Prime and Paint

Topics about finishing touches
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rlweseman
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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by rlweseman »

I bought a case of the touch up paint for this very reason and will put it on our website tomorrow so you guys can buy it. Cheaper this way for everyone.


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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by psalter »

The powder coaters use a spray can touch up from Orbit. WWW.ORBITTX.COM is the website, and the color is RAL7046 Telegrey 2. It is fairly expensive though, $15.40 for 1-2 cans, and $13.35 for 3 or more.

But it is a perfect match for the powder coating, I have used it on my frame to cover small scratches, and you can't see the difference between the powder coat and the paint. They also have touch up pens. The link below is for the spray can.

http://orbittx.com/index.php?page=shop. ... t&Itemid=1

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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by Kokemiller »

Has anyone found a bomb can that matches the powder coat grey? I plan very minimal interior paint at this time but would be nice for a few panels and touch ups. I tried a rustoleum grey that is close but not close enough.

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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by PlaneDan »

Sorry if I started a debate, that was not my intent. I am NOT priming and painting anything for protection as I was convinced from the start, that this was not necessary. My only interest in painting is the same as it is for painting the exterior of the aircraft. That is, I want it to look good. I only want to paint from the instrument panel back to and including the first bulkhead. I thought I stated that earlier.

There is no reason to be debating this issue and the only reason that I brought it up at all is because I wanted to know if the process was different for 6061 and to get any information that I could about painting the 6061.

Thanks to everyone for their input.
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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by Sacpilot »

And the age old debate rages on.....
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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by at7000ft »

Sacpilot wrote:Plus, to make the case for no primer even stronger, I forgot to mention that unless it's a two part epoxy or some other high end primer, the off the shelf brands in rattle can are permeable. So, they aren't going to protect against corrosion except if you put a top coat on top of them. More expense, more time, and more weight.
I have asked the Monett's (of Sonex aircraft fame) about the need for interior priming, they agree that it's a waste of time. Sonex is also 6061.
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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by MikeS. »

IMO - The post above about spray can primers is not entirely correct. If a spray primer is "sandable" or has a flat finish then it is permeable to moisture and provides little long-term protection. However, if a spray can primer provides a gloss or semi-gloss finish it will provide as much moisture protection as a finished top coat that has the same texture. There are several spray primers that provide a gloss or semi-gloss finish and the Zinc Chromate spray can primers provide this protective barrier.

Having lived in a high humid zone all of my life, where most metal objects begin to show some form of corrosion very quickly, convinces me that my interior structure needs to be protected with Zinc Chromate. I'm not worried about the structure while I own my Panther, its the next person(s) that own it that I'm trying to protect. It's my reputation on the line, even after I'm dead and buried, and I'm going to protect it with an extra $200 worth of Zinc Chromate.

If your airframe will stay in the dry western climate all of its life then primer is a waste of time, money, and weight; but there are no guarantees that it will stay out there. Everyone has to decide whether saving 10-15 pounds is really going to make that much of a difference for their flying conditions, especially if building the LSA version with less horsepower. This is a single seat airplane and in my opinion the only variables that will really suffer are the amount of luggage that you can carry on a trip and if trying to fly out of a very short airstrip under high/hot conditions. Those two variables aren't a factor for my planned use of my Panther.

To each his own...

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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by Sacpilot »

Plus, to make the case for no primer even stronger, I forgot to mention that unless it's a two part epoxy or some other high end primer, the off the shelf brands in rattle can are permeable. So, they aren't going to protect against corrosion except if you put a top coat on top of them. More expense, more time, and more weight.
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Panther SN-052

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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by Sacpilot »

I just completed Zenith 750 with 6061-t6 and avex rivets. I started by priming everything. Stopped toward the last 20 percent of build. Waste of time, money, and useful load.

After two years of building and countless hours of research on priming, Dan W. said it best on the phone yesterday, and it finally sank in. Vans 2025 is covered with AL .003" thick. Bc 2025 is really really prone to corrosion it has the coating. Scratch it, you need to prime it. The exposed surface in the scratch will corrode.

6061-t6 is the same alloy all the way through. No coating. If you scratch the surface, the exposed scratch is the same alloy. So, why would you choose to prime any given 6061 structure over another? Worse yet, why every internal structure? They are all the same alloy throughout! Bottom line, scratches only need to be removed for cracking issues. Deburred holes and deburred parts don't need to be primed either. Any aluminum surface will see some form of filliform corrosion over time (non destructive corrosion. It's the normal process of aluminum and oxygen combining to create a natural barrier of protection.)

As someone once said, why are we trying to make 60 year aircraft when you will fly it for another 15-30 years tops depending on age.

If an A and P, or engineer,wants to back up my assertion,that would be great ;)
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Re: Prime and Paint

Post by PlaneDan »

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I think I am good to go now.

Tony,

I am just going to paint the interior of the aft fuselage back to and including the first bulkhead. I guess you would call that the baggage area. It would be nice to know a paint color that would match the powder coating of the main fuselage.

Thanks,

Dan
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