DIY Paint Job

[lloydboy08]

I'm planning to repaint my Cessna Skylark 175 myself. I've done the car painting thing before, but aircraft? That's a whole new ballgame. Got a couple of questions:

- Do I really need to strip the old paint all the way off, or can I just give it a good sanding?
- Is 2K epoxy paint good to go for aircraft, or should I be looking at something else?

Would love any tips or advice you’ve got! Appreciate it!

 

[Swingwing]

I am an amateur painter, far from a professional. I have repainted two Cessnas, an Apache, and a Rotorway with decent results. They were no-show winners, but they turned out nice.

I would recommend stripping the plane. It will prevent damaging the rivets by sanding and take off a lot of weight. A complete paint job probably adds 30 lbs or more to the plane.

I use an etch primer (Variprime) followed by an epoxy primer, then a single stage 2K urethane paint. I have good results using automotive fleet-grade paint (U-tech and Nason Ful-Thane) in lieu of aerospace paint. This saved substainally on cost.

Use 3M fine line tape to get crisp edges on painted strips.

Be careful with Urethane paint. It is very hazardous to your health. I use a fresh-air hood in lieu of a respirator when applying it.

 

[Mach2]

Don't get sandpaper anywhere near clad aluminum. Use an organic stripper certified for aircraft use.

 

[TKiernan]

All scuffing and rivet cleaning should be done with stainless steel wool, butyural rubber gloves and MEK. Bonderite stripper, then pressure washed. As for paint epoxy primer, then a high grade urethane. Example Ranthane, Aerothane, axzol/noble products.
Keep in mind that all epoxy and urethane products are dangerous, and a fresh air supplied mask or hood is imperative, for your health.