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Painting the PA-12

R

randywhite

Registered User
I have my PA-12 covered with Polyfiber thru Silver. I would like to paint with a real wet look, such as Imron with a Urethane finish. I understand that the STC would be void if I do not use their products. Could I put a coat of their paint and then use Imron on the top? Does anyone know what Cub Crafters uses on their great finishes? :roll:
 
I'd shoot Ranthane, great gloss, easy to shoot and legal. I think CC and Aviat use PPG but ask Mike S. about his yellowing over the tapes on his new Top Cub.
 
My '12 has Ranthane on it; it's super tough, super glossy, and super expen$ive.

The finish should last just about forever though.

It's tougher to make repairs should you ever need to, due to the hardness of the finish. You can't rejuvenate it as with dope. Basic patches will take a bunch of careful sanding to get through most of the paint.
 
what paint would give you a nice wet finish and would be the least likely to crack or ring worm over the years?
 
Ranthane or Aerothane is the way to go, stay away from Imron , PPG or any auto paints they have to much solids. They will look good for a while but crack in a couple of years.
 
Use Aerothane for the wet look. It is harder to repair than their satin finish Polytone. I am not familiar with the Randolph products but I do know that Polyfiber bought Randolph out so now the Randolph products are legal to use on Polyfiber. I have been told that a lot of people like Randolph over Polyfiber because it sprays better but I have never used it personally. I was at CC factory last August. They have a first class operation there. They use PPG paint over Stitts fabric. When I got home, I asked my Poly Fiber supplier how they can do that and be legal. He said that since they are a factory, they can do it. If they weren't factory built and rebuilt like you and me would do, the car paint would void the STC.
 
Thats hard to believe about C/C being a factory allows them to deviate, the STC allows only their coatings anything else VOIDS the STC without a permission letter allowing them to deviate. I don't think Poly fiber would do that considering they could sell you their Top Coat Paint. Now C/C does Nice work along with the other Cub shops around. Personally I like Buty. Dope on the fuselage and tailfeathers ( easy to repair these areas/ get beat up alot) Go with Aerothane or Poly urethane for Stripes leading edges & metal. If your doing the tops of your wings in a dark color Aerothane or a Polyurethane not only for Gloss but it doesn't fade as bad as dope
 
A factory does not have to adhere to an STC - they have their own type certificate, and it probably clearly states what they are doing.

American Champion used to have the authority to use Dacron - maybe they still do - so long as they use some sort of specified contact cement for attachment.

I never had any serious problems with PPG acrylic enamel over dope or poly spray - but I do not operate in freezing weather. And locally, as I understand it, we are allowed to use previous versions of the STC, so auto paint over silver is still approved here. You must own a copy of the procedure book to do that. Something about once approved, always approved, until you have an A/D.
 
all of the above mentioned paints will give a good gloss certainly go with the legal ones but remember about 80 %of your wet look happens before you pick up the spray gun gloss and DOI [distinctness of image] are at least 80% in the preparation
You can also take anyone of those paints and end up looking like crap if you havent prepared the surface properly for the paint and that absolutly doesnt mean puting on a bunch of extra coats of polyspray
 
I am not an A&P, just a guy that has owned a couple of planes...


You mechanics that put IMRON, or any other acrylic type paint on a fabric plane should be SHOT!!!!! :bad-words:

Ok, DRAWN, QUARTERED and SHOT!

Think about this: take a fabric, soft and plyable that moves with the movements of the frame- pull a cub inside a warm hanger after flying all day in freezing weather and watch the fabric for the first hour. It looks like it will be falling off!

Now take this fabric and glue a hard shell onto the outside, but make it paper thin. Looks great, (if preped correctly), when it comes out. Fly it a while and the vibrations and contractions of the fabric will begin a separation between the fabric and the hard shell... it is only a matter of time!

So Acrylic type paint is great to cover a fabric plane that is getting close to the fabric falling off... Holds it firm for the pre-purchase inspections and buyers looking it over. They get it home and fly it a couple of months...

Now try and repair it.... :crazyeyes:
 
Thanks for the info Bob, so what you are saying is because they are a manufacturer with their own type certificate "They don't have to adhere to an STC ? Even though They write on a 337 covered the aircraft with stitts poly fiber fabric in accordance with stc #SA1008WE. Is this with any STC or just the fabric coverings Very Interesting!
 
Manufactures are different in that they can produce aircraft prior to getting a Production Certificate as along as their processes are approved and their Quality Control manual is followed. In my case I worked for ACA prior to ACA getting their Production Certificate issued and the QC manual specified dope. They couldn't get the paint shop to pass EPA regs and the fact that dope was labor intensive they used Superflite SystemIV at the time. Covered under an STC. Every aircraft had the STC and 337 filled out at the time of completion. They have written their own covering method and have gotten that process approved and that is what they are using today.

Up until the last 5 or 6 years when Poly Fiber and Randolph changed their manuals the STC's only covered up through silver and you could put any top coat on you wanted. If you have an aircraft covered prior to the change it is legal under that STC.

Change the manual change the STC oh wait the didn't change the manual just clarified it.
:wink:

Matt
 
cub12 said:
what paint would give you a nice wet finish and would be the least likely to crack or ring worm over the years?
Click to expand...

Stewart's paint...nothing flexes like that stuff!!!


AKTango...well said!!!
John
 
aktango58 said:
I am not an A&P, just a guy that has owned a couple of planes...


You mechanics that put IMRON, or any other acrylic type paint on a fabric plane should be SHOT!!!!! :bad-words:
Click to expand...

Although I totally agree with you and would never do it, we had an old A model here that came from Kentucky. Still in original sprayer configuration. Covering was about 15 years old and I about fell out of my chair when I read in the logbooks that it was covered using Imron. It lasted a couple winters here, and would have lasted a lot longer, but when I had to pull the fabric up to replace a couple rear longerons, it was a bitch to try to make look good. Never got brittle and had no cracks in the paint. (until I did some severe folding of the fabric)
If I knew how that guy did it, I would have no problem covering any ag plane fabric with Imron.
 
"If I knew how that guy did it, I would have no problem covering any ag plane fabric with Imron."

Or Mr. Sam Macree hisSelf for Razorback cover. Just weight it before and after :roll:

Thanks. cubscout
 
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