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Painting the interior

BGordon

Well Known Member
Good evening everyone,
I am about to paint the interior of my cockpit and had a few questions:

1. Should I build a booth to paint in. I tried that with the panels, etc, and it sorta worked, but I wasn’t able to paint a piece just once. They all required two to three coats before I was happy.

2. I’m worried about overspray and painting in a “bucket” is there a way to keep the airflow going outward so the paint doesn’t just settle? Could I paint in increments? Maybe the bottom fist, let it dry then the sides, and then the bulkhead that runs across?

Thanks for the help
Brandon
 
Good evening everyone,
I am about to paint the interior of my cockpit and had a few questions:

1. Should I build a booth to paint in. I tried that with the panels, etc, and it sorta worked, but I wasn’t able to paint a piece just once. They all required two to three coats before I was happy.

2. I’m worried about overspray and painting in a “bucket” is there a way to keep the airflow going outward so the paint doesn’t just settle? Could I paint in increments? Maybe the bottom fist, let it dry then the sides, and then the bulkhead that runs across?

Thanks for the help
Brandon

Ifor the interior I painted with PPG MTK unethane. I just hung plastic from the ceiling. I got some dry spray down around the seat ribs where I wasnt spraying topcoat, but otherwise it was a non-issue. Not spraying all that much paint on the interior.
 
Paint

I painted parts before assembly but if I were to paint completed, it would be in sections. More work masking but much less overspray.
 
I put my fuse on a rotisserie, turned it upside down and sprayed from floor to top. Very difficult, but turned out great. Kept over spray to a minimum but tough to light properly to see while painting.

If I were to do it again, I'd paint the sections as I go and blend with light touch-up. Used Jetflex WR, easy to blend....even for a novice like me.

Regarding the booth, I have a metal building (with metal ceiling) and used 2 mil plastic hung from the ceiling with rare earth magnets to to make a paint booth. Put additional plastic on the floor and rolled in the entire contraption.

Painting the interior is a lot of work....at least it was for me.
 
If you are considering a full interior I would certainly consider using a rattle can. I used Tremclad Professional. Goes on well, can sprays upside down & wide spray pattern, and finish is tough. Very little over spray. I waited as long as possible to paint each area. All other areas I left unpainted.

I did mine in 3 sections.

Front sides of fuse prior to rudder pedals going in,
Instrument panel area,
lastly baggage area sides and roll bar.
 

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I bought a thing that holds a roll of paper and tape to put the two together for covering a car or whatever like body shops use. I was not very expensive but was a BIG help when I was painting stuff. Most any body shop supply will sell them.
 
For those of you who wait and paint the interior after assembly, assuming the primer has been on for quite a while, are you respraying or scuffing the primer to promote adhesion, or just spraying paint without messing with the primer layer?
 
I scuffed it again and will re prime then paint (it was painted before I assembled it, but I didn't like the way it turned out).
 
I plan to paint mine in stages. Removable panels and cabin top, then side/side/floor. It will take some time but that will reduce mess and overspray.

Here's my paint booth, with box fans with furnace filters attached to them pulling air out the side vents for negative pressure.
 
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