• If You Are Having Trouble Logging In with Your Old Username and Password, Please use this Forgot Your Password link to get re-established.
  • Hey! Be sure to login or register!

Stewart System Paint

I haven't seen any peeling issues with Stewarts top coat. Have seeen the bubbling and orange peel. What did Stewarts say about the peeling when you discussed it with them?
I haven't talked to them yet as I thought the first flaking was where a tape should have been. The complete failure was noticed yesterday.

At this point I see no reason to. I followed the instructions and the video. Everything looked perfect for almost three years. There seems to be an equal number of people that had the system work vs. people that had to redo it a few times for it to be just acceptable. Very few that did it years ago to be able to gauge durability. A couple of months ago I would have been one of the people praising it. Now I'm just looking for a way out.

A better question is why are so many people having problems? We keep hearing that "it's waterborne, it shoots different". Well, so was the glue and Ekofill and I don't see people having problems with them. Maybe there is a problem with solvent entrapment. Maybe the problem is actually the Ekofill. One things for sure, applying a urethane topcoat is the worst place to be having problems. What help is calling the manufacturer, years after following the instructions, for some things to "try", that may increase the odds of success from 50% to maybe 60%? It all starts with "cut the old fabric off...". Maybe I'll get four years next time before I have to spend time and money to do it over again. Believe it or not, I'd rather fly my plane than redoing the covering three or four times to get it right. The system is ruined by an extremely difficult topcoat. The Stewarts need to open up the STC to other topcoats until they can fix theirs. Singing the praises of Ekopoly to people that have had multiple failures with only this particular paint is not good.

My original question asked if anyone tried a different topcoat. To switch to a more proven system I'd have to strip all the parts that are now sitting in Ekofill anyway. Only makes sense to try a different paint and see if it sticks. Short of it having a bad reaction with the Ekofill, I can't see any problems and the durability can't be any worse.
 
From reading the last 4 pages of problems, I have decided to not try Stewarts top coat. when their system first came out, did not their STC allow any top coat.
I to would like to see the different topcoat area investigated. I hate to start from scratch if someone has already done some work in that area.
 
I simply don't understand the issues, not that I wouldn't be angry if it happened to me.
I have never painted before but I have been around painting quite a bit, that being said I have had zero issues except for a run which is my fault.
It must be how quickly you apply it. I could see the ekofill grey though the top coat until the fourth and final coat, and I still think it could have used one more coat for the perfect finish. The paint turned out so much nicer than most butyrate paint jobs I have seen, it looks like an automotive paint job.

Sent from my HTC Evo using Tapatalk
 
Tyndal, I notice that you've posted twice, both about this, and still haven't talked to the factory. Why don't you talk to them first, before badmouthing them? They're awesome people, awesome product...I don't know why yours is having trouble.. I've used it for over 10 years and like I said before...all problems I had, I traced back to me. The only issue I had that was anything like what you're saying was because I didn't topcoat the ecofill soon, and it got some contamination in it.. again, my fault.
 
Tyndal, I notice that you've posted twice, both about this, and still haven't talked to the factory. Why don't you talk to them first, before badmouthing them? They're awesome people, awesome product...I don't know why yours is having trouble.. I've used it for over 10 years and like I said before...all problems I had, I traced back to me. The only issue I had that was anything like what you're saying was because I didn't topcoat the ecofill soon, and it got some contamination in it.. again, my fault.

They are awesome people and everything but the top coat is awesome. The top coat is very technical and not forgiving.
 
IMG_3160.JPG
How's that for fish eye...ya...picky paint....but I will continue to use it...I agree with Hardtail...most problems can traced back to us...could the product improve...YES...however as I have said before...I will use it on my super cub...This ones an experimental...Did I use the best gun...NO...used a Wagner...worked great IMO .... Jason even stopped by my place...IMG_3154.JPGThey have always been willing to help... Hopefully...if I get my carbon fiber fuel tanks...might have it in valdez this year...

