I figured if anyone would know the answer to this, someone in this forum would. When you're painting things like ailerons, fuselages, etc, what is your technique for hanging them to paint and dry without leaving permanent holes or dents?

When I use to paint things I would find some old metal coat hangers and bend them so that they would hold the part in a non-harmful way.

I usually use either dowels in hinge holes or for fuselages I will use an engine mount holes/nuts to screw in an eyebolt and for the tail end either a hinge hole or tailwheel bolt hole with a small eyebolt again. The last plane I painted was a coveral covered 33% laser, and I used eyebolts throughout for hanging to spray up. I always start with attention to the area around my eyebolts to ensure no weak spots from shadowing of the eyebolts, and then spray as needed.

I usualy suspend parts to be painted by ataching a fine wire to a mounting point such as a hinge , tailwheel mounting , landing gear mount , engine mount etc.. Whenever possible I prefer to use mounting points at each end the part . I try to use a fine wire if possible or a metal coat hanger .

I found a use for the cardboard tubes that covering is wrapped around. I cut a piece of it long enough to wedge length wise in a cowl, then make a V notch in the left over and glue this shortpiece in the V notches making a T. A couple drops of CA at the contact points are all you need. Wedge the top of the T back into the cowl and you have a cowl on a stick that your can rotate as you spray and when the paint is dry and the last coat is done, the stick goes in the trash. I like it because the big tube gives great hand control, yet keeps your hand out of the spray.

An added tip is to open up your trash dumpster and you have a mini spray booth.

Don

I hang the parts.

Bob