Paint Repair

[1600vw]

Not a problem. Remember you can put any paint in that can or the paint you like can go into that can. Send them this paint if you have it or get it from them. Either way they can put said paint in these cans. I am going in today for one more can of the blue and yellow. The yellow paint I supply. Five years ago when I did the first repair I purchased a quart of this paint. I am glad I did for Jim told me that they do not make this paint today. He would have to match the color with another brand of paint. I am going to purchase a quart of the blue.

Tony

[Matt Gonitzke]

Thanks for the great feedback! My plane is a Bellanca Cruisemaster - production bird - fabric fuselage and wooden wing. Tony, I really appreciate the tip on the custom spray paint and for the video you posted. I've never heard of this product. I'm going to check it out and call your supplier if nobody in my area carries this. --Rob

Is the mechanic that does your annuals comfortable with you using a non-approved paint and/or process on your certificated airplane?

[RCS]

Hi Matt... I understand your point and will be discussing the matter with my A&P before doing anything. However my intention is to use the correct process up through the first topcoat. Thanks to a lot of good feedback on this forum, and considerable investigation on my part, I have determined that I have Ceconite fabric which has one enamel topcoat and one Imron topcoat over the enamel. I am not sure if the Imron is really approved or not, but it's been on this airplane for 20+ years and has passed many annual inspections. All I want to do at this time is perform some repair work (using the approved process for Ceconite) and match the topcoat appearance as closely as possible. Do you think this will be legal or are you suggesting the entire fabric/paint work on the entire aircraft is questionable? Thanks for your feedback!

[Matt Gonitzke]

I am not aware of any STC that lets you put Imron over fabric, and that paint is likely part of your problem. It gets very hard and brittle after some years, which is not a problem on a car body because it doesn't flex very much in comparison, but on fabric, this will cause it to crack. To repair it legally, you have to uses all products from an approved process, i.e. Poly-Fiber, Randolph, Stewart Systems, etc. That won't make your entire paint job legal though. I bet your mechanic doesn't even know it was painted with Imron unless he went 20 years back into the logs the first time he did your annual. At the end of the day, you have to make him happy.

If I remember correctly, the Stewart Systems process can be used to repair any other process; I am not sure if that is also true with the others.

[stewartb]

Today the fabric cover STCs limit what coatings can be used but that wasn't the case 20 years ago. Lots of planes had Imron applied and as long as it wasn't laid on too thick it worked just fine. Enamel would concern me a lot more than urethanes. About 9 years ago I covered my certificated PA-12 in Ceconite and used white dope for the primary color. That was compliant with the STC. I used red Imron for the trim color and that plane is a beauty. Keep in mind that today's Imron and similar auto paints are not what they used to be. Low VOC, high solids, and high build are what car painters use. That's not good for fabric airplanes. Any good automotive paint store can load paint into a spray can but you're getting a one part paint, not a catalyzed urethane like Imron. 2-part paints require induction time to cook and then have a relatively short pot life. That's also true of approved fabric coatings like Aerothane and Ranthane.

[1600vw]

I am not aware of any STC that lets you put Imron over fabric, and that paint is likely part of your problem. It gets very hard and brittle after some years, which is not a problem on a car body because it doesn't flex very much in comparison, but on fabric, this will cause it to crack. To repair it legally, you have to uses all products from an approved process, i.e. Poly-Fiber, Randolph, Stewart Systems, etc. That won't make your entire paint job legal though. I bet your mechanic doesn't even know it was painted with Imron unless he went 20 years back into the logs the first time he did your annual. At the end of the day, you have to make him happy.

If I remember correctly, the Stewart Systems process can be used to repair any other process; I am not sure if that is also true with the others.

Correct and why I used it. No other system could be used or mixed with another system. The Steward system cares less what system you have. I contacted the builder of my airplane. He said that original paint was Imron. He forgot what products he used in doing the fabric work, but did know the paint was imron. But he applied this so very thin. Hit it a couple times, meaning sand back and fourth two times with some 400 grit wet dry, and you have cut through the paint to the under coat or fabric if no under coat.

[1600vw]

Speaking of products used. I purchased a Legal Eagle that was built by an Engineer who worked for Boeing. He built 7 airplanes. He loved to build. But anyway. To keep this airplane lite or as lite as possible, he only used the ecko-fill on the fabric. He put 3 very then coats with a foam brush then sprayed the last coat, as the instructions. It looked to be painted in gray, but it was only ecko-fill.

I do not spray the last coat using ecko-fill. On the little repairs I am doing I put it on with a foam brush. Just one heads up to anyone doing this. Keep this product stirred very well. Do not put it on thick. Once it dries it is impossible to remove any lumps or bumps. I forgot this and put it on too thick in this repair I am doing now. Boy am I fighting this now. I had to take a dremel with a sanding disc and am still having a hard time sanding these spots flush. This stuff is like sanding steal.

[stewartb]

Back to the original question. 40 years on Ceconite? Are you sure it's Ceconite? The OP says cracking and lifting of paint. You need to apply silver to protect the fabric. That's more important than any cosmetic color coat. At 40 years that fabric is well past it's life expectancy and exposing it to UV now is the worst thing you can do. Spraying it with a rattle can top coat is not the place to start. ALL dacron fabrics require UV shielding under the top coat. Get off the internet and go talk to your mechanic about how to repair your fabric correctly.

[1600vw]

I agree, you must have good fabric nothing will make bad fabric good except replacement of said fabric. But saying just because its 40 years old the fabric is trash. I know some airplanes flying with fabric over 40 years old. But these airplanes spend every min they are not being flown in a hangar. None sit outside when not in use.

[1600vw]

If I was going to repaint a complete air frame or airplane. I would use tape as one uses a wax system on their body to remove unwanted hair. I would put tape on the fabric and remove, removing all the old paint that is not holding onto the fabric. I would then use the steward system to repair and repaint the fabric. If your fabric is bad you will need new fabric. If the paint is bad and the fabric is good, I would repaint doing this method and only on experimental airplanes. Those that fly GA type airplanes, they must follow the regs.

My airplane looks awesome or so much better then it did before I started. I will post pics later of the complete airplane.

1600vw