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landon18

Filing Flight Plan
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Feb 25, 2023
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Landon Scarbrough
Good Evening looking for a touch up paint and looking where to get a paint match and where do I go to get that
 
O'Reilly's Auto Parts.

Find a store that does paint, take them a sample of what you want to match, and they can mix it up.
 
Location of the sample will dictate how much fade to put in the can.

Some folks can provide in a rattle- can.
 
Ordering can only get you a match as it left the factory.

Suggest you follows Doc’s notice and have it mixed to match the

condition of the aircraft now. Generally the top and side surfaces tend to

fade. Getting your sample from the underside will work best .

It will also fade and possibly match.

There are other factors involved like how large of an area you are doing.

Leading edges typically take a beating. I like to re-do Cessna Leading Edges

back to the Spar. The bottom of the Wing is sheltered and the top is out

of sight.This allows improving appearance with minimum down time.


Another benefit of a local sample is the current topcoat can be determined.

There are different types of paint and not all are compatible. Worst case

might be the 172 that had a genuine “Rust-Oleum “ finish!

I presume you are not painting Flight Controls?
 
I've always just removed a small part of the same color, then I take that part to my local auto paint shop. They match it quite well. Spray cans or just a touch up bottle.
 
Like said take a panel off your plane and take it to a auto paint store, not a hardware store. They will have a"camera" that they use to match the paint to your sample.
You want acrylic enamel, imo.
I am not a fan of spray cans. You can't get the additives you need in the paint in a spray can. Like hardener and flex agent.
I did try the Preval sprayer like showed above and didn't like it all. Don't shake it up like a spray can, it just didn't work worth a hoot for me. I probably was doing something wrong like shaking it.
A 5.99 HF spray gun is a good affordable tool for touch ups, works better than a Preval sprayer and cheaper.

Depending on what you're painting you may need flex agent like if your painting fairings.

I got a qt of paint for my plane and they matched a inspection panel a few years ago. I have used it 3 times now for my plane. Still have some left, I add reducer which makes more paint.
A 6 dollar spray gun that works well, I used it for contact cement and tossed in the garbage when I was done with it. The stand for the gun cost more than the gun.
IMG_8922.JPG

Not pictured is the hardener/activator that helps the paint level out(makes for a nice shine) and chemically hardens the paint fast. The flex agent is for flexible stuff like bumpers and aircraft fairings.
IMG_4125.JPG

I recently painted this fairing.
IMG_4072.HEIC

IMG_4271.JPG
 
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Yep, we have a commercial paint supply place that will mix up polyurethane (or whatever you want) to any color. Just bring them a sample. I pulled one of my inspection plates and took it down there.
 
flyingron said:
Yep, we have a commercial paint supply place that will mix up polyurethane (or whatever you want) to any color. Just bring them a sample. I pulled one of my inspection plates and took it down there.
Click to expand...
Activated acrylic enamel is like polyurethane paint. I have sprayed both on large trucks. Almost on the same level as the old imron which you can not get anymore.
 
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This challenger was painted in imron back in 1984. My buddy had it painted and he was proud of the imron paint job back in the day. It's the black one in this photo. It turned out to be some tough paint.

Edit some of the paint on my 172 is imron paint from when it was repaired in 1990. I even found the old can of the maroon in buddy's hangar who painted it and I bought the plane from but it basically empty and dried up.
IMG_3489.jpeg
 
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Just look for the nearest auto paint store.
 
I used a Testors airbrush kit, ya know from model cars n planes? Quick/simple setup compared to a compressor. Just an aerosol can of propellant. But was able to buy reg car paint, our local Napa was able to mix it. Then I had it and could mix when I needed and the airbrush did great. Once done I’d mist the area w just a bit of reducer and it blended it nice. I had no experience when I tried it and it came out great.
 
Following. Do you think I could use an inspection plate from the bottom of the wing to match the color? Just have some areas beat up from prop wash.
 
mandm said:
Following. Do you think I could use an inspection plate from the bottom of the wing to match the color? Just have some areas beat up from prop wash.
Click to expand...

Probably, but first hold the panel against the area to be re-touched and compare. The bottom of the wing probably has had less sun exposure than the area you want to paint and the color might have aged slightly differently.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Gary, I gotta know how you paint in that environment and not get it all over the floor, the furnishings, the toolkit, everything!
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When I sprayed that contact cement I covered my windshield if it was inside, kept the plane out on the ramp most other times.

I don't paint in my hangar, not allowed to since the walls are not sealed and the overspray would get on my neighbors aircrafts.
I am lucky to have another shop with exhaust ventilation in which I have done a lot of painting in. Mostly work trucks.
MVC-134S.jpg

I blasted this car with plastic media in my backyard and then took it to work to paint the bottom and inside. Then it went to my buddies paint shop and he finished the body work and painted it. I just paint work trucks.
MVC-110F.jpg

I had a paint sponsor when I was racing. Akzo Nobel
MVC-536S.jpg

Ready to be put back together, my specialty.
MVC-895S.jpg

MVC-897S.jpg
 
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If the paint on the upper surfaces are faded and chalky, you might want to try paint correction (buffing) first.
 
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