Painting my masterpiece BLACK!

[Big Brother]

Hi All,

Advice needed on painting my fibreglass wings.

1, Can any one explain what "gelcoat" is.

2, Is there anything I should know before painting my wings/nosecone a different colour? (black)

3, What is the best paint type for fibreglass - cellulose or 2 pack? (wasn't he a rapper or something?)

4, Is any special preparation needed prior to painting?

5, Will the DVLA need to know of the change of F/G colour, as it equates to about 1/2 of the car

 

TIA

 

 

Steve

 

cool.gifScream...if you want to go faster!!!id=limegreen> cool.gif

[R2D2]

The gel coat is a specific resin that is applied into the mould before the glass is laid up and often contains a pigment. It will only harden when air is excluded so if you try to patch cracks with gelcoat you would need to seal it with paraffin wax (I don't know if there are any more modern gels which cure in air now?)

 

I would use an etch primer as the first coat after flatting the with a 240 grit and make sure that all of the "shine" of the gel coat has been removed. Then use a good high build primer and flat with about a 1200 grit wet and dry. I would use a very light guide coat of colour before the final flatting to make sure all the panel had been rubbed down. The preparation at this stage is vital as any defects will stand out once you apply the final colour, particularly black.

 

I would think two-pack was better than cellulose but does need to be sprayed with a mask with an air supply because of the iso-cyanates but is probably more difficult to spray and needs better equipment and skill than cellulose.

 

At least with cellulose you can spot repair.

 

If you flat the panel yourself I would always use a block. A pal of mine flatted his Alpine Renault A110 without a block and it has so many surface ripples it looks dreadful.

[elie boone]

Steve, There is no need to use a etch primer on fiberglass not even an additive to make the paint more supple. For sanding down use 300 or 400 dry or 800 wet or dry for non metallic colors and just use a normal primer for fiberglass.

[elie boone]

Further i would use a 2coat system ( with varnish )because the varnish gives extra protection.

Beware that a black color needs a perfect surface because you will see every single fault in the paint and also in the preparation of the surface before painting.Try to use a dark grey or black primer, this way stone chips give no black and white surface.

[Pierre Gillet]

Elie,

I am scarred now. I have painted my cycle wings after only removing all of the "shine" of the gel coat using 1200 wet and dry. I did not use any primer. I then applied two coats of paint ( with thiner) and one coat of varnish.

The result is almost perfect ( at least to my standards !).

Am I at risk now (paint peeling off)?

Cheers,

 

Pierre

[Big Brother]

Just reailsed (DOH!)that I forgot to say my wings have already been painted once before - many years ago!

 

If they are rubbed down in preparation for applying primer/paint, will it matter that the prepared surface will be a mixture of fibreglass and paint?

 

Steve

 

cool.gifScream...if you want to go faster!!!id=limegreen> cool.gif

[elie boone]

Pierre, It depends on the quality of your preparation.

It is most likeley that there ok if the sanding whas done propperly.

P.S. Are you Saterday at Croix ?

Steve, There is no problem with a surface of paint and fiberglass as long as the surface is smooth ( feel it with your hand )To see if your primer does not react with the old paint use the thinner for the primer to degrease the surface ( no problem if you use the same quality of paint )

If you want to repaint anything:

first degraese the surface

then sand down in two steps coarse - fine

if the surface needs filling, only on blank material

degrease

Spray primer in 2 layers

With non sanding primer you can spray the topcoat direct on the primer with sanding primer you have to sand and degrease before spraying the topcoat

Allways read the instuctions from the paint supplier about the mixing with hardener and thinner and the time to take between two layers.

smile.gif

 

 

 

[Pierre Gillet]

Thanks Elie.

Is it a Lotus Club of France track day at Croix?

Regards,

 

Pierre

[Big Brother]

Thanks Elie,

I take it that by using thinners to degrease, that you just wipe down with a cloth and let it dry/evaporate?

 

Steve

 

cool.gifScream...if you want to go faster!!!id=limegreen> cool.gif

[Pierre Gillet]

No thinner. You must use a special degreasing product sold by paint shops. It is the only product that can clean silicon spots that are really dreadful ( "orange skin" effect guaranteed!)

 

Pierre

[elie boone]

Pierre, Yes it is the Lotus France track day and your " special degreasing thinner " is just cheap thinner with a fancy word.Using the thinner from the paint as a degreaser give you a direct idea if the old paint will react with the paint you want to use.

If there is an reaction " crumpling " sand down again and spray very thin layers " dry as they say " until you have a normal layer. the hole idea is that the layer is so thin it dry's very quickly and has no time to react with the underground.

Orange skin has nothing to do with silicones but everything with the fluidity of the paint and a number of other factors.

Steve,degrease with one cloth and wipe dry with another cloth

Happy spraying cool.gif

 

[Nigel Riches]

Steve, when you spray the paint be sure to wear some form of breathing mask, preferably one with prorer carbon filters, as most of the paint and activator for two pack coatings have some real bad stuff in them, ie, isocyanate, (I have to spray this **** at work), if you can get a forced air supply and a hood so much the better, and don't be breathing the dust from rubbing down and cutting back. Have fun, she'll look a million dollars at the end. Ciao, Nigel.

[Nigel Riches]

Just a thought, the paint that I spray at work is manufactured by du Pont, and sold by the name "AMRON 700" (3 part mix) it's used to paint the aircraft, or the stuff that we used previously was "CAPRITHANE" (2 part mix) available through "CRODA" paint supplies, I used this on my engine and it is still good on the cylinder head, so must be top stuff, hope this helps. Nigel.

[Pierre Gillet]

Thanks Elie. I know now that I can save my money for real thinner since the special degreasing product is not that so unexpensive! This degreasing product however is interesting since it does not react with the painted support you want to clean for one or another reason for example between two coats.

How was the track day at Croix-en-Ternois?

Cheers,

 

Pierre