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To paint or not to paint

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naumuk(at)alltel.net
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:51 am Post subject: To paint or not to paint

All-

     My question is, does flying an  unpainted plane make it harder to paint later (Apart from just wanting to keep  flying it)?

     I'm sure I'm going to tweak  something after flying it, and figure it's easier to do while the plane is  green. Also, there are a couple of good aircraft painters who have their own  hangars within a 50 mile radius. I'll probably wind up with a better job  than I could do having them spray the primer and major color coats and just  do the trim myself. 

     Incidentally, I heard from EAA  about the article. A go no-go decision will have to wait until after  Oshkosh.

                                                                              Bill

                                       do not  archive

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larry(at)macsmachine.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 11:13 am Post subject: To paint or not to paint

Bill,

I believe it's best to paint first, if you've got confidence in the work 

you did.  It seems that when flying, you accumulate a greasy smog from 

the air

and soot on the underbelly while flying and adjusting the carbs.  Bugs 

and birds do their thing really well too.  Even when you clean the plane 

regularly,

it's always a surprise how much crud and stuff has accumulated between 

the jointed parts.  One of the reasons I believe you add 100 hours or more

in exchange for flying it for a year or more before paint.  There are 

chemicals to clean the stuff, but you've got a lot of riveted seams in 

the plane that

will also have oil and grease, etc packed between them which makes it a 

doubly difficult job to do after the fact.  I've been in paint mode 

since starting

the booth in April and so far, only the small parts, are painted, tail 

feathers are in prime and the wings and fuselage are still in the 

hangar.  It's fussy work

but I was forewarned.  Hope to fly again sometime near September.



Larry McFarland - 601HDS at www.macsmachine.com

do not archive



Bill Naumuk wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   All-

     My question is, does flying an unpainted plane make it harder to 

 paint later (Apart from just wanting to keep flying it)?

     I'm sure I'm going to tweak something after flying it, and figure 

 it's easier to do while the plane is green. Also, there are a couple 

 of good aircraft painters who have their own hangars within a 50 mile 

 radius. I'll probably wind up with a better job than I could do having 

 them spray the primer and major color coats and just do the trim myself.

     Incidentally, I heard from EAA about the article. A go no-go 

 decision will have to wait until after Oshkosh.

                                                                     

     Bill

                                     do not archive

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mtherr(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2006 1:16 pm Post subject: To paint or not to paint

Not sure I my message will be a repeat (I took time to

read only a few).  But my personal experience is that

if it is not painted before flying, chances are it

will spend years before being painted.



I find myself not ready to stop flying to do the

painting job.  I fly almost every week since the plane

is in operation and I don't have the motivation to

take it appart and stop flying for a month to do the

paint job.



This winter, when I upgrade the engine, maybe I will

paint it, depending on timing (if nice spring days

coincide with engine installation done, no paint!).



Michel

do not archive

----------------------------

Michel Therrien CH601-HD, C-GZGQ

  http://mthobby.pcperfect.com/ch601

  http://www.zenithair.com/bldrlist/profiles/mthobby

  http://pages.infinit.net/mthobby



__________________________________________________

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ggower_99(at)yahoo.com
Guest

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2006 12:00 pm Post subject: To paint or not to paint

I think that if one builder decides to fly first and paint later,  the best second option will be to polish the metal, some part every week end and add some trim,  Yes I know,  lots of cleaning and repolishing later, but will be a beautiful  airplane.

   

  Just a thought.

   

  Saludos

  Gary Gower

  do not archive.

   

  



LarryMcFarland <larry(at)macsmachine.com> wrote:

   	  Quote: 	
		  --> Zenith-List message posted by: LarryMcFarland 



Bill,

I believe it's best to paint first, if you've got confidence in the work 

you did. It seems that when flying, you accumulate a greasy smog from 

the air

and soot on the underbelly while flying and adjusting the carbs. Bugs 

and birds do their  thing really well too. Even when you clean the plane 

regularly,

it's always a surprise how much crud and stuff has accumulated between 

the jointed parts. One of the reasons I believe you add 100 hours or more

in exchange for flying it for a year or more before paint. There are 

chemicals to clean the stuff, but you've got a lot of riveted seams in 

the plane that

will also have oil and grease, etc packed between them which makes it a 

doubly difficult job to do after the fact. I've been in paint mode 

since starting

the booth in April and so far, only the small parts, are painted, tail 

feathers are in prime and the wings and fuselage are still in the 

hangar. It's fussy work

but I was forewarned. Hope to fly again sometime near September.



Larry McFarland - 601HDS at www.macsmachine.com

do not archive



Bill Naumuk wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   All-

 My question is, does flying an unpainted plane make it harder to  

 paint later (Apart from just wanting to keep flying it)?

