I think I was trying tooooo hard to make it perfect. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hey Dan No such thing mate - it often takes the amateur substantially more time to get it just right, but he will have it no other way. The pro gets the 90% result without much effort, but we push for the holy mackerel result. We know that it will take more effort (and maybe a few tries) - but it will ultimately be that 10% better (than the pro). The net will not accept pictures - if you want I will send you pics of my beloved Juliette (Cherokee 6) that had a finish that no pro could be bothered to achieve. For the guys that spray all day every day - Ok, for the rest of us that seek terrific results with an occasional task - here is what works best for me. http://www.currys.com/airbrush/prodinfo1.asp?prodID=90&SubcatID=10 That is Canadian dollars - I am sure that it will cost even less in the US. I have looked far and wide for a gravity gun that gives the same results - they are pretty good, but just not the same. Mix all the paint you need for the task up front and have a helper on hand to help you top up - the gun does not hold much. You need a breather anyway and a chance to wipe the gun's nose. (important - it will accumulate a blob and dump on the best part of your paint job.) Orange peel generally means you need a bit more thinners. Stir the paint with a 3/8" dowel - remove the dowel and count the drops that come off the dowel. 8 - 12 drops works for me (after the initial flow) - you find your own mixture - the important thing is to gain a picture of the paint flowing off the end off the dowel when the mix is right for your gun /pressure /paint - then remember it. I assume that all the other obvious bits are in place - mask, air filter, water trap, regulator. Plenty lighting has been mentioned - vital that you can follow the wetting as you move along. It will be right just before it will run. The first coat is a dust coat - get about 75% of the primer covered (get the primer 75% covered?). Then immediately follow with the "flow coat" - Langford is starting to get the idea - but it can be more controlled than he says if you have the lighting. Get your head (eye) into the right position (angle) and you will literally see the matt dust coat wet out as the spray front moves along - it will be obvious when it is just right - even on the vertical surfaces - provided you can see clearly the point of application (at the right angle). The ideal angle will be relatively flat - you need to be sighting the surface (where the paint is being deposited) at maybe 30 degrees to the surface so as to see the paint line as you move the gun along. The horizontal surfaces are more tolerant to a bit extra - the lack of thrixopic properties in most 2 part paints calls for more care on the vertical surfaces. In the past, runs gave me great chunks of heartache - invariably I would sand the whole section down and start again - stupid. Runs take a bit longer to cure - particularly if they are bad runs. Cut away the excess of paint with a very sharp scalpel /exacto blade while the paint is "green" and then let it cure completely. DO NOT sand it without a block. I made up small sanding blocks - typically 2"x 1" with a thickness to suite. Wrap the water paper around three sides and work away at the excess paint with plenty water. Start with a coarse grade - 220 grit - and watch carefully. When the edges of the blob you are sanding get close to merging with the surrounding surface, (wipe frequently with paper towel) change to 360 until the edge of the run starts to merge - then 600 briefly (always using the block), followed by 800 and 1000. Then polish with rubbing / burnishing compound - I use Brasso. Even if you removed a bit too much and the primer is sort of visible through the paint - this will not be obvious as the gloss wins the eye. I wish someone had told me this along time ago. Steve J Mark L - I was interested to see piano hinges on the lower cowl area of your airplane. I thought that I had studied all the pictures on your site - but this had escaped me - you are using piano hinges to attach the lower cowl? Very neat, complete and well thought out installation - I shall be referring to these pages constantly during the engine install bit. I assume the Al tubing on the extreme right next to the oil cooler duct are fuel lines - two of them? Is one a return line or is the Left /Right selector in front of the firewall somewhere?
