PPG paint

[bannerpilot]

I have a Cub Crafters PA18 that I just finished a fabric repair on. As you know, CC uses PPG Durathane DUHS paint, which isn't exactly approved under the current STC but they have a loophole under the old STC and anyways it works and looks great. The problem is that this is old paint and hard to find. So I tried matching it with Aerothane and that didn't work so well. So I called the people from PPG trying to look for an equivalent paint (which was CC recommendation) to the old DUHS line and they said to try their Delfleet "FDGH" line of paint. Has anybody had any experience with this paint?

 

[jay heil]

ppg paint

Is your only problem a color match? ok, then first off what color is it? you said you tried aerothane which didnt work so im assuming it must be white or yellow? [a standard cub color] if so can you send polyfiber a sample ? they could custom mix it for you they have computer equip that can get it exact also many of the auto parts stores have the capability of computer matching paint colors I didnt know they stopped making durathane but if you use the other ppg paint they recommend make sure its a polyurathane not an acrylic urathane and have them match it ,it should work just fine as long as you sand the repair area with #400 grit paper as far as that goes imron will work great too

 

[bannerpilot]

Yeah that's what I'm going to do. Just take it in to get it color matched. Apparantly even if you have the color # it still may not match. Imron is way too stiff and will crack in time which is why Poly Fiber says to only use their product, which doesn't have all the fillers. According to Cub Crafters (and probably others on this board) the PPG Durathane DUHG paint is even better than Aerothane. That's why I was looking for a PPG paint comparable to it. I guess CC mixes their own or something because they said they couldn't ship it to me. If you've ever seen a Cub painted with Imron compared to a more flexible polyurethane (like Aerothane or Durathane) there is a big difference.

 

[PIPER J5.5]

We painted an aluminum aircraft with the Delfleet series and had mixed results. There is a great chance of lifting, so do a test first. You could have a mess on your hands. Sometimes breaking the surface of what you are painting can cause lifting. Sometimes the new basecoat will lift the old basecoat. I know some of these issues are common to other systems, but it seems Delfleet is very touchy. Ask a lot of questions first. The system did seem to layout well and look good in the end. Don't mix the single stage and two stage, they are completely different. we did the wings in single stage. and the fuselage in base/ clear. the paint store mislabeled some cans. it was a mess. Just our experience. eric

 

[Pro from Dover]

Per my PolyFiber rep: Poly Fiber will color match for you but they will also upcharge you 100% for each and every gallon you buy. As such I don't mess with PolyFiber if a customer is interested in custom or non-catalog colors. Mind you, even my PolyFiber rep thought this was a ripoff...

If you have a PPG system in place I would recommend staying with a PPG recommended system. Since neighboring substrates are all cured you will be dependant on a physical and not a mechanical bond for the topcoat repair to stick. Be diligent to make sure you have sanded as appropriate to provide a "tooth" for the topcoat to attach to. You can run a flexitive such as Bulldog up to 30% if necessary. If it a small repair I would not bother (unless it's a gearleg or something in the prop blast) It sounds like you've contacted the folks at PPG directly for tech advise. They make the stuff so they will know. Your local jobber may not have the depth for the appropriate advise.

Again, remember you are going to rely on a mechanical bond and not a chemical bond so preparation will be of paramount importance..

 

[Crash]

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