 I'm sure I'm going to tweak something after flying it, and figure 

 it's easier to do while the plane is green. Also, there are a couple 

 of good aircraft painters who have their own hangars within a 50 mile 

 radius. I'll probably wind up with a better job than I could do having 

 them spray the primer and major color coats and just do the trim myself.

 Incidentally, I heard from EAA about the article. A go no-go 

 decision will have to wait until after Oshkosh.

 

 Bill

 do not archive


	


	


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naumuk(at)alltel.net
Guest

Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2006 6:01 am Post subject: To paint or not to paint

Gary-

     I agree, it will be a beautiful  plane- you don't have the expense of painting, and it will be lighter,  but tt's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

     It reminds me of my  uncle who had a Lyman wood boat. Absolutely gorgeous compared to the cookie  cutter fiberglass boats, but he spent as much time stripping and revarnishing  every year as he did water skiing.

     I'm too lazy for that, and I'll  be the first to admit that there are a couple of "Smileys" that can benefit from  a couple of heavy coats of primer!

                                                                                                                                             Bill

                                                                         do not  archive 

     

      

 [quote]   ---

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Geoff Heap

Joined: 12 Jan 2006
Posts: 266
Location: Lindenwold, New Jersey

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:00 am Post subject: Re: To paint or not to paint

My 10 cents    I started building (701) in 1991. Prior to assy of anything I would scotchbrite, alumprep, (alodine sometimes), and prime. My wings have been finished and stored for over 6 years and are painted on the outside (rag wiped) with zinc chromate (rattle can for all internal parts). I know that if I wipe this off to use a different primer I will have a nice shiny clean alum surface underneath. Over the years I have switched to Primers more compatible with modern finish paints. However, today I have the fuse nearly finished. wings, rudder, stab, flaperons and slats all finished and I don't have a single component that is not primed. I consider the inside finished except for the cabin area which I will finish paint. I'd die if I had to paint everything in one shot. I'm so used to painting as I go along now that it's just part of the building process. For me I believe that this is the way to go. By the way, most everything is different shades of grey right now and without a finish paint job it looks quite nice compared to a bare metal job  ........Geoff

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raymondj(at)frontiernet.n
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 10:18 am Post subject: To paint or not to paint

Much of the discussion about paint or not seems to revolve around

appearance. I'm trying maximize my efficiency (be lazy) when it comes to the

finish. I understand the importance of corrosion protection, but I'm

wondering if there is some process out there that offers adequate

protection, though it may look bad, with less work than either paint or

polish.



Raymond Julian

Kettle River, MN.

Corvair core acquired



--

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bryanmmartin

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1018

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 11:49 am Post subject: To paint or not to paint

leave it as bare unpolished aluminum. Unless you live in a very  

corrosive environment, it'll last longer than you will.

On Jul 17, 2006, at 2:16 PM, raymondj wrote:



[quote] 

 <raymondj(at)frontiernet.net>



 Much of the discussion about paint or not seems to revolve around

 appearance. I'm trying maximize my efficiency (be lazy) when it  

 comes to the

 finish. I understand the importance of corrosion protection, but I'm

 wondering if there is some process out there that offers adequate

 protection, though it may look bad, with less work than either  

 paint or

 polish.



 Raymond Julian

 Kettle River, MN.

 Corvair core acquired



 --

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_________________
--
Bryan Martin
N61BM, CH 601 XL, Stratus Subaru.
do not archive.

john.marzulli(at)gmail.co
Guest

Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2006 6:32 pm Post subject: To paint or not to paint

Living up here in Seattle, I plan on painting for two reasons



1) Seattle is a highly corrosive environment ( physically, not socially  ).

2) I'm spending a lot of money and a lot of time on a project that is a different type of plane, so why shouldn't I make it look different? 



These planes are expressions of ourselves, so I'm choosing to give my bird a very unique paint scheme. I also like the look of shiny polished airplanes like Cessna 120/140s.



The point is the choice is yours, just like the panel you build up. 



-John in Seattle



On 7/17/06, Bryan Martin <bryanmmartin(at)comcast.net (bryanmmartin(at)comcast.net)> wrote:[quote] --> Zenith-List message posted by: Bryan Martin <bryanmmartin(at)comcast.net (bryanmmartin(at)comcast.net)>



leave it as bare unpolished aluminum. Unless you live in a very

corrosive environment, it'll last longer than you will. 

On Jul 17, 2006, at 2:16 PM, raymondj wrote:



[quote] --> Zenith-List message posted by: "raymondj"

 <raymondj(at)frontiernet.net (raymondj(at)frontiernet.net)>

 

 Much of the discussion about paint or not seems to revolve around

 appearance. I'm trying maximize my efficiency (be lazy) when it

 comes to the

 finish. I understand the importance of corrosion protection, but I'm 

 wondering if there is some process out there that offers adequate

 protection, though it may look bad, with less work than either

 paint or

 polish.



 Raymond Julian

 Kettle River, MN. http://701Builder.blogspot.com/

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