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Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:04:11 -0400
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From: "Dennis Johnson" <pinetownd@volcano.net>
Subject: Paint at Home
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I painted my Legacy in my home workshop, using single-stage PPG Delstar. =
 Like another poster said, painting your airplane is a huge project that =
no sane person would do.  However, no sane person would build their own =
airplane either, so I guess we've all failed that test.

Like any of the three part paints, you need a new activated carbon =
filter respirator* or fresh air mask, and cover as much of your body as =
possible.  I wore a cheap painter's coverall, gloves, and a hat, which =
worked well.  When I sprayed the belly, I wore a face shield to keep all =
the overspray from landing on my face and in my eyes.  I have an =
industrial exhaust fan in my shop, which was nice.
 =20
I chose the PPG Delstar specifically because it tolerates aggressive =
sanding and buffing.  I knew that I would end up with every insect in =
the neighborhood entombed in my paint, as well as dust.  You would think =
that as I bald as I'm becoming, hair falling into the wet paint wouldn't =
be a problem, but it was.  The Delstar allows wet sanding as much as you =
need to do to totally eliminate the dust nibs and bugs, as well as the =
inevitable runs and sags and orange peel.  Hosing down the floor =
immediately before spraying was the single most effective thing I did to =
reduce the number of dust nibs that ended up in the paint.  But make =
sure you don't accidentally get even one drop of water on what you're =
going to spray.

To remove light orange peel and minor bugs and dust nibs, I use P1500 =
grit wet sandpaper.  (The "P" means the sandpaper uses the European =
scale, which is much different at finer grits than the US scale.)  If I =
had more patience, I'd use P2000 because it's easier to buff out the =
scratches.  I buy them from Klingspoor with peel-and-stick backing:  =
www.woodworkingshop.com  If the paint balls up and clogs your sandpaper, =
it's not cured enough.  Wait another day or two, or even more in cold =
weather. =20

After wet sanding, power buff with compound designed to remove P1500 =
scratches, then power polish with compound designed to remove the swirls =
left behind by the previous compound.  You can get these from your local =
automotive paint store.  Harbor Freight sells power buffers that are =
adequate for a single airplane, and incredibly low cost.

For sags and runs, start with P800 grit paper.  If you're the impatient =
type, you can use coarser paper, even P400, but you might make scratches =
that are hard to remove.  Of course, the more you sand, the more likely =
you'll cut through to the underlying primer or carbon.  Work your way up =
through the grits to P1500.  Avoid sanding any edges, where you're =
almost certain to cut through faster than you can say, aw _____!=20

So the good news is that Delstar single stage (and similar paints from =
other companies) is well suited to spraying in a home shop.  However, =
when the single stage paints cure, the parts of the paint that make it =
glossy migrate to the surface while it's curing, giving it the "wet =
look" that doesn't need waxing.  So the bad news is that sanding off =
this top, glossy, layer means you'll have to wax the surface to get it =
to look really shiny.  There's no free lunch.

On the other hand, I've seen Chris Zavatson's and Mike Reinath's painted =
airplanes, which are way better than mine, so you might want to follow =
their advice instead.

Dennis Johnson, Legacy #257  =20

*I may be wrong, but I believe activated charcoal respirators safely =
remove the toxic materials from these paints, but since the toxic =
material has no smell, you have no way of knowing when your filter is =
used up.  This is why they are not recommended.  I used a fresh air mask =
from Aircraft Spruce.  If you use a charcoal respirator, you might want =
to open a new filter each time you spray and only spray in a well =
ventilated area.  If the spray area looks like you're in the fog, it's =
not well ventilated.
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<DIV>I painted my Legacy in my home workshop, using single-stage PPG=20
Delstar.&nbsp; Like another poster said, painting your airplane is a =
huge=20
project that no sane person would do.&nbsp; However, no sane person =
would build=20
their own airplane either, so I guess we've all failed that test.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Like any of the three part paints, you need a new activated carbon =
filter=20
respirator* or fresh air mask, and cover as much of your body as =
possible.&nbsp;=20
I wore a cheap painter's coverall, gloves, and a hat, which worked =
well.&nbsp;=20
When I sprayed the belly, I wore a face shield to keep all the overspray =
from=20
landing on my face and in my eyes.&nbsp; I have an industrial exhaust =
fan in my=20
shop, which was nice.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>I chose the PPG Delstar specifically because it tolerates =
aggressive=20
sanding and buffing.&nbsp; I knew that I would end up with every insect =
in the=20
neighborhood entombed in my paint, as well as dust.&nbsp; You would =
think that=20
as I bald as I'm becoming, hair falling into the wet paint wouldn't be a =

