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Thread: Has anyone had good results rolling on latex paint on ultralights?

  1. #1

    Has anyone had good results rolling on latex paint on ultralights?

    Has anyone had good results rolling on latex paint on ultralights? I am interested repaintng the Fuselage on my CH1 with this process.
    It would be great to see photo results of paint rolled on and not sanded or buffed.

  2. #2
    rwanttaja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aeroschmitz View Post
    Has anyone had good results rolling on latex paint on ultralights? I am interested repaintng the Fuselage on my CH1 with this process.
    It would be great to see photo results of paint rolled on and not sanded or buffed.
    It's not an ultralight, but Drew's Fly Baby latex paint article should give you some insight.

    Ron Wanttaja

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    Sam Buchanan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by aeroschmitz View Post
    Has anyone had good results rolling on latex paint on ultralights? I am interested repaintng the Fuselage on my CH1 with this process.
    It would be great to see photo results of paint rolled on and not sanded or buffed.

    Just now finishing up painting my Fokker D.VII with rolled on acrylic house paint:

    http://fokkerd7.com/paint-1.html

    Previously used acrylic on my Legal Eagle:

    http://eaglexl-58.com/assembly-3.htm
    Last edited by Sam Buchanan; 11-17-2015 at 04:56 PM.
    Sam Buchanan
    The RV Journal RV-6 build log
    Fokker D.VII semi-replica build log

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    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    Much info is on this site..... also offered forum at the last several AirVentures
    http://eaavideo.org/video.aspx?v=2735032127001
    http://dawnpatrol.org/latex.html
    http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?d...e-fd6d4c4896fe
    http://eaaforums.org/showthread.php?...omebuilt/page3
    http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/fo...-covering.html
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhlxE3EFcCQ
    Find yahoo groups - cheapaircraftcovering .... https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/..._Covering/info
    Much on this topic - far more than 6 years ago.
    Google for more info.....
    I wish to add... there is no Latex in modern "latex" paint. The name is a carry over ( like tin foil) Lets call it what it is - acrylic based exterior house paint
    Last edited by Jim Heffelfinger; 11-18-2015 at 07:00 PM.

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    I know you asked about Latex paint (water-based); I have no experience with it but do have with rattle-can oil-based acrylic. If you are painting fabric -- like many UL's are -- the fabric expands & contracts a bit with heat & cold. Just enough to crack the paint in spiral swirls. Many of them....... My comment here is about rattle-can variety paints, even the better brands. Obviously there are paints that are formulated to stretch a bit, so if you're painting fabric make sure your paint choice has this feature.

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    I did some repairs on my airplane and needed to repaint. I used auto paint. I did this 5 years ago. This looks today as it did the day I did the repair. Not one crack or swirl marks at anywhere.

  7. #7

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    I am in the process of painting an experimental right now using latex paint. I'm using a mixture of a cup of washer fluid and ½ cup of Floetrol blended with a quart of paint using a 4-inch foam roller and a 2-inch foam brush where the roller doesn't reach. The paint is going on very smoothly with no brush marks showing. The paint mixture goes a very long way (I think the entire aircraft may take about a gallon) and it is drying very quickly. It won't be the quality of a $3,000 paint job but it will look great from 25 feet, will cost only about $300, saves LOTS of time, and may be lighter weight than a standard paint covering. It will be easy to touch up, if needed in the future. What will the quality and looks be like in 10-15 years? I don't know. Ask me then.

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    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    Well, the moderators are watching the numbers and with nearly 1300 views this appears to be a hot topic. Perhaps some focus for a SA article.
    There is a lot of old info around whether to use a black undercoat (do you black undercoat your house when you paint?) using window washer fluids ( is it really compatible with the paint?) roller or spray, foam brush v quality bristle brush. And my hot button - the name of the stuff we are talking about. There is no doubt that for the smaller UL/EAB planes throwing $2K+ and 20 gallons of coatings may not be the best use of our $$ and time. Malcolm mentions this clearly in his webinar. If working in wood ( Fisher, TEAM, etc) being able to peel the covering for a very careful inspection every 10 years makes sense. If working in household paints and uncertified fabrics you can get a recover and a new paint scheme for under $300. How likely would most people be in pulling off a $2K covering job? Just to do it over.

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    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rwanttaja View Post
    It's not an ultralight, but Drew's Fly Baby latex paint article should give you some insight.

    Ron Wanttaja
    Drew did not date his articles or any of the counter comments. Does anyone have that information? Much of the old info is 20 years old and paints have continued to advance in longevity/quality.

  10. #10
    Jim Heffelfinger's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sam Buchanan View Post
    Just now finishing up painting my Fokker D.VII with rolled on acrylic house paint:

    http://fokkerd7.com/paint-1.html

    Previously used acrylic on my Legal Eagle:

    http://eaglexl-58.com/assembly-3.htm
    I note a number of the projects are using "Stitts" undercoatings for the acrylic paint jobs - one of the BIG cautions in all the finishing methods manuals is to use compatible products. A finish that fails to live up to expectations may not be the fault of the topcoat. When using water base topcoats - use the Stewart products as they are also acrylic based.

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