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Painting RV9 flap bracket question...

A

alpinelakespilot2000

Well Known Member
The RV9 flap system uses brackets that hang down from the wing to which the flaps are attached. Because they will likely be subject to the weather while I'm doing my first year or so of flying unpainted, I'd like to get some paint on the brackets over my DuPont Variprime primer to give them a little added protection. (No primer flames please... it's a great primer in my opinion, for what we are trying to accomplish, but does need a top coat if it is going to be exposed to the weather.)

The key is that I will, at some point in the future, be painting over them. Right now it seems like it would be logical to use something that is low gloss, but beyond that, what type and kind I have no idea. I know almost nothing about paint, so any suggestions what I might use for the short term would be appreciated. (Spray can options preferred--these brackets don't need to be "professional" quality.)

Thanks.
 
If you know what kind of paint you will be using on the plane, then get something compatable. Then just paint it but use the same color that you will use for primer...grey(?)...then you can just rough it up and paint over them when the plane gets painted. You could also use an epoxy primer and leave it until paint time. Caution...do not use white epoxy primer since it does not provide any corrosion resistance. For small parts like this, you can mix up the primer and use a prevail sprayer with excellent results. I use PPG's epoxy primer and if you mix reducer with it, it becomes a sealer and will hold up for a LONG time.
 
sf3543 said:
Caution...do not use white epoxy primer since it does not provide any corrosion resistance.
Click to expand...
sf3543.... what do you know that I don't? ;) Seriously, why doesn't the white provide corrosion resistance? I have read every single piece of literature on PPGs DP48LF (white epoxy) I could find and found no distinctions made between any of their colors. I am very curious... thanks!
 
When I was painting my RV6, I was using white epoxy primer. When I was buying it, the PPG dealer told me that the white primer doesn't provide corrosion protection and that I would need to seal it. However, they did say that all the colored primers do provide corrosion protection. (Seems like I also read that somewhere on a PPG site, but can't remember where.)
I do know that some primers only provide for better adhesion properties for the topcoats and nothing for corrosion protection. It may have something to do with the pigment in the paint, I don't know, but I assume they know what they are talking about. It never occurred to me to try to verify beyond his recommendation, since they have provided me with a lot of very good information and guidance.
Let us know if you find out anything different.
 
sf...

Thanks for the info! Ironically it was my PPG dealer who recommended the DP48LF for corrosion protection, and when mixed with the reducer a sealer. I was planning on heading over tomorrow for another quart, and you can bet this topic will come up again. I just checked my spec sheet on the DPxxLF line of primers and I can't find any footnotes or comments about white (48) not providing protection. We shall see... more on this later! :)

On a related note, I did some other searching, and I found a Deft white "corrosion inhibiting" epoxy primer that they say meets Mil-Specs. Makes me think the pigment may not be the issue, but I am sort of comparing apples to oranges here (PPG to Deft).

Steve, sorry, didn't mean to get off on a tangent from your original post, but somethings have to be done! ;)
 
AH-HA!!!

Looks like we (or our paint guys) are both right! I just got off the phone with PPG and they told me that it was true, the OLD white DP48 provided less protection than the other DPxx primers, but that the NEWER recipe DP48LF, as of some years ago, provides equal protection as the other DPxxLF primers (colors).

Mystery solved... case closed.... I can sleep again! :D
 
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