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January 12, 2010 - Painting, Painting

Seems to go on forever. And the sanding between coats is getting a bit tedious.

The Stewart Systems paint seems to be working well though. The white is a very light primer as a base for the cream colour of the flying surfaces. The "paint booth" is now changing colour again with white overspray everywhere. In spite of there seeming to be very little overspray with the HVLP gun it is surprising how much accumulates inside the spray tent [and collects in the mask filters].

One more light sand, then the top coats.

Brian

March 5, 2010 - Painting and Decorating

The painting process is turning out, like everything else, to take longer than I expected. However some parts are actually finished ! For example the fin and rudder, complete with logos that I have just painted, and a number of the other smaller pieces. I had the masks made by a local sign shop.

The colour, which is also the same for all the flying surface is Sun Valley Ivory, a suitable Art Deco looking colour, and the splash of red adds to the effect. The wings just need the final coat [the top wings are visible as the background in this pic]. The paint would normally have a glossy wet look, but a flattener has been added to give me a satin finish.

I've learned a few lessons with the Stewart Systems paint.

1. Apply less paint than you think you need. The paint seems to naturally flatten out some minutes after you finish spraying, and if you add more paint to get the finish looking right then very likely it will run and sag as this process takes place.
2. Don't attempt to do more than you can accomplish in 30 minutes. At least in our current summertime temperatures that is about the safe working time, and in that time you need to do a cross coat with a wait of 5 minutes or so between each direction.
3. The VOC catalyst is really irritating. You need a good fitting respirator mask.
4. Because of the short batch runs, i.e. one wing surface at a time, there is a deal of paint wasted. I'm mixing approximately 4.5 fl oz of paint, with the catalyst and water added it comes to about 7 to 7.5 oz of paint each time, because it would be a disaster to have the gun run out just before finishing a coat. As a result there is always some left over, and I have these $ signs in my eyes as I tip it into a waste pot.
5. Having nearly finished the Ivory top coats I think I am getting the hang of it. [I had to do the fin and rudder twice while learning some of these lessons !!]
6. Overall I'm pleased with the result. It ain't perfect, but then the aeroplane was built in 1926 wasn't it?

Brian

May, 2010 - Another Milestone

The paint tent has been demolished [thankfully] and there is at last some room in the workshop to move around and inspect the overall result of many weeks painting. Very pleased with the result. Not perfect by any measure, but clean, practical - - - and best of all, finished!

Wings and other bits visible in the background.

I may add the odd logo or two yet, and I think I will make a decal for inside the cockpit for the weight information [in German], rather than paint it on the outside.

Now to bolt all the bits together and see what it weighs.

Brian

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