Painting landing gear
08-28-2019, 06:55 AM
#3
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Granby, QC, CANADA
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08-28-2019, 09:43 AM
#6
My Feedback: (21)
You can do it yourself. I didn't have the powder coating equipment, it costs about $60 from Harbor freight. Then you have to buy the powder about 20$. Then you have to have an old oven, I did not. A toaster oven was about $70. It makes noxious fumes so I couldn't do it in the house oven , my wife would have loved that! They bead blasted everything before coating so it would stick well. I didn't have a sandblaster with glass beads. So for me it was cheaper and they also had some 200 degree tape to mask off the places where I did not want it. I dropped it off and 3 days later voila! , it looked amazing and it didn't take me a few days figuring it out and having it not turn out as good anyway.
I have tried epoxy paints after using etching primer, I have tried spray cans and I can tell you that they don't look as good and are not 50% as durable as powder coating. I had to sand away the coating in one spot, and man is that stuff tough.
So if you have a nice airplane, check it out. if you don't , just use whatever.
I have tried epoxy paints after using etching primer, I have tried spray cans and I can tell you that they don't look as good and are not 50% as durable as powder coating. I had to sand away the coating in one spot, and man is that stuff tough.
So if you have a nice airplane, check it out. if you don't , just use whatever.
08-29-2019, 12:33 PM
#8
Take the gear apart and degrease before you do anything else.
Depending on the paint method you will have to consider which parts will have clearance issues when they are reassembled so you will want to mask those spots off before proceeding.
Using paint find an auto paint store and use an acid etching primer for metal OR at the hobby level find a store that sells Tamiya lacquer paint. They have an acid etch primer and rattle can white lacquer too.
With a good urethane or lacquer primer base you can spray a compatible white or your color on them.
If you go the baked on route just be sure there are no seals or plastic parts left in the gear before they see high heat.
If you’re nervous about this then go the paint route and don’t risk it because high heat can ruin parts tolerance and other stuff.
Post pics, good luck!
Depending on the paint method you will have to consider which parts will have clearance issues when they are reassembled so you will want to mask those spots off before proceeding.
Using paint find an auto paint store and use an acid etching primer for metal OR at the hobby level find a store that sells Tamiya lacquer paint. They have an acid etch primer and rattle can white lacquer too.
With a good urethane or lacquer primer base you can spray a compatible white or your color on them.
If you go the baked on route just be sure there are no seals or plastic parts left in the gear before they see high heat.
If you’re nervous about this then go the paint route and don’t risk it because high heat can ruin parts tolerance and other stuff.
Post pics, good luck!