problem, but it was.&nbsp; The Delstar allows wet sanding&nbsp;as much =
as you=20
need to do to totally eliminate the dust nibs and bugs, as well as the=20
inevitable runs and sags and orange peel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Hosing down the =
floor=20
immediately before spraying was the single most effective thing I did to =
reduce=20
the number of dust nibs that ended up in the paint.&nbsp; But make sure =
you=20
don't accidentally get even one drop of water on what you're going to=20
spray.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>To remove&nbsp;light orange peel and minor bugs and dust nibs, I=20
use&nbsp;P1500 grit wet sandpaper.&nbsp; (The "P" means the sandpaper =
uses the=20
European scale, which is much different at finer grits than the US =
scale.)&nbsp;=20
If I had more patience, I'd&nbsp;use P2000 because it's&nbsp;easier to =
buff out=20
the scratches.&nbsp; I buy them from&nbsp;Klingspoor with peel-and-stick =

backing:&nbsp; <A=20
href=3D"http://www.woodworkingshop.com">www.woodworkingshop.com</A>&nbsp;=
 If the=20
paint balls up and clogs your sandpaper, it's not cured enough.&nbsp; =
Wait=20
another day or two, or even more in cold weather.&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>After wet sanding, power buff with compound designed to remove =
P1500=20
scratches, then power polish with compound designed to remove the swirls =
left=20
behind by the previous compound.&nbsp; You can get these from your local =

automotive paint store.&nbsp; Harbor Freight sells power buffers that =
are=20
adequate for a single airplane, and incredibly low cost.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>For sags and runs, start with P800 grit paper.&nbsp; If you're the=20
impatient type, you can use coarser paper, even P400, but you might make =

scratches that are hard to remove.&nbsp; Of course, the more you sand, =
the more=20
likely you'll cut through to the underlying primer or =
carbon.&nbsp;&nbsp;Work=20
your way&nbsp;up through the grits to P1500.&nbsp; Avoid =
sanding&nbsp;any edges,=20
where you're almost certain to cut through faster than you can say, aw=20
_____!&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>So the good news is that Delstar single stage (and similar paints =
from=20
other companies) is well suited to spraying in a home shop.&nbsp; =
However, when=20
the&nbsp;single stage paints cure, the&nbsp;parts of the&nbsp;paint that =
make it=20
glossy migrate to the surface while it's curing, giving it the&nbsp;"wet =
look"=20
that doesn't need waxing.&nbsp; So the bad news is that sanding off this =
top,=20
glossy, layer means you'll have to wax the surface to get it to look =
really=20
shiny.&nbsp; There's no free lunch.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>On the other hand, I've seen Chris Zavatson's and Mike Reinath's =
painted=20
airplanes, which are way better than mine, so you might want to follow =
their=20
advice instead.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Dennis Johnson, Legacy #257&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>*I may be wrong, but I believe activated charcoal respirators =
safely remove=20
the toxic materials from these paints, but since the toxic material has =
no=20
smell, you have no way of knowing when your filter is used up.&nbsp; =
This is why=20
they are not recommended.&nbsp; I used a fresh air mask from Aircraft=20
Spruce.&nbsp; If you use a charcoal respirator, you might want to open a =
new=20
filter each time&nbsp;you spray and only spray in a well ventilated =
area.&nbsp;=20
If the spray area looks like you're in the fog, it's not well=20
ventilated.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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