Cheap paint job

The paint shop nearest me wants $7K to do a 152 (2 colors). I can't
justify that for a $20K bird; the current paint isn't that bad. Is
there any way at all to get a real paint job done for, say, closer to
half that??

MACCO...


"Paul Folbrecht" wrote in message
...
The paint shop nearest me wants $7K to do a 152 (2 colors). I can't
justify that for a $20K bird; the current paint isn't that bad. Is
there any way at all to get a real paint job done for, say, closer to
half that??

Take the wings off and get it into your garage....

Come on, I want good answers to my stupid question!

Seriously, there's gotta be a way to get this done for well under $7K,
and I'm quite willing to do whatever work I can myself.

FLYWITHJAY wrote:

Take the wings off and get it into your garage....

In article , Paul
Folbrecht wrote:

Come on, I want good answers to my stupid question!

Seriously, there's gotta be a way to get this done for well under $7K,
and I'm quite willing to do whatever work I can myself.

Considering that a small plane has 3 to 4 times the surface area
of a car, and considering EPA regulations for stripping paint and
painting, and considering how careful you want to be when stripping
paint (e.g., not damaging parts of your airplane), you have to figure
that doing the job right for much less than $7,000 would be
a challenge.

--
Bob Noel

"FLYWITHJAY" wrote in message
...
Take the wings off and get it into your garage....

Not a bad idea. You can probably strip and paint that entire C-152 for
under $2,000 in materials. If you're not comfortable holding a spray gun,
you can get an auto body guy to spray it in your garage. Or, even better,
most decent size towns have a few spray booths that can be rented on
weekends. I painted my own plane, but found several individuals who would
have sprayed it for a nominal (cash) donation IF I did all the prep work.

KB

There is a way. You will need a hangar to work in with a large
compressor (3-5 REAL horsepower - twin cylinder, 60 gallon tank 220V).
Obtain a conventional production spray gun (Binks Model 7 or similar).
Wash the plane, dry it well, blow out all the seams with air, and mask
it off. Dry sand lightly with 320 (dry white paper, not black
wet-or-dry). Do the wings one day and the fuselage the next day
(covering the part you are not painting COMPLETELY). For a 150, you
could do the entire thing at once, but you need to hustle. This is not
something you try if you have no experience. Put the plane OUTSIDE on a
calm afternoon and wear a charcoal filter respirator. Or, if you have an
alternate air supply (not just a filter mask - outside air with a hose
attached to a face mask), use that and put the plane inside and leave
the door open 3 or 4 feet. Cover yourself COMPLETELY (long sleeve shirt,
light gloves, hood, long pants). FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CAN TO THE
LETTER.

Paint only on calm, clear days with humidity under around 60%, temps
from 65F to 80F. Use the activator/thinner for the temps you spray in.
Ask the paint store for the right stuff. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE
CAN TO THE LETTER.

Spray on 3 coats of the same base color that is on there using a single
stage urethane (some colors need more, white usually needs 3 - although
I only did 2 on mine). You get the paint and sandpaper at an auto body
supply shop, NOT the hardware store or home center. For a 150 base
color, you will need around 6 quarts. I would get 2 gallons and activate
ONLY what you need (2 quarts at a time). Keep the rest for touch
ups/accidents/new wing tips. Paint the entire airplane (wings or
fuselage) covering over any existing accent colors. Wait a day and mask
off the accent color (or one of the accent colors if there is more than
one). Use 3-M fine line tape for the edges of any stripe. Use 3M 3/4
inch masking tape for the rest of the masking (add a piece of 3/4 on
top of the fine line to give you a bigger surface to tape the paper to).
Press down the edge of the fine line tape using a scotch brite FINE
pad. Don't press/sand until you screw up the tape, just enough for it to
stick completely (it changes color when it is right). Then do the other
accent colors, again COMPLETELY covering the rest of the bird (aka
reverse masking). Put back any parts you removed.

Now, cross your fingers that the new paint will adhere to the substrate.
99 times out of 100 it will. The trick to modern urethanes is to NOT
paint the rest of the airport because the stuff sticks to EVERYTHING
that is not covered in oil or dirt. The blacktop or concrete you paint
on will forever be the color of the plane. If you don't want that. put
down tarps within a 50 FOOT radius of the plane. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS
ON THE CAN TO THE LETTER.

This job will cost you around $1000 in paint and material, provided you
have the compressor, spray gun, oil/water separator for the air line,
and mask/air supply. Don't skip the filter mask or outside air. This
stuff is VERY dangerous to breathe. It WILL harden on the surface of
your lungs!!! FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CAN TO THE LETTER.

If you have no experience painting, or no experience painting with the
paint brand/type you choose, get someone who has. Practice on something
small, like a toolbox. Oh yeah, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CAN TO THE
LETTER.

Good Luck,
Mike

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
The paint shop nearest me wants $7K to do a 152 (2 colors). I can't
justify that for a $20K bird; the current paint isn't that bad. Is
there any way at all to get a real paint job done for, say, closer to
half that??


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On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 08:16:57 -0500, "Kyle Boatright"
wrote:


"FLYWITHJAY" wrote in message
...
Take the wings off and get it into your garage....

Not a bad idea. You can probably strip and paint that entire C-152 for
under $2,000 in materials. If you're not comfortable holding a spray gun,
you can get an auto body guy to spray it in your garage. Or, even better,
most decent size towns have a few spray booths that can be rented on
weekends. I painted my own plane, but found several individuals who would
have sprayed it for a nominal (cash) donation IF I did all the prep work.

KB

Vigorously shop it. I've heard there are a few who will slap some
paint on for about $3K. You may want to inquire of some of the
airplane brokers (sorry for the foul language) and dealers in your
area. They'll know who the deal makers are.

I painted a small plane in a T hangar many years ago.
Overspray drifted into the two adjacent hangars and for a while I
thought I was going to have to pay for TWO additional professional paint
jobs.

BELIEVE what Mike says about overspray drifting like you would never
believe!

(We got the overspray off of one Bonanza because it had a nice new paint
job. We got the overspray off the other Bonanza because it had an old
dull paint job and its owner was pleased at his new shiny wings!)

Rich


Mike Spera wrote:

Now, cross your fingers that the new paint will adhere to the substrate.
99 times out of 100 it will. The trick to modern urethanes is to NOT
paint the rest of the airport because the stuff sticks to EVERYTHING
that is not covered in oil or dirt. The blacktop or concrete you paint
on will forever be the color of the plane. If you don't want that. put
down tarps within a 50 FOOT radius of the plane. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS
ON THE CAN TO THE LETTER.

If you are going to use IMRON, you MUST, REPEAT, MUST wear full body
protection with the minimum of a pressure hood.
Spraying IMRON in an enclosed area without this protection will KILL you.
IMRON and others paints of this family contain cyanide which is absorbed
through the exposed skin.
This is very serious stuff and requires knowledge, respect and
understanding of the material.