Paint Question

[bbryan]

Do you guys using Polytone spray the metal parts like landing gear and fuselage handle while painting or use Enamel on all metal parts. Just thinking what masking I need to do.

[DesertFox6]

bbryan -

While the vast majority of my Model IV's externally-exposed metal surfaces are still wearing their original powder-coat color, those aren't many; just the jury struts and stabilizer support brackets, really. The notable exceptions are the fuselage maneuvering handle plus the fuselage's lift support strut and landing gear mounting brackets which are still wearing their over-sprayed PolyTone paint job after eleven years of desert flying without any peeling or obvious wear. The inside of the handle looks a bit "used" but the Poly Tone is solid. I had also over-sprayed my original kit-provided conventional gear structure but replaced them with the spring gear back in '93. No problems with the those painted surfaces either if you didn't mind a pebble chip or two, easily touched up..

I'd suggest a light sanding or 3M scrubby-pad treatment over your powder-coat if you have such, or the same treatment on an epoxy-primered metal surface then shoot the Poly Spray/Tone with reckless abandon! :)

"E.T."

[hansedj]

Any metal part that was already powder coated gray that I wanted white I just went to my Ace hardware and got some white epoxy rattle can paint. It has held up just fine and was cheap.

[DesertFox4]

bbryan, I think I epoxy primed all the fiberglass(cowlings) and metal parts before painting. It's been 9 years but that's what I recall having to do to make the Polytone paint stay on. Powder coated surfaces I did what hansedj did. Used "airplane" paint in a can from the local hardware establishment.

[bbryan]

Good info. Polytone is the winner. At least the cuffs an collar match.
Thanks!