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Thread: Latex Paint for Your Homebuilt

  1. #61

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    The "why" varies in reason!

    For me, the side sheeting of my Nieuport is about four feet long and a little more high of aluminum. For consistency of color and finish (the rest of the fuselage is fabric covered), I'll paint it with latex. I'll prime it with something other than latex just to put a barrier between the two, but I'm not really concerned with corrosion.

    1) The underlying fuselage structure is painted.
    2) The sheeting is easily replaced.
    3) I'm not building a plane for the ages. The paint would have to corrode through the sheeting and then the tubing underneath to cause a serious problem.

    My plane has a flying lifespan tied to my own. I'm almost 50; let's be generous and say I fly into my 80's. I'm betting it will take longer than 30 years for a hangared aircraft to have the latex eat through the aluminum to the point where it needs to be replaced. If it does, I'll just cut a new one from sheet and screw it on.

    When I stop flying the plane will either be donated to be hung from a ceiling or scrapped - I do not want it sold to another person.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  2. #62
    Aaron Novak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    The "why" varies in reason!

    For me, the side sheeting of my Nieuport is about four feet long and a little more high of aluminum. For consistency of color and finish (the rest of the fuselage is fabric covered), I'll paint it with latex. I'll prime it with something other than latex just to put a barrier between the two, but I'm not really concerned with corrosion.

    1) The underlying fuselage structure is painted.
    2) The sheeting is easily replaced.
    3) I'm not building a plane for the ages. The paint would have to corrode through the sheeting and then the tubing underneath to cause a serious problem.

    My plane has a flying lifespan tied to my own. I'm almost 50; let's be generous and say I fly into my 80's. I'm betting it will take longer than 30 years for a hangared aircraft to have the latex eat through the aluminum to the point where it needs to be replaced. If it does, I'll just cut a new one from sheet and screw it on.

    When I stop flying the plane will either be donated to be hung from a ceiling or scrapped - I do not want it sold to another person.
    Frank,
    That's a perfectly fine reason. However the poster asked about a stressed skin design. Beside the engineering reasons, I would think re-sale value would drop with an un-proven finishing system on something like a sonex.

  3. #63

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    Well, looking at Barnstormers, depending on model, a Sonex goes for somewhere between 25K and 35K in resale.

    Now we all know that Experimentals usually depreciate faster than new cars, usually having a resale value below what the parts to make them are (there are exceptions, of course). But the Sonex prices for resale are right about the kit price, which is really good!

    Here's the thing for me in a good part of the selection of which paint to use, and that's overall price of whatever I'm putting on the aircraft. One can paint an aircraft with latex for less than 300 bucks (if one goes cheap, half that). I needn't quote what it costs to paint it professionally, or by using certified methods.

    Is it worth a couple grand to use certified paints on a plane that's ran one thirty thousand? This may surprise you, but I'd say yeah, it's in the ball park. In for a penny, etc.

    Do I think that the corrosion risk to stressed aluminum is such that one shouldn't do it? Nope. As you've pointed out, prudent research, particularly in priming the aircraft, is warranted. But it's not like one is using formic acid to wash polished aluminum skins - latex paints are pretty friendly (or at least not actively hostile) to aluminum. We've been painting aluminum of poorer alloys than on aircraft that is exposed to the elements with exterior latex for a very long time and it has a very good corrosion record. I've never seen an aluminum gutter or screen door that was painted with exterior latex corrode, for example.

    I'd also state that if one is building an airplane with resale in mind one has kind of missed the point of building an airplane.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  4. #64

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    And I'd also like to thank you for participating in the thread! A healthy amount of skepticism is a very good thing, and stressing prudence in how we all go about construction of our aircraft is a core function of the EAA in particular and the homebuilding community in general.

    We all do things and make decisions about our builds that warrant serious consideration on safety and design; sometimes it's a compromise though usually it's not.

    Just because something can be done and works doesn't mean one should follow it when it deviates from type certified practices and procedures.

    Barnstormers in the 1930's, for instance, routinely patched and even covered their aircraft using 400 count cotton bedsheets and doped them with regular ol' shellack. Did it work? Yep. Would anyone recommend it for a build? Nope.

    That extreme example that's far away from using latex is important, though. Go in with your eyes open, do the due dilligence, and make an informed decision, at least as informed as one can be. If it's within your comfort zone and is reasonably vetted, go for it. If not, don't!
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

  5. #65
    Aaron Novak's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Frank Giger View Post
    And I'd also like to thank you for participating in the thread! A healthy amount of skepticism is a very good thing, and stressing prudence in how we all go about construction of our aircraft is a core function of the EAA in particular and the homebuilding community in general.

    We all do things and make decisions about our builds that warrant serious consideration on safety and design; sometimes it's a compromise though usually it's not.

    Just because something can be done and works doesn't mean one should follow it when it deviates from type certified practices and procedures.

    Barnstormers in the 1930's, for instance, routinely patched and even covered their aircraft using 400 count cotton bedsheets and doped them with regular ol' shellack. Did it work? Yep. Would anyone recommend it for a build? Nope.

    That extreme example that's far away from using latex is important, though. Go in with your eyes open, do the due dilligence, and make an informed decision, at least as informed as one can be. If it's within your comfort zone and is reasonably vetted, go for it. If not, don't!
    Good sound reasoning there. I will pose this question, whywould one pick latex (acrylic emulsion) over synthetic enamel to paint theirmetal structure? If cost was my big concern, yet I wanted an aviation provenfinish, I would be going the synthetic enamel route in a heartbeat. Its foundat every store that sells latex, and is the same cost. Heck here in Wisconsinyou can even buy traditional enamel based zinc chromate primer by the gallon atthe local hardware store. The hardware stores can even tint the syntheticenamel any shade you want, including some metallic. Dupont Nason Nasco sold atthe discount auto parts stores can be had in many metallic shades for a fewmore bucks. Don’t get me wrong, I think its silly what some spend on paint fora hangared airplane, and myself prefer the simpler, safer and more “traditional”finishes.

  6. #66

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    That's a good question. I think it's because we're all cautiously courageous; others put latex on their planes and it turned out okay, so I'll try it, too!

    The roots of using latex paint actually comes from the RC crowd, from which it was extrapolated to fabric covered aircraft. It's a good fit, as latex won't crack when it's flexed.

    I think it's this attribute that makes it attractive for metal skinned aircraft as well; when a wing flexes the paint won't crack.
    The opinions and statements of this poster are largely based on facts and portray a possible version of the actual events.

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