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Interior painting

iamtheari

Well Known Member
As I work my way into the fuselage kit, I realize that I am now working with parts that will be pilot-facing in the completed airplane. I suppose I could rhino-line the interior of the plane, but that would probably weigh too much and collect dirt. What have others done that they're happy with for the floor, baggage floor, sidewalls, etc.?
 
I'm using "rattle can" paint and working as I go - for floors and baggage /sidewall areas using a textured paint, and metallic paint for other areas and for trim.

Not as nice as what folks have done with HLVP guns etc but I'm satisfied with results.
 
I'm using Stewart Systems EkoPrime in Smoke Gray to prime all interior surfaces of the plane. But for the actual things that you'll see when you're sitting in it, I am thinking about other options either for better scratch resistance or better looks, or both. Or I could keep using the same stuff throughout. It does look good and is supposedly pretty tough.
 
Jet flex

I painted parts before assembly so rivets would contrast.
Everything is Sherwin Williams JetFlex Solvent Based. Gray and Black.
There's photos on my blog.
Panel will probably be powder coated.
 
Jetflex

+1 on the Jetflex. Easy to apply with the HF sprayer. Only problem I had was the colors on the chart don?t look much like what you get out of the nozzle. I had to strip and scrape out the first try on the interior but now happy with blue-black.
Greg Beckner working on FF
140366
N557GB
 
JetFlex WR (water reducible) is very nice, too. I comes out of the can like peanut butter in a OSH winter, but actually applies well and is very tough. Nice stuff. I'm shooting mine on top of SS "smoke grey" primer. Sticks really well. Buy a gallon in the color you want. I've found that the color matching at the quart level leaves a bit to be desired, and you'll need more than a quart.... (my only gripe, and not the fault of the product)

BTW, I did my panel in the same stuff, followed by dry transfer lettering, and then a water based Varathane clear coat from the aviation isle at Ace. I'm very happy with the results.
 
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I screwed up my trim tab bottom skin after priming it with EkoPrime. It sat in the corner for a couple months. Last night, I put it on top of some plywood on the floor, painted side up, and ground my foot into it as hard as I could for a few seconds. All I got was dust off my shoe, which brushed right off and left the smoke gray primer intact. I am officially impressed with this product.

Thanks for the tips on Jetflex WR. I'll have to call the nearest Sherwin Williams dealer and ask about it. I assume they can get it, it's just a question of stocking it. My major beef with Sherwin Williams, after building a house, is that they have too many different colors to choose from. That will probably turn into a problem earlier than anticipated with my plane. (Compare that with the Kitfox builder I know who is several years into the 'once I pick a color, I can fly it' phase.)
 
Stewart report

EKO prime is easy to work with and the urethane finish coats are relatively abrasion resistant. The only negative is the EKOprime etch must be well rinsed and can be challenging in the shop as opposed to outdoors with a hose.
Also, EKOprime will not tolerate auto fuel. It lifts under the urethane and blisters everything.
 
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Jet flex

I screwed up my trim tab bottom skin after priming it with EkoPrime. It sat in the corner for a couple months. Last night, I put it on top of some plywood on the floor, painted side up, and ground my foot into it as hard as I could for a few seconds. All I got was dust off my shoe, which brushed right off and left the smoke gray primer intact. I am officially impressed with this product.

Thanks for the tips on Jetflex WR. I'll have to call the nearest Sherwin Williams dealer and ask about it. I assume they can get it, it's just a question of stocking it. My major beef with Sherwin Williams, after building a house, is that they have too many different colors to choose from. That will probably turn into a problem earlier than anticipated with my plane. (Compare that with the Kitfox builder I know who is several years into the 'once I pick a color, I can fly it' phase.)

I've never had any luck getting SW Aerospace coatings from the local dealer.
I order from one of the Aerospace dealers.
Make sure you test on scrap to be certain the two products play nice. Ask on VAF about prepping the primer. Most likely it needs a scuff with 400 before paint.
 
I used Zolatone and love it, came out nice. The only mistake I made was the color of the primer, I used a chromate yellow color, and it took more paint to cover as it was gray, but all in all very happy.
 
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