Anyone with experience with Southern Polyurethanes primers and paint for aircraft?

[Triumph1974]

Having an issue finding the PPG concept paint I painted the cowling with a few years ago, and now I plan to finish painting this Spring...... seems like some folks really liked the Southern Polyurethanes primer - wanted to get additional feedback from someone with experience with their complete single stage paint system on airplane use.

Not sure if I should go with the aircraft paint sold by Aircraft Spruce, or if that is just overkill vs. high quality auto single stage paint, since it looks like I need go with a different paint system regardless.

Thoughts and suggestions appreciated - especially around primers/systems that don't require Alodine prep etc.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

I (and many others) have used their epoxy primer. It seems to be a quality product. I have no knowledge of their paint.

 

[PaulvS]

Having an issue finding the PPG concept paint I painted the cowling with a few years ago, and now I plan to finish painting this Spring...... seems like some folks really liked the Southern Polyurethanes primer - wanted to get additional feedback from someone with experience with their complete single stage paint system on airplane use.

Not sure if I should go with the aircraft paint sold by Aircraft Spruce, or if that is just overkill vs. high quality auto single stage paint, since it looks like I need go with a different paint system regardless.

Thoughts and suggestions appreciated - especially around primers/systems that don't require Alodine prep etc.

Search for posts by member LR72 regarding Southern Polyurethanes top coat paint, I recall Larry has used it and commented positively about it. I think that the color range may be a bit limited (I may be wrong) so check that.

Edit: Per the website the SP top coat is 2 stage (base +clear) and the available colors are: White, Red, Dark or med Red, Black and Orange.

I'm painting my RV with a PPG epoxy primer and Valspar 2K polyurethane single stage top coat and the primer needs to be sanded for the top coat to adhere. Generally it is safer to use the complete paint system from one manufacturer to ensure compatability, cross-linking etc.

 

[Triumph1974]

I (and many others) have used their epoxy primer. It seems to be a quality product. I have no knowledge of their paint.

Thanks Kyle - So you didn't have any issues mixing one manufacture's primer and another's paint? Is there a known list of what paints will work with their primer? I was hoping to stay all within "the paint system" do reduce the likelihood that I goof something up and end up with a problem!

 

[Bandera]

With modern paint systems, using a different paint brand to do a repair is a non issue. The issue in the past was lacquer and single component enamels.

 

[PaulvS]

With modern paint systems, using a different paint brand to do a repair is a non issue. The issue in the past was lacquer and single component enamels.

How about a new job using an epoxy primer from one brand and a single stage polyurethane top coat from another brand. Will the top coat chemically cross-link to the primer, if sprayed within the time window?

 

[Bandera]

I’ve done that many times. Also, you can let the primer dry a day or two then scuff it with 320 sand paper. I like to do that anyway. By sanding the primer you “level” it out and remove any trash in the primer.

 

[Kyle Boatright]

How about a new job using an epoxy primer from one brand and a single stage polyurethane top coat from another brand. Will the top coat chemically cross-link to the primer, if sprayed within the time window?

My experience is that epoxy primer acts like epoxy primer. Some are more expensive, some less, some harder or easier to shoot. But paint seems to stick the same to all of 'em.

 

[PaulvS]

My experience is that epoxy primer acts like epoxy primer. Some are more expensive, some less, some harder or easier to shoot. But paint seems to stick the same to all of 'em.

My experience is the same with the two brands of epoxy primer that I use, but I always sand it before applying the top coat. I've never used a "wet on wet" process and am unsure if that would be a problem with a different brand of top coat.

 

[Nova RV]

I used Southern Polyurethane's clear over another brand base coat on my RV and am very pleased with the results.

 

[blaplante]

I used the SPI white epoxy primer and liked it a lot.
I also used the single stage (i.e. no top clear) white. It took me a while to get it to lay down well. They said thinning was optional, and I took that to heart. Turned out a tiny amount of thinning was just what it needed to lay down. Which I didn't learn until the end. Painted in about 2015, still looking good (although it is hangared).

At the time only white black red in the 1 step top coat, so my Yellow is PPG (which was easy to use, but 2x the cost per gallon). The PPG required a bit of thinning which is what got me thinking about doing the same for the SPI.