"Can someone give me an idea of the time (hours) needed to get it into "ready to prime" condition?"

 

 

Can't say how many hours were spent in surface prep, as it was done along the way during building.  And that is really recommended.  

 

If all the surface prep is not done until the end, then it is too overwhelming.  By then the builder is tired of building and wants to go fly.  But, all that surface prep to do before painting.  Well, just give it to the painter to do.  There goes an additional $10,000 before the paint.

 

Depends on how nice the builder wants the plane to look.  My plane was paint ready when I took it to the paint booth.  Primed and sanded.  Over and over again.  The painting process: masking, painting (base coat-clear coat), sanding, and buffing; two of us, eight hours a day, six days a week for five weeks.  It turned out fairly nice (2-time grand champion).  My time in the paint booth was not counted, but the painters was, so whatever he charges per hour and add the cost of materials, and the total can easily be over $10,000. 

 

Remember to add the $10,000 for the surface prep to the total if the painter does it.

 

Two thoughts:

 

1. When it is all done, most people only see the paint and upholstery (ok, well maybe the panel). 

 

2. At 8,000 feet they all look the same.

 

"The first thing noticed and the last thing remembered is the finish" (Don Barnes)

 

Gary Edwards

LNC2