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gathering thoughts on painting my airplane. I have completely stripped the old paint and have the airplane totally apart. I'm getting it ready for primer, hopefully this spring after I get the skins replaced and any other stuctural repairs that need to be done befor paint. I'm thinking about painting it myself as I have access to a paint booth at a local body shop and an autobody tec that is wlling to help with the paint. The reason I want to go with the auto paint is there are more colors available for painting than with most aircraft paint. I'm thinking of painting the airplane with a very bright met. silver with black accents. What are your thought on painting your plane with auto paints after priming with chromate primer?

Mr. Farmer:

Please look into Jet-Glo, prior to going with auto paint. Aircraft paint V/s auto are as different as apples/oranges. For the sake of the project, I'd go with nothing but a good aircraft paint. We hased this out prior to painting 93E, and never gave it a second thought.

Just my thoughts!

Herb Rose

If I was going to paint the entire plane, I would also probably go with aircraft paint. I can't remember where I read it, but supposedley it is better engineered for the flex and stretching of aluminum than auto paint which tends to be more rigid to protect against door dings and such.

On the other hand, however, Imron is a common aircraft paint and is available at auto paint shops. Jet-glo is the newest rendition and I have heard nothing but compliments on it.

Application is pretty much the same. If the shop uses HVLP equipment even better, but I believe they will all use a combination of reducer/hardener/catalyst. I have done touch up areas using auto paints with great results, but I must admit that I would be nervous about large areas after I saw pictures of the wrinkles in the aluminum on top of my Cardinal wing while in flight. Apparently a lot of stretch there.

Incorrect. The wing is bending upwards, placing the upper skins and spar cap in compression (span-wise direction) and the lower skin and spar cap is in tension (stretch). The web between the caps prevents them from moving in relation to each other, which is why it is called a shear web.

The price of quality paint and the labels applied to them (aviation vs. automotive) is a thorn in my side. It's expensive, whether you use paint "formulated" for aircraft, or automobiles.

After considerable (unscientific) research on the subject, I've decided to use Auto Paint! Specifically, Dupont Ful-Thane 2K Urethane, sold under the nason brand name everywhere (very similar to Imron). There are a good many aluminum bodied vehicles on the road, such as semi-trailers and delivery vans built of the same aircraft aluminum as our Cessna's, and this is just one of the paints of choice used in the industry, and is rapidly replacing Imron. It has an excellent durability record, including the expansion and contraction and flexing found in shipping industry vehicles, and touch-up and paint matching is as easy as and exactly the same as Imron. It does require the appropriate 2-part primer. Personally, I prefer the anti-abrasion quality of the paint for leading edges and struts, and it's high gloss finish (almost like a clear coat, which I will not use on aircraft). It is readily available in a bewildering variety of OEM colors, and many are indistinquishable from OEM aircraft colors except for the name (and can be mixed to match nearly anything). Supplies are just a short drive away, rather than several days away by delivery truck! The cost is competitive at $25 a quart out the door (no shipping charges or hazmat fees), and considerably cheaper than many "aviation" paints.

While there may be some minor difference in the formula, I think to a large extent you're paying for the word "aviation" on most brands of aviation products.

I suspect more than a few aircraft paint shops use high quality automotive paints from a local supplier and charge aviation prices, and the unknowing customer is still satisfied years later.

Mr. Farmer,

Please be aware of the absolute necessity for a fully ventilated mask or helmet when spraying urathanes. A lungful of urathane can land you in the ER, or kill you.

I presume that the guy providing the spray booth is aware of this, so this may be an un-necessary warning.

Geo.

Full Dittos to what Carl says. Everyone I knows uses top quality auto paint for the reasons list by Carl. NO PROBLEMS with them <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

There are many different urethanes on the market, one of the original ones being AlumiGrip/AwlGrip.........

http://www.awlgrip.com/awlgrip_pages/Default.htm

It is however very climate sensitive to spray and many shops will not touch it.

Other paints such as Sherwin-Williams Jet Glo (Formerly Sterling Jet Glo).

http://www2.sherwin-williams.com/aerospace/midwest.asp

Read also...........

http://www.coatingsworld.com/August041.htm

Polyfiber coatings are used on fabrics with matching polyurthanes for metal and composite surfaces.

http://www.polyfiber.com/

http://www.aircrafttechsupport.com/paints.htm

Of course, DuPont makes several variations of the Imron system and many other paints.

http://www.performancecoatings.dupont.com/bowstreet5/webengine/dpc/common/Controller

DuPont Paints [www2.dupont.com]

As Geoorge noted, there are some dangerous chemicals in paints, especially the urethanes. Cyanide, or variations of it (cyamides) being especially notable. There was a product called Imron 2000 that reduced the levels of the chemicals, but I see Dupont does not list it any longer, possibly all products have been converted to this formula.

Also stumbled into this lawyers web site, for your reference.

http://www.aml-benzene.com/pages/products.htm

Charles