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Thread: Paint for fuselage tubing

  1. #1
    Senior Member LSaupe's Avatar
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    Default Paint for fuselage tubing

    Any recommendation for a good brush on paint for corrosion control?

    Would love to find something not too volatile if able as my only heated region this winter is attached to the house.

    Larry S.

  2. #2
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    Polyfiber has a good epoxy primer that is recommended by Kitfox. I used it and it can be sprayed or brushed. However it is quite volatile and you will want to use a respirator.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  3. #3
    Senior Member Peteohms's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    Check out Stewart products.
    Pete
    Leander, TX
    Model III SN 1000
    912
    Grove

  4. #4
    Senior Member Dave S's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    Larry,

    I'd second Jim Ott's recommendation on the Poly Fiber Epoxy paint.

    Its true...it stinks bad and you have to be careful not to gas yourself, but it is a great product for painting steel. I would be a little reluctant to brush paint the epoxy...it has a tendency to crawl if there is any un-evenness (which is hard to avoid with a brush)....sprayed on it is great.

    FWIW, I bought my fuselage bare, sandblasted it, epoxied it and finished with Aerothane. Photos attached

    Sincerely,

    Dave S

    KF7 Trigear - Flying
    912ULS Warp Drive
    St Paul, mn
    Attached Images Attached Images

  5. #5
    Senior Member ken nougaret's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    That poly fiber epoxy primer has a nice hard "plastic like" finish. Its great; but use the respirator.

  6. #6
    Senior Member LSaupe's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    Looks great! Thanks for the feedback.

  7. #7
    Senior Member cap01's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    definitely don't bother trying to brush the poly fiber primer , you won't be happy with the results . the small hvlp paint gun works good .
    chuck
    kitfox IV 1050
    912ul warpdrive
    flying B , yelm, wa

  8. #8
    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    I agree brushing the epoxy primer won't give you a finish that looks great on exposed surfaces, but brushing works fine in areas that don't show. I brushed it on my wing spars and cross braces, the aluminum door surrounds, aluminum longerons, various fabricated parts & pieces, and steel frame tubing touchup.
    Jim Ott
    Portland, OR
    Kitfox SS7 flying
    Rotax 912ULS

  9. #9
    Senior Member jtpitkin06's Avatar
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    Google a search for "water base metal primer". You will get lots of hits. Some good products made by Sherwin Williams called Pro Industrial. Another product is Tuff Coat available at Bass Pro or Through Overton's. Overton's also hs a number of water based epoxy coatings.

    John

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Default Re: Paint for fuselage tubing

    Buy an airbrush, it makes this kind of painting a LOT easier. A Badger
    350 works very well. You can mix paint (epoxy, and polyurethane in
    small batches), which can typically be put in the freezer for a day or two
    mixed and won't cure. This way you don't have to pour out so much
    left over. Just let it warm up for an hour or so, and mix in a little thinner
    when ready to start spraying again.

    N85AE has been flying more than ten years with freezer stored, and
    re-warmed Aerothane that was as long as a week old, and I had ZERO
    problems with it. For trim paint I did this a lot, and used the Badger for
    doing most of that work.

    Also a lot less paint spray in the air with the polyurethane, so if you're
    careful and have good ventilation the need for a forced air mask is a
    lot less when doing the small stuff.

    I also used the Badger for Epoxy primer a lot as well.

    Much more economical than any of the HVLP, or small spray guns.

    Jeff.

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