aseaholm

My Feedback: (1)

Painting numbers on a finished Q40



This weekend I decided it was time to get some numbers on my Vendetta. Actually, I had decided awhile back just hadn’t had the nerve to start sanding on the beauty.

Here’s the steps I used and a couple photos. Steps courtesy of Lyle Larson, he probably doesn’t want to hear my voice on the phone for awhile…

1) Mask off area you intend to reshoot with clear coat .

- The idea being to avoid having to reapply clear to the whole surface and adding unneeded weight. I laid the 1/8” fine line tape down to cover the white stripe and masked everything except the orange.

2) I then wet sanded the area to remove the sheen with the Super Fine 3m pad which is close to 600 grit.

- Be careful here as it easy to sand through on the corners, I speak from experience. The pic shows the 3m pad. These have worked very well for me and I’m sure can be picked up at your local paint shop. The pic is from painting my Bird of Preys.



3) Lay down your stencil and mask everything you don’t want color on.

- Either send Jim Allen [email protected] an e-mail or request Gerber mask from your stencil provider.

4) Shoot the color.

- I always first wipe the area down with wax and grease remover on a paper towel. Then mix the paint, load your gun, and finally wipe down with a tack rag right before you shoot. I used an airbrush with the material knob screwed down to minimize the paint. Always first shoot on a scrap to get the airbrush set up just how you want it. Again, I speak from experience.

5) Pull the mask and shoot the clear.

- Don’t forget the wipe down steps here. I dust on a light coat of clear the first coat. Then wait till the clear gets sticky on the tape area when checked with your finger. Then shoot a wet coat. Shooting at night under a high intensity lamp is suppose to work great (Jim Allen). It has quickly become fall here with temps dropping into the 50’s after the sun goes down so that was not an option for me. I found if you move you head closer to the part you can see the clear going and wet out. This is kind of a feel thing and I think only practice can fully explain it. It has been for me. I’m using Dupont DC3000 clear coat. It is dust free in 5 minutes, tack free with an hour, and can be sanded after about 2 hours depending on temperature. I shot mine Saturday night and didn’t get back to sand until Sunday morning.

6) Color sand the clear to remove imperfections and smooth out ridges at edge of numbers.

- I always thought it was funny that Darrol mentions bugs getting in his paint on his website. Well, I had 2 gnats and one antennae to get rid of and don’t think it’s all that funny anymore. Darn bugs. Anyway, I again wet sanded with the Super Fine (~600 grit) pad till I had worked out all the bugs and ridges. I use a squirt bottle to apply water to the surface. Wipe down with a paper towel to check your progress frequently.

7) Shoot final clear coat

- I chose to shot the clear in my garage for the final coat hoping to avoid bugs. I covered everything I didn’t want over spray on with some old sheets. I also took a squirt bottle and shot down the work area with water to control any dust. I also cracked the garage door about a foot and made sure all vents and doors were closed to the house. This worked pretty well, no bugs and very little if any dust.

8) Remove all masking and smooth out the seam???

- This is where I’m at now. I have a seam at the edge of the clear and need to work it out. I’m open for suggestions at this point. I may try 1000 grit and up then hand polish?

Here is the finished product.







Hope this helps those new and future painters out there.

A.J. Seaholm
www.TEAMseaholm.com
NMPRA – 17v

DHG

My Feedback: (7)

AJ,

Leave the ridge at the edge of the clear. That will slow you down enough to give the rest of us a chance. It's only sporting!

aseaholm

My Feedback: (1)

DHG,

Just because the plane looks like Randy Bridge's, doesn't mean I'll be able to fly it like him. I better get to sanding and buffing because I'm going to need all the help I can get. Where's my wax?

I'm hoping the silence doesn't mean folks are saying, "What the heck was he thinking." I may have created a lot more work for myself compared to very minimal weight savings... Hope not.

A.J. Seaholm
www.TEAMseaholm.com
NMPRA – 17v

aseaholm

My Feedback: (1)

Well, I smoothed out the seam last night and it was NOT too bad. I spent about a half hour with some 2000 grit sanding the edge of the clear. My local paint store gave me a couple 2000 grit wet or dry pads and they worked great.

After words, I used a $14 6" polisher from Harbor Freight Tools and some scratch remover from O'Reilly's auto parts. The sanded area smoothed out very well. Not perfect mind you, but not too bad. If I had to do it over, I think the weight savings is worth a little extra elbow grease. A.J. one, paint zero... Okay, paint 29 but I reset the score before this project...

Here's what the little polisher looks like if your interested.

Harbor Freight has it on their website also.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90219

daven

My Feedback: (1)

Thats exactly what I've been looking for to help wax my wing molds. Most of the Auto buffers are far to big and clunky.

Thanks,