Its my go plane...not my show plane.....

Ron
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3160.JPG
    IMG_3160.JPG
    1.2 MB · Views: 215
  • IMG_3154.JPG
    IMG_3154.JPG
    1.5 MB · Views: 325
Tyndal, It sounds like you let it sit for a period of time before shooting the top coat. I believe that they say a maximum of 10 days or sand it again before the top coat. Did you leave it too long and not sand it enough? I had some peeling but only on a fiberglass nose bowl, built by persons unknown with materials unknown, around the edges. I figure that I didn't do a through enough sand and clean in that area. I let the fuselage sit all winter before spraying the top coat, then following Dan Stewart's instructions did the top coat. It is now going on two years without flying and it has shown no changes at all. I've done a lot of fabric work over the years and get very impatient when spraying. I hate doing it. I think mine came out great. I call it a 10 footer. From ten feet it looks great. I definitely would use the process again.
 
Tyndal, It sounds like you let it sit for a period of time before shooting the top coat. I believe that they say a maximum of 10 days or sand it again before the top coat. Did you leave it too long and not sand it enough? I had some peeling but only on a fiberglass nose bowl, built by persons unknown with materials unknown, around the edges. I figure that I didn't do a through enough sand and clean in that area. I let the fuselage sit all winter before spraying the top coat, then following Dan Stewart's instructions did the top coat. It is now going on two years without flying and it has shown no changes at all. I've done a lot of fabric work over the years and get very impatient when spraying. I hate doing it. I think mine came out great. I call it a 10 footer. From ten feet it looks great. I definitely would use the process again.

I think it's 24 hours, not 10 days.
 
I have watched this thread and NO one has said any thing about the compressor there using they will contaminate a paint job if the water and OIL traps aren't right and Cleaned often. Also the hose needs to be clean and not used in the shop every day only for paint and only after cleaning the traps this will cut down the chance of compressor oil causing fish eyes
 
View attachment 5548
How's that for fish eye...ya...picky paint........
Ron

sever contamination....

you will get that also, if you sand a dirty part, without cleaning the contamination from it FIRST, then you got a fight on your hands..... as it gets rubbed down into and under the abrasive scratch marks..... very hard to get rid of then...

they sell fish eye eliminator for paint, but I refuse to use them, because all the do is allow your paint to cover an area like this, but NOT BE BONDED well to the sub surfaces, do your prep work right, don't be lazy and you will NEVER have this issue
 
Last edited:
.....the water and OIL traps aren't right

I also keep wondering if the traps themselves, cutting down on air VOLUME of air......

is their a simple way we can test your air volume???
maybe a trick like the calibration plug with hole of a known size plugged into end of your compression tester...X pressure in, Y pressure should still be attainable on second gauge???
or between gauges, or????????
 
I felt the AHA moment when reading the contaminated air source, and also the sanding a contaminated surface. I remember (that happens sometimes) when using those "tac rags" that since they felt 'waxy', I was afraid of smearing 'wax' on the surface. I wiped thoroughly but VERY lightly. I learned long ago that many light coats is better 'n a few thick ones.

I used the PolyStuff because it was recommended, and has been proven for many years. I like that my fabric is plastic coated, not just painted. Built a respirator so I'm STILL respirating!
 
Tyndal, I notice that you've posted twice, both about this, and still haven't talked to the factory. Why don't you talk to them first, before badmouthing them? They're awesome people, awesome product...I don't know why yours is having trouble.. I've used it for over 10 years and like I said before...all problems I had, I traced back to me. The only issue I had that was anything like what you're saying was because I didn't topcoat the ecofill soon, and it got some contamination in it.. again, my fault.
If you google stewart systems paint, this is one of the most active sites discussing it and its problems. And I'm only badmouthing Ekopoly. As I've said, I really like everything else. Enough that I want to continue using it, just with a different topcoat.

