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Best mid way priming suggestion?

RudiGreyling

Well Known Member
I have been doing a bit of primer research...

Now I do not want to start a "To prime or not to prime" discussion, but wanted the best mid way. I believe I have found a very good convenient suggestion, here is what a current South African RV builder suggested, what do you guys think?

His suggestions:
1) If you can't get in to inspect it, prime everything just to make sure!
2) If you can inspect it, only prime the mating surface where you are going to rivit the aluminium together, use brush on primer for convenience, it's easy and less time consuming trying to get the spray on gear out.
3) If you wan't additional confidence use a fogging corrosion inhibitor in areas you use method 2.

This means:
Empanage: prime everthing inside, cause you can't get in there after it's closed up.
Wings: Prime only the mating surfaces where you are going to rivit, use a brush applied primer for convenience, you can get into the wings for inspection, and you can use a fog corrosion inhibitor now or later when you notice something.
Fuse: Prime only the mating surfaces where you are going to rivit, use a brush applied primer for convenience, you can get in their for inspections, and you can use a fog corrosion inhibitor now or later when you notice something. If you want a fancy interior prime and topcoat the areas inside the cockpit you are going sit and is in the eye.

Pro's Con's of this method? let me know what you think.
 
I actually think that the best way to prime is to get all the parts out of the crate and spend a week doing it correctly, in an assebly line fashion, with a good two-part epoxy primer. In the end, you'll end up with primer that is really protecting your parts and you'll spend less time over the life of your project priming.

or.......

Don't prime anything that is ALCLAD. You can alwys fog it later, or once it is finished. I disagree regarding the empennage, you can always fog it at any time. You really should prime any part that is not ALCLAD.

Probably not what you want to hear, but....
 
f1rocket said:
...I actually think that the best way to prime is to get all the parts out of the crate and spend a week doing it correctly, in an assebly line fashion, with a good two-part epoxy primer...

:rolleyes: Hmmm...interesting...if it was only that simple...It could be done this way if all we did was a simple "Assembly" straight out of the crate, but unfortenately we don't. We have to drill, debur, take of edges etc...etc. Priming before performing these "manufacturing" tasks would leave me uncomfortable, since during our "manufacturing" we break the alclad seal, and this is where the first signs of corrosion will start.

The point this builder was trying to make to me, is that you prime the mating surface after "manufacture", but before riviting and assembly with an easy brush on application. The exposed areas you can see/inspect and/or fog now or later.

Makes sense? ;)
 
Yea, it makes sense...but it may not provide you with the desired corrosion protection. It depends on the primer involved.

I guess if you go with the epoxy primer ina can (AKZO), then what you describe will work. If you're not using an epoxy primer, then I doubt you're improving the corrosion protection much beyond what the aluminum already possesses, but I'll let you make that call.
 
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