Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 11:16:23 -0500
From: James Frantz <LFrantz@compuserve.com>
Subject: Body Work and Paint
Sender: James Frantz <LFrantz@compuserve.com>
To: "INTERNET:lancair.list@olsusa.com" <lancair.list@olsusa.com>
Message-ID: <200102011116_MC2-C3ED-9272@compuserve.com>
Reply-To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
Mime-Version: 1.0

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>When measured
with a 1 foot strait edge these imperfections are not detectible.
My Question is: Do I need to fill these or am I wasting my time
and adding unnecessary weight?<

Looking at a dull primed surface is not the test to see if imperfections
will be noticable or not.  Wet the entire surface and then look at it in a
well lit area to see what it will look like when a coat of glossy paint is
applied.

I spent about 1,000 hours doing the body work on my 360.  I think I could
do it in half the time now that I have the previous experience.  If you are
inexperienced like I was and only have a couple hundred hour in the body
work area, you are missing something.  Realize that paint will not hide
body work omissions in fact it accentuates them.

Keep sanding and spraying until you are fed up, then take a few days off
and go at it again.

A few tips:
Get Joe Penaz series of articles on painting your aircraft in the Lancair
Network News.
Use your hand to detect low and high spots by moving the hand fore and aft
rather than side to side.  Prior to paint you should not feel any innies or
outies.
Poof black Krylon spray can paint over the area you are working on so that
there are thousands of dots on the surface in question.  Take your 16" file
(sanding block) and on its edge take a swipe across the area.  Remaining
dots mark the spots where additional filler must be sprayed. 

I learned that body work is an art and takes patience and persistance.  

Fish eyes are the result of contaminants existing on the on the surface or
contaminates introduced through the spraying process.  When painting, it is
critical to keep the environment very clean.

Tips:
Wrap the spray booth in plastic.
Use a fan to suck air through the booth.
Inlet booth air must be filtered.  I used furnace filters.
Prior to paint degrease the entire area to be painted.  I used DX103
Multiprep which also removes static from the painted part.
Cover you head and arms to prevent dandur from falling from your body into
the paint.

Jim Frantz 
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Please send your photos and drawings to marvkaye@olsusa.com.
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