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Thread: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

  1. #1
    Senior Member Kitfox Pilot's Avatar
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    Default Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    I am ready to start prepping some aluminum parts to paint. Are these primers from aircraft spruce ok to prime with? And please any advice on painting aluminum would be good. I have watched a few videos and not all agree with each other. I my self have painted a good bit but never any aluminum. Thanks for your experienced advice.
    Last edited by Kitfox Pilot; 12-26-2020 at 06:03 PM.
    Harlan and Susan Payne
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    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    FWIW, Harlan, I don’t personally like zinc phosphate. It’s the substitute for zinc chromate, which was good, and pretty much a standard for those of us building metal airplanes at one time. I think the self etching SEM primer is good and have used it a lot on aluminum.
    John Evens
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    Senior Member Kitfox Pilot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    Quote Originally Posted by jrevens View Post
    FWIW, Harlan, I don’t personally like zinc phosphate. It’s the substitute for zinc chromate, which was good, and pretty much a standard for those of us building metal airplanes at one time. I think the self etching SEM primer is good and have used it a lot on aluminum.
    Thanks John. On prep did you scotch bright the metal then wipe with denatured alcohol ?
    Harlan and Susan Payne
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    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5A...oCVUP15G0uB-Yw

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    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    The NAPA 7220 Self Etching Primer has been recommended by others on this forum; I used it and was happy with it. I always used the maroon Scotchbrite and then wiped with denatured alcohol until the cloth came clean.
    Jim Ott
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    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    Like Jim said. Also, if you’re going to use Alodine you don’t really need self-etching primer. The rattle cans are very convenient for the small jobs and I used them a lot... but that isn’t really much of a recommendation, as you would see if you looked at what I painted on this bird. It’s also pretty hard to beat a good epoxy primer.

    I used Dupont VariPrime (self-etching) on my T-18, even though I Alodined or anodized every piece of aluminum on the airplane before riveting or other assembly. Then I top-coated with PPG Durathane - yep, mixed systems, but VariPrime is pretty compatible with most other brands. That paint was extremely tough and still looked like new 28 years later when I sold the airplane (which was no “hangar queen”).
    John Evens
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    Senior Member Kitfox Pilot's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    Quote Originally Posted by jiott View Post
    The NAPA 7220 Self Etching Primer has been recommended by others on this forum; I used it and was happy with it. I always used the maroon Scotchbrite and then wiped with denatured alcohol until the cloth came clean.
    Thanks, Napa brand would be better to restock locally if I need more.
    Harlan and Susan Payne
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    Rotax 915is, Airmaster prop
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5A...oCVUP15G0uB-Yw

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    Quote Originally Posted by jrevens View Post
    Like Jim said. Also, if you’re going to use Alodine you don’t really need self-etching primer. The rattle cans are very convenient for the small jobs and I used them a lot... but that isn’t really much of a recommendation, as you would see if you looked at what I painted on this bird. It’s also pretty hard to beat a good epoxy primer.

    I used Dupont VariPrime (self-etching) on my T-18, even though I Alodined or anodized every piece of aluminum on the airplane before riveting or other assembly. Then I top-coated with PPG Durathane - yep, mixed systems, but VariPrime is pretty compatible with most other brands. That paint was extremely tough and still looked like new 28 years later when I sold the airplane (which was no “hangar queen”).
    Anodizing at home? I'd like to party with you sometime. My hat is off.

    I've become quite adept at etch and Alodine. My primer of choice is this stuff (Two part epoxy primer in a rattle can. Leave it to the Germans eh?) Once mixed you have a couple of days to use it up. Goes on amazingly smooth:
    https://www.spraymax.com/en-us/produ...poxy-primer-1/

    Sources can be your local auto body supply place all the way through Amazon.
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    Senior Member jiott's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    To clarify my use of primer on bare aluminum, I mostly used the 2-part epoxy primer that came with the Polyfiber covering kit and was recommended by Kitfox factory. That was always my first choice. At the end of the project after I had run out of the epoxy primer, I used the NAPA 7220 for small parts and odds and ends. The 7220 also seemed to work well on fiberglass and some other non-aluminum parts.
    Jim Ott
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    Senior Member jrevens's Avatar
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    Default Re: Is this primer ok for bare aluminum ?

    Quote Originally Posted by alexM View Post
    Anodizing at home? I'd like to party with you sometime. My hat is off. ...
    Thanks, Alex. It was only a 5 gal. "tank", so used mostly for small fittings, hinges, etc. Chromic acid and a variable DC power supply made from a big surplus variac and a full-wave bridge.
    John Evens
    Arvada, CO
    Kitfox SS7 N27JE
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