I had other issues last summer that needed help from the factory. Yes they do try to help as best as they can from almost 2000 miles away. I shot some expired paint, my fault, and although the opened can shot perfect, the unopened can was turning to pudding a few minutes after being mixed. They said to sand and shoot with new product. I bought fresh stuff, sanded, painted, and it peeled immediately. They replaced it, no charge, but as their distribution network is rather poor, it takes weeks to get any product. In this little project, the first topcoat was two weeks old before applying the next. Makes me wonder about the adhesion of future touchups down the road.

Tyndal, It sounds like you let it sit for a period of time before shooting the top coat. I believe that they say a maximum of 10 days or sand it again before the top coat. Did you leave it too long and not sand it enough? I had some peeling but only on a fiberglass nose bowl, built by persons unknown with materials unknown, around the edges. I figure that I didn't do a through enough sand and clean in that area. I let the fuselage sit all winter before spraying the top coat, then following Dan Stewart's instructions did the top coat. It is now going on two years without flying and it has shown no changes at all. I've done a lot of fabric work over the years and get very impatient when spraying. I hate doing it. I think mine came out great. I call it a 10 footer. From ten feet it looks great. I definitely would use the process again.
Nope. It was all applied within the time constraints in the manual. After spraying the parts were kept nice and warm in my house for a couple of weeks before installation. Mine didn't show any changes for the first two years either. It wouldn't be so bad if it was on aluminum or fiberglass, a quick strip, sand and prime and you are ready to try again. The factory replacing the paint for free doesn't help much when you have to cover the cost of fabric, tapes, glue and fill.
 
I have about a pint of Pontiac Red EkoPoly (does not match Aerothane Pontiac Red) that is approaching 1 year old. If anyone wants it let me know. Hate to waste it. I am in Anchorage. PM me for contact info.
 
So, does the Stewart's Juneau White match the Polyfiber or the Randolph/Certified Coatings Juneau White??
The Stewart's seems a bit blueish....is it a serious mismatch, like wings one color and fuselage the other?
 
Last edited:
No matter which source of paint, any two cans may not match exactly. This is particularly true if they are not mixed in a large batch before being placed in the cans.
 
need helpm with stewart system

Hi guys
I am new to the group and I am looking hor help. I've painted a plane years ago with Aerothane, not the best looking but not bad for a first one. The only thing I hated about it is the toxic fumes. a few years ago a second project. this time I used Stewart's. It worked great and I loved it. this year (My wife says there is no cure for it) a third one. Then hell went loose. eko poly went on fine. as I tried to apply the paint, it is eyefishing like you wouldn't beleive. Dan at Stewart is helping me as much as he can, but 3000 miles apart doesn't help. we've looked at different possible contaminants, but so far no real progress. A friend of mine, in a different hangar is having the same problem. Anyone ever encountered somethin similar??
Any help will be welcome
Pierre
 
I am not a paint expert, even though I have done a lot of it. My most recent one was with Stewarts. Are you certain that you are getting dry air in your hose. If the compressor is making water you could get the fish eye. Another thing that I found was that the temperature needs to be at least 70 degrees F. It just did not lay on very well at lower temperatures.
 
Hi guys
I am new to the group and I am looking hor help. I've painted a plane years ago with Aerothane, not the best looking but not bad for a first one. The only thing I hated about it is the toxic fumes. a few years ago a second project. this time I used Stewart's. It worked great and I loved it. this year (My wife says there is no cure for it) a third one. Then hell went loose. eko poly went on fine. as I tried to apply the paint, it is eyefishing like you wouldn't beleive. Dan at Stewart is helping me as much as he can, but 3000 miles apart doesn't help. we've looked at different possible contaminants, but so far no real progress. A friend of mine, in a different hangar is having the same problem. Anyone ever encountered somethin similar??
Any help will be welcome
Pierre


You are putting it on to heavy per coat
 
I had the same problem with ecofill. Clean fabric and a filter at the paint gun fixed the problem for me
 
Whilke using Stewart's I had some fish eye appear on my wingtips when I used DX330 Wax and Grease remover. It seemed to leave a film; I could see the "eyes" developing as I sprayed! Turns out it's a great product but you should wipe it on and then wipe over the area with another clean rag. I guess I thought all the surface stuff would just stick on the first rag. You also need to give it time to evaporate good. I just went back to good old acetone. One other thing, I noticed that I had more of a tendancy to get runs with the "new" premium paint. Don't know if it was just me or what.
 
