing after each coat I figure worse case with the RV - if there's too much orange peel, I'll just color sand and buff the final coat. Some spray guys do this as a routine part of their spray job because they just can't get a nice smooth wet-out.Well, I learned something today: the meaning of roll and tip.
But after watching a video from Epifanes paint company showing how it's done, I'm going to pass. Sanding the entire airplane 4 times between coats is my chiropractor's dream but it's my nightmare.
The term "auto paint" ignores the wide range of products available. Some of it is formulated to meet a price, some for application ease, some for show.
FWIW, at 10+ years and 1000 hours, PPG Deltron has held up really well, notably the DCU2021 clear. Tough stuff.
I tell folks to go with whatever brand they sell at the friendliest auto paint shop in their town. For the novice, local help can be a big deal.
I tell folks to go with whatever brand they sell at the friendliest auto paint shop in their town. For the novice, local help can be a big deal.
^^^^ this.
The local Dupont / PPG shop staff were....well....let's just say not friendly.
Snip...
^^^^^^^^^^^
This X2!
FWIW I had great success with PPG delfleet on the boot cowl of my cub which was recommended by my friendly local PPG dealer after struggling with stewart systems garbage (never again!).
The Stewart system is on my list of possible paints. What is it you didn't like?
Probably the worst combination would be an auto painter shooting 'aviation' paint. They tend to have a very high solids content and film thickness. They are also designed to be sprayed electrostatically, which none of us can do.
I used solid 2k for many years but have switched to base and lacquer. It goes on easier and seems to use less product to get a very good finish.
The Stewart system is on my list of possible paints. What is it you didn't like?
To get any kind of descent results you need to mix and shoot the stuff in a laboratory. I spent (no kidding) the better part of 3 months trying to figgure the stuff out. I had a climate controlled booth, different guns, etc.etc. The biggest problem was what looked like solvent-pop. Called and sent pics several times (no help). Finally switched to PPG Delfleet and the first time I shot it it layed down like glass. I couldn't believe how easy it was to work with.
The ability to wash your equipment out with water is nice with Stewarts and I had moderate success with a few of their single-part coatings but for what you pay for the stuff I really expected better results and better support.
How do you find the lacquer for durability (chipping) and resistance to solvents? I always considered it to be a fairly "fragile" and short-lived type of coating, albeit quick and easy to apply. I painted my first motorcycle with a metallic green lacquer (a long time ago!)
I stopped by my local automotive paint supply store and they recommended Delfleet paint. Said a aircraft paint shop buys it from them occasionally.
They had some "blow out" paint and bought a gallon for $40. I'm going to see about getting a hood/trunk from the junk yard to start practicing on.
It's good to practice on a car panel first to work out gun settings, technique, colors etc. One thing you can do for added health safety is to omit the polyurethane hardener (which is the component that contains isocyanates) and just spray using the base paint and thinner. It will still dry OK, though it probably won't be as durable, which doesn't really matter for practising purposes.
I appreciate the tip, I'll take all the advice anyone has.
The salesman said I didn't need to add anything, to just spray it. I haven't read up on the literature he gave me yet.
Single component paints can easily be removed with thinner and scotchbrite. Not the best for durability. No need to be worried about 2 part paints. A respirator, paint suit, and eye pro will cost less than $100 and last a good long time.
I’ve sprayed Delfleet a few times. It’s bottom of the barrel as far as PPG goes. If you want to save some money and stay with PPG then look at PPG Shop Line.
Single component paints can easily be removed with thinner and scotchbrite. Not the best for durability. No need to be worried about 2 part paints. A respirator, paint suit, and eye pro will cost less than $100 and last a good long time.
Don't go cheap on paint. In the big picture, better paint adds a tiny fraction to the cost of an RV, but it's the first thing everyone sees. Think of it as investment with a very good return.
Paint respirator filters have a time from opening and number of hours used limit. Read the filter information very carefully. You will be thankful you did as you get older.
I use 3M P100 #60928. Filters get dated. Mask goes into a sealed bag with dessicant packs. I can pull usage from my blog. Retired filters go on my backup mask and used for sanding on yardwork.
P100 is used for paint handling and mixing.
HobbyAir is used for spraying.
I'm not looking for cheap paint. I'd like a quality paint that's suitable for a RV-12 that will be hangered and flown about 50 hrs a year in fair weather. I don't feel I need a paint that can handle 350 knots in a ice storm.
But the #1 feature I'm looking for is the paint that a novice can get good results from if that even exists.
Painting costume. The hard part was keeping the hood out of the paint!
I'm not set on Delfleet, it's just what was recommended today. I know they offer different Delfleet paints, this was the Evolution FDGH. What didn't you like about it? What single stage is your favorite?