Speed Goat
I'm New Here
Could I get an estimate of how many gallons are required to fully cover an RV 6,7,9? Thank you.
Van's Air Force
Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.
How much paint?
- Thread starter Speed Goat
- Start date
paint?
Speed,
A difficult question to answer, consider, brand of paint? some brands, Dupont, claim 1 coat coverage ??.
Equipment used? Conventional spray guns or HVLP guns? HVLP's usually use less material as they don't atomize as fine and less paint goes out the exhaust fan.
Colors? dark colors cover better and usually require less paint to achieve desired results. Whites and yellows usually require additional coats.
Underlaying primer/sealers, a good idea is to use a sealer that is close to the top coat color, example, if you are painting a plane yellow or red, I would recommend paint the plane white first then top coating with the desired color.
Depending on technique and experience with a paint gun, you should be able to apply 1 coat using 2 to 3 quarts of sprayable/mixed paint.
Do the math, primer/sealer, 2 coats each, base color top coat 2 to 3 coats, trim, usually a quart will suffice. Clear coat ?, 2 to 3 coats.
Again, this is only an estimate, I am sure there are guys that will say they can doo it with less or more paint.
I have painted a lot of planes, hundreds, and this is only my estimate.
Dick
Speed,
A difficult question to answer, consider, brand of paint? some brands, Dupont, claim 1 coat coverage ??.
Equipment used? Conventional spray guns or HVLP guns? HVLP's usually use less material as they don't atomize as fine and less paint goes out the exhaust fan.
Colors? dark colors cover better and usually require less paint to achieve desired results. Whites and yellows usually require additional coats.
Underlaying primer/sealers, a good idea is to use a sealer that is close to the top coat color, example, if you are painting a plane yellow or red, I would recommend paint the plane white first then top coating with the desired color.
Depending on technique and experience with a paint gun, you should be able to apply 1 coat using 2 to 3 quarts of sprayable/mixed paint.
Do the math, primer/sealer, 2 coats each, base color top coat 2 to 3 coats, trim, usually a quart will suffice. Clear coat ?, 2 to 3 coats.
Again, this is only an estimate, I am sure there are guys that will say they can doo it with less or more paint.
I have painted a lot of planes, hundreds, and this is only my estimate.
Dick
Speed Goat
I'm New Here
Thank you, any guidance is a great help.
scottmillhouse
Well Known Member
As others said it depends on what paints you use and of course how thick you put it on. For another data point: On my last two planes I used about 9 quarts as mixed to spray white epoxy primer (3 quart epoxy kits makes 9 quarts mixed to spray) to preKote treated aluminum and fully filled fiberglass, 12 quarts Aerothane single stage urethane top coat. Fiberglass was about a gallon of heavy build urethane primer with much of it sanded off to provide a smooth base for top coating.
Last edited:
How I guesstimated for my Rv-10
First off, I had no experience painting a plane before my RV-10. I measured the square footage I needed for primer, checked the manufactures coverage rate per gallon per coat, multiplied that by two for 2 coats, then added 50% for waste and overspray. I used a single stage urethane in several colors. I estimated the required square footage for each, went by manufactures rates, planned for 4 coats, and again added 50% for waste and overspray. I had some extra but since it was a shipped product, I did not want to run out during the painting process and have to pay an additional hazmat shipping charge. I?ve used most of the leftover paint on other projects.
First off, I had no experience painting a plane before my RV-10. I measured the square footage I needed for primer, checked the manufactures coverage rate per gallon per coat, multiplied that by two for 2 coats, then added 50% for waste and overspray. I used a single stage urethane in several colors. I estimated the required square footage for each, went by manufactures rates, planned for 4 coats, and again added 50% for waste and overspray. I had some extra but since it was a shipped product, I did not want to run out during the painting process and have to pay an additional hazmat shipping charge. I?ve used most of the leftover paint on other projects.
I think one quart would be enough for the interior of a two seater model.
bpattonsoa
Well Known Member
Search "how much paint" on the RV-10 forum. Several actual used quantities.
Just use the ratio between a -10 and a -7 wing area and you will have as good an estimate as you are going to get. There will be a large variation depending on the equipment used, skill, complexity of the scheme, and just the phase of the moon.
Just use the ratio between a -10 and a -7 wing area and you will have as good an estimate as you are going to get. There will be a large variation depending on the equipment used, skill, complexity of the scheme, and just the phase of the moon.
I used single stage, which is comparable to a clear coat in a base / clear paint job. My wings are white as is the bottom half of the plane. Wing tips are red and the bulk of the emp is Red. I used 2.5 mixed gallons of white and 1.25 mixed gallons of red. This is for two full coats. Red coats were a tad on the heavy side to ensure two coat coverage.
paint brand quality matters here. Some cover better, per coat, than others.
Larry
paint brand quality matters here. Some cover better, per coat, than others.
Larry
az_gila
Well Known Member
Only if you can do all of the painting in one step.
If you have multiple sessions on different interior parts the losses will probably make 1 qt. to low.
