From: Lancair Mailing List [mailto:lml@lancaironline.net] On Behalf Of rwolf99@aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2008
12:33 PM
To: lml@lancaironline.net
Subject: [LML] Re: Finishing Costs
Many of us don't have $20K to drop on a paint job. And yes, I
know that there's a lot more to it than just paint -- I was stating it that way
to make a point.
Mike Easley has the right idea for us Lancair builders with limited
funds. Do the bulk of it yourself , but just up until the end.
Filling pinholes is not hard and does not take too long. Finding and
filling the low spots does not take that long, either. But that last pass
or two -- it's not a matter of time, it's a matter of skill. Some of us
have it, but most of us don't. To get a result that you're happy with may
very well take the 1000 hours that you've been posting. It probably
takes that long to develop the skill.
If your goal is to teach yourself to be a professional painter, then by all
means do the whole thing yourself. If your objective is to learn the
basics and save a ton of money for a relatively small investment in time, do
the initial work yourself and let the professional do that last pass or
two. Put on the micro (or SuperFil) and leave it a little high when you
deliver it to him. The plan will be for him to make one final sanding
pass and then spray. Of course, it won't actually work that way, but
that's the goal.
If this is the approach you use, I STRONGLY recommend that your painter see
your airplane one or twice during this process. Even if you can only
bring him a wing, that's okay. He'll see what you've done, and after he
realizes that you don't know what you're doing he'll show you how to fondle the
surface to identify problem areas. Make sure you ask him to show you how
to manipulate the sanding tools to get the results he wants to see. And
yes, you'll go back into the garage and do as much work again as you already
had before you finally drop off the plane. At least, that's how it worked
for me.
I did the bottom of my airplane this way. The bottom is in primer and the
top is (as yet) untouched. The body work on the bottom appears superb to
my untrained eye and hands. He intends to do a single additional sanding
pass (I think 180 grit, or maybe 320) before he sprays the paint on what he's
already primed.
My airplane is in the garage. It's easy to walk out there, do an hour or
so of sanding, and then put on some more filler. Come back the next
day after the filler cures and repeat. I spent about 100 hours on it and
he spent about 40. Of course, the 360 is a little airplane.
- Rob Wolf