DIY Painting Expenses

[rockitdoc]

Just an FYI for those interested in the costs to paint your ship yourself. My color scheme is two tone, with a metallic silver on top, white on the bottom, a thickish charcoal metal flake stripe on the side with another tan-gold pearl strip below that. This is being done with the Sherwin Williams aviation system (ie, AcryGlo, etc)
I am about finished and have purchased all the paint to complete the project so this number should be pretty close. I can itemize for those interested. But, basically the primers (wash/etch and urethane) are $2000. Colors are $3200. There are incidentals like lacquer thinners and papers for sanding, mixing cups and such included in this cost. So, figure about $5200, all in. If you go all white, it would save $1500. Those metallic and pearl stripes cost me $500 for a quart/each. So, paint is not an insignificant expense, at least not for me. No doubt you could get by for less, but I did not want to risk peeling, fading or any other issues later on. Painting is a major task.

 

[noahhl]

Just as another data point, I'm not quite done DIY painting, but I have all the required paint on hand -- I'm at $1,932 for Stewart Systems (primer, interior, two color exterior) plus $302 from Harbor Freight for two HVLP guns and a few bucks for incidentals here and there. I probably could have gotten away with a little bit less paint if I'd planned better on quantities over time -- I'll have a half gallon of primer and a half gallon of exterior paint left at the end, plus all but 1 oz of a pint of interior color because I came up one panel short.

 

[QuixoteAg]

What are yall doing about a DIY paintbooth?

 

[plehrke]

Have done it two ways. First was just a simple wood 2x4 stud wall spaced at 30” with (I think) 5m plastic over it. Same for roof. It was 25x10 ft. One end had furnace filters in it as intake and had a squir cage fan blowing out other end. Worked ok.
Second was a 25x10 ft tent that we assembled inside hangar. it was mod to have furnace filters on one end and the squirrel cage fan on other. Also worked OK.

 

[PhatRV]

What are yall doing about a DIY paintbooth?

No paint booth. All the wings and empenage got sprayed in the back patio. The fuselage got painted right outside the driveway. Not perfect but I wasn't looking for perfection. I found the modern HPLV paint gun has very little overspray.

 

[scottmillhouse]

On previous planes I set up a homemade booth by putting up a temporary wall in my shop, furnace filters in window and an air lock with a couple of exhaust fans. The space has since been used so I bought one of the blow up booths. Easy to set up and works well. Did 12 wings and tail this fall with remainder planned for Spring. Only issue is that the bright Sun made it like a hot house so paint setup quicker that expected. Solution was to paint later in day when in shadow.

 

[scottmillhouse]

As another data point the 12 is using about the same amount of paint as the 7. Single stage Polyfiber Aerothane. Aluminum prepped and then fully painted with 8 quarts epoxy primer, fiberglass with gallon of high build primer (mostly sanded off), finished with 4 quarts of color and 9 quarts of white. Stripes in vinyl. Cost about $2800 for paint, about 50% higher than 5-6 years ago.

 

[painless]

I painted my Hatz classic on the driveway in a Harbor Freight carport based booth. Two fans provided positive pressure with furnace filters at the inlets and exits. LED strip lights provided illumination. I was able to fold up the sides when I was not actively painting and to avoid damage from storms. Worked great

 

[Marlonyoung]

Two colors, gray and red and just finishing up this weekend. With primer and paint, I have about $2,500 in material cost to paint an RV4

 

[lr172]

Two colors, gray and red and just finishing up this weekend. With primer and paint, I have about $2,500 in material cost to paint an RV4

I painted my 10 in 2019 and all in was around $2000. There are affordable, quality paints out there.

 

[rockitdoc]

What are yall doing about a DIY paintbooth?

Two car garage (20'x20') attached to a second two car garage in tandem (one is the shop, the other is for cars when not a paint booth). 6 mil plastic curtain between. Two kerosene heaters in booth to augment my NG tube heater in shop. 3F last night outside and I had to fire up the kero heaters to get skin temp above 55F, which SW requires.

 

[Carl Froehlich]

I painted my first three builds. I’ll paint the current (and last build) with my wallet. I priced out the PPG base/clear products and associated other stuff. It comes out to ~$7000. Considering the work to paint an RV-10 I’m now looking for a good paint shop.

Here is the paint booth I made from the remants of an old party tent. The filters and exhaust fan did a nice job, as did the water separator on the air line.

 

[toolmanmike]

I painted my first three builds. I’ll paint the current (and last build) with my wallet. I priced out the PPG base/clear products and associated other stuff. It comes out to ~$7000. Considering the work to paint an RV-10 I’m now looking for a good paint shop.

Here is the paint booth I made from the remants of an old party tent. The filters and exhaust fan did a nice job, as did the water separator on the air line.
View attachment 53935View attachment 53936View attachment 53937View attachment 53938

 

[toolmanmike]

HUGH difference in cost depending on paint color. My white and gray were a measly $500/gallon already to spray. My blue that I just had to have was $1200/ gallon. That is the base coat urethane. Then you have the clear as well if you choose that process. Glad I did it myself but it is a lot of work. I spent $4000 on primer and paint. Not including thinner,masking, plastic, etc.

