Getting Started Painting my Planes
 

I need some suggestions and help. Many years ago, I painted my fibreglas fuselages and glass covered wings and stabs with Martin Senour Acrylic Enamel. I remember adding a plasticizer, reducers and something to prevent eyes on the finish. I could be a little off in my description here. I know we primered, wet sand, use body putty for the pin holes, do the finish primer, finish sanding, tack it, go to the booth and shoot. Base coat white, dry 24 hours or more, tape for trim, shoot colors as each would dry, tape for final finish colors, etc.

Wet sand, finish that, then shoot clearcoat. I was always using someone else's setup, so when he would paint, I would bring my ready to finish planes there, use his equipment.
Now I need to get equipment together to do this. I am not interested in a major setup, 75 gallon compressor's, etc., just the right set up for painting with automotive paint, or whatever is popular today, to get a good finish, with minimum equipment and time. I realize the environmental concerns, and painting in humid conditions, etc.
I am back to the fiber glas and wing skins again. I use super lite glas cloth and finishing resin on the wings and stabs.

Compressor, paint gun, paint mixtures, etc., is what I need advice on. Also, if someone could recommend a complete setup, I could take it from there.

Thanks,
Vince
Hobe Sound, FL E-Mail: [email protected]

RE: Getting Started Painting my Planes
 

I'm in the process of painting a plane as you describe, fiberglas fuse and balsa sheeted foam - and then light glass - wings, etc. I have an old (30 years) Craftsman 100 psi twin cylinder compressor (Kind of looks like this one http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...cemldffidfmm.0 ), a Campbell-Hausfeld detail spray gun (from Lowe's at ~$30) and am using Klass-Kote paint ( www.klasskote.com ). So far I'm very happy with the results.

RE: Getting Started Painting my Planes
 

Just reminding to be sure to use epoxy resin and not polyester as the latter can wick through the balsa sheet glue joints and attack the foam.

RE: Getting Started Painting my Planes
 

http://www.stits.com has all you need from instructions to secure online ordering. All the tech support you can use at 817-279-8045 9am to 4pm Central Time Monday through Thursday, Friday is for flying.

RE: Getting Started Painting my Planes
 

Thanks Chip. Very nice flying boat there. I will contact Stit's.

Vince
Hobe Sound, FL

RE: Getting Started Painting my Planes
 

Copy that! I just called Stit's and their painting system sounds great. I live in Florida where the humidity is 70+ most of the time so I usually can't paint without getting the "fuzz". Their paint has an anit-fuzzing agent already mixed in. Also, it is not affected by low temps (+50 degrees F). I went ahead and ordered a set to test it out. If it works as advertised, I'm never going back to monokote and shaker cans again [sm=thumbs_up.gif]. Why don't they advertise? If only I heard about this sooner [sm=shades_smile.gif]

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