Just finished painting my pacer with ekopoly premium. We were getting fisheyes in the first 3 goes, ended up being the paper cups used to measure components, guessing some waxy coating on said cups.

After a little practice I've been getting the paint to flow out like a dream, better shine than Imron or Centari IMO. I followed Jason's most recent youtube instructions carefully. If you can get the gloss to follow the second pass by about 3 seconds you're golden. I'm totally in love with this paint right now.

Sam
 
Hi guys
I, too, am having problem with the paint. It just won't stick to the Ekofill. The Ekofill went on like a charm. But when I tried to apply the paint, it fisheyes like crazy. Dan at Stewart's tried to help me, but so far no joy. anybody had similar problem? How did you fix it? do you know of any other product that would stick to ekofill? I talked to people at Polyfiber and they claim that Aerothane will stick good; any comment on this one? Did anyone ever used that additive that minimize eyefishing? I'd reall y hate to fix that mess with a knife. That would be costly.... From what I read in the thread, that paint seem to be quite tricky to apply; good thing there was no solar eclips, it would have been ever worst:???: .
 
Sorry about the last same post, I am no computer wizz and thought my yesterday's post didn't go through, neither didn't I see the answers..:oops:
On the first contact with Dan at stewart's we suspected a few things. So, I bought a brand new compressor, air hose and a better gun. Tried again, no joy. Temperatures were always over 70F with low humidity. Did the same as on the video, but as soon as I apply more paint it fisheyes on me. The conclusion so far is contamination. What contaminated it, that is a big one. No clue... I tried to clean it with 99% iso something alcohol, lacker thinner. Nothing seems to work. The next step is to apply eko prime to see if it will stick, if it does, Dan says the paint will stick no problem. All I can do for now is wait for the weather to improve, it has been raining cats and dogs for the last week.
 
Hi guysI, too, am having problem with the paint. It just won't stick to the Ekofill. The Ekofill went on like a charm. But when I tried to apply the paint, it fisheyes like crazy. Dan at Stewart's tried to help me, but so far no joy. anybody had similar problem? How did you fix it? do you know of any other product that would stick to ekofill? I talked to people at Polyfiber and they claim that Aerothane will stick good; any comment on this one? Did anyone ever used that additive that minimize eyefishing? I'd reall y hate to fix that mess with a knife. That would be costly.... From what I read in the thread, that paint seem to be quite tricky to apply; good thing there was no solar eclips, it would have been ever worst:???: .
Not sure about Aerothane, but I know Polytone will stick
 
Did you wipe it down and rinse with Stewart's cleaner before you sprayed the top coat? That could be a reason for the fish eye?
 
Not sure about Aerothane, but I know Polytone will stick

Have you tried it? I'd rather use Polytone instead or Aerothane, simpler, easier, easier to fix and cheaper. I do not really care about the hi gloss
 
Have you tried it? I'd rather use Polytone instead or Aerothane, simpler, easier, easier to fix and cheaper. I do not really care about the hi gloss

Yes, I tried it and it will stick, but if I were you I would try to figure out why you're having trouble with the Stewarts top coat
 
Also, Jason said some isopropyl alcohol is shown at 70% alcohol which means it's got a lot of water in it. He said look for some in the 90 ish % range. I looked and was unsucessful. Went back to acetone. Craig
 
Back
Top