 

[rockitdoc]

It makes the $30 grand+ or so a pro charges feel a lot more reasonable once you've done it yourself! Of course, it all depends on how aesthetic one wants to go. But, for me, if I'm spending 4000+ hours building something, I want it to look at least as good as it would coming out of a pro's shop. Attention to detail in the things you can see speak to the things you can't see.

 

[wirejock]

Hmmm. $1500 so far in the vinyl.
Paint is Kirker EnduroPrime and UltraGlo single stage.

 

[rockitdoc]

Hmmm. $1500 so far in the vinyl.
Paint is Kirker EnduroPrime and UltraGlo single stage.
View attachment 53955

Vinyl is Much less costly! In time and $!

 

[PaulvS]

Vinyl is Much less costly! In time and $!

There is paint that is marketed for industrial use that is much less expensive. There is a price premium that is applied to aircraft paint and the quality is likely better, but not really necessary on our little planes. Automotive paints are priced in-between. The industrial paints don't have the same range of colors (metallic, pearl etc.) as aircraft and automotive paints and are single stage, so there are some limitations for color schemes.

The PPG EPOTEC epoxy primer that I'm using is about $130 AUD for 5 litre kit. Including the reducer, the plane will be primed for $300 materials cost.

The Valspar (Sherwin Williams brand) top coat 2K polyurethane single stage is $600 AUD total for 4 litres of red and 4 litres of white and the reducer.

The DIY framed paint booth with extractor fan, filters and lighting is about $500. I spent another $1000 on a bigger compressor that can run the spray gun continuously and a positive feed respirator to avoid breathing the ISO's.

Apart from the cost saving compared to having a pro do the job, I really enjoy spray painting and find it quite satisfying, just like the rest of building an RV.

 

[Gnvflyer]

I built a spray booth in my barn out of a $100 "party tent" I found on Amazon. Added some filters and a Harbor freight exhaust fan.
I'm using Epoxy primer that goes for $150/gallon and PPG Essential single stage urethane that's around $300/gallon with the activator and hardener.
As others have said, painting is a lot of work but so is building an airplane. I'm finding that I really enjoy it.

 

[lr172]

HUGH difference in cost depending on paint color. My white and gray were a measly $500/gallon already to spray. My blue that I just had to have was $1200/ gallon. That is the base coat urethane. Then you have the clear as well if you choose that process. Glad I did it myself but it is a lot of work. I spent $4000 on primer and paint. Not including thinner,masking, plastic, etc.

This depends a lot on the brand. I bought a gallon of red base coat (red is usually the highest price) for $280. PPG and Dupont are outrageously priced and there are other options at much lower cost and same or better quality. I use SPI.

 

[Bcone1381]

I painted using Stewarts. I had not held a paint gun in my life before i did mine. I attended a class, used there tools and had great results. So, very nice results are obtainable the first time painter.

The result (bad or good) will effect the value of your project more than any other thing you do on it. Everyone will judge the entire project by the paint job. The extra expense it takes to do it right is very very small, especially if you take into consederation al you've spent in time and money.

I used the paint gun that Stewarts sells, and I built the air system iaw there instructions (Air system means compressor, filter/dryer, new airlines, that meet Stewarts specifications.) I fear failure for the builder using a HF gun and saving a small amount of money. The Compressor can be sold when your done. Orange peel will result if the size of orfice is not right, or the air pressure at the orfice is not right or, the vicosity of the paint is too high. If your painting with Stearts you'll be rewarded if you do it iaw their recommendations.

 

[[email protected]]

I painted using Stewarts. I had not held a paint gun in my life before i did mine. I attended a class, used there tools and had great results. So, very nice results are obtainable the first time painter.

The result (bad or good) will effect the value of your project more than any other thing you do on it. Everyone will judge the entire project by the paint job. The extra expense it takes to do it right is very very small, especially if you take into consederation al you've spent in time and money.

I used the paint gun that Stewarts sells, and I built the air system iaw there instructions (Air system means compressor, filter/dryer, new airlines, that meet Stewarts specifications.) I fear failure for the builder using a HF gun and saving a small amount of money. The Compressor can be sold when your done. Orange peel will result if the size of orfice is not right, or the air pressure at the orfice is not right or, the vicosity of the paint is too high. If your painting with Stearts you'll be rewarded if you do it iaw their recommendations.

You are so right. The equipment is a major need. I have an 80 gallon compressor that feeds to a Craiglist $120 gallon volume tank. I now have 200 gallon of air storage and what comes out is DRY air.
I used to be in the stock car circuit 50 years ago and had many problems with water/junk in the paint from not enough volume etc. Maybe to much beer also.
I also have an active dryer after the 200 gallon storage system for painting.
I have Very dry air.
I am covered in the premium gun area. And the booth also.
Now if I would only get to work and do a good prep job.
My luck varies Fixit