I continue to be amazed at the results you get with latex. I just used the exact same polishing compounds on a 39 Olds coupe, but the finish coat was Chromaclear. I don't think it shined any better than latex, and I KNOW it sure wouldn't flex like it on fabric!
Glass wont do anything to help the finish or cause the paint to roll better, in fact it may cause the roller not to load properly, Floetrol and a regular roller tray will work best (if glass made rolling easy or better, everyone would be doing it by now...)
A glass tray is not going to do anything for the paint finish and will probably prevent the roller from loading properly (Note, the orange peel paint surface) Floetrol will reduce orange peel and make the paint flow out like oil base paint. Never thin latex/acrylic paint with water, always use Floetrol, it works with interior and exterior latex paint and will give your project a smooth professional finish, without reducing UV protection or coverage.
I owe a whole bunch of people an apology. That someone who has done custom paint work I scoffed at latex paint especially rolling it on. This has been incredibly informative and helpful as I'm getting ready to repaint my Tailwind and I'm probably going to use this method. I am curious. What brand of latex are you and others using? Thank you.
My Olympic representative says you should let latex paint cure fully between coats, not just dry to the touch. Which means several weeks between coats.
+CHOPPERGIRL AIRWAR More drying time probably would be better, especially before final sanding and polishing, but I'm impatient and this seems to be working.
OK, another comment instead of editing my other one. What I'd really like to know is, is it true that the Emerald paint is has U V protection in it and how long is this latex paint lasting?
Great video! I'm going to be covering an airplane soon and plan on painting with latex. I like your method, and will likely use it. However, I wonder if this method will require constant polishing every few months or years? Does the polishing compound act like a wax that will wear off over time?
I had that same question. It seems that Meguire 205 is a non filling polisher, which means its acting just like liquid sandpaper, so it's not filling the scratches with any oils or fillers but removing additional paint to permanently remove the fine scratches. In other words, it's just bringing back the original shine or gloss of the paint if I'm not mistaken. So it should be permanent, right? I'm assuming the wax is just to make it even shinier, and maintain the surface shiny from natural wear and tear, not because the polisher is wearing off. I'm just crossing my fingers, that if I do succeed in smoothing the surface without stripping it, that it also works for semi-gloss or satin, or if the dulling agents in those will prevent the semi-shine from ever coming back. Next time I attempt something like this I will definitely go for high gloss, since this process allows you to control the level of shine anyway
@@alexglass3613 He removed any finish that the paint was intended to produce when he sanded it, the 1000-1500 grit sand paper is actually considered polish just like the Meguire's polishing compound it also contains grit to remove paint, the polishing wheel is actually burnishing the paint to fill any pin holes, wax will offer a primary UV protection that will keep his plane in the air for a very long time if he used a UV blocking wax. (not trying to be the know it all, but finishes are my business)
@@superiorcarpetpaintllc4351 Thought I would reply to you to see if I can get a quicker response. I have a Whitman Tailwind W10. Obviously by my comments I am interested in this process though the money really isn't the issue for me as much as an ease of getting it done. Is there anybody done longevity test on this so to speak not just for paint shine but also adhesion?
Regular latex paint thinned about 25% with water. I used regular latex primer, thinned also, to fill the fabric weave. There is more information at www.wienerdogaero.com also.
Use Sherwin Williams or another paint store brand paint! DO NOT BUY PAINT FROM A BIG BOX STORE. All paint is NOT created equally, Home Depot may be a good place to buy hardware and screws, but don't buy their paint, unless you want to put 4 or more coats on and not have even half the UV protection of a professional paint that costs the same or less, like Sherwin Williams A-100 exterior Acrylic Latex. You don't need to pay more to get a better quality, UV protection in A-100 will outlast all of the other brands and costs half the price, it is what I use and recommend for all exterior commercial and what most other contractors spec for large exterior projects. It costs me about $16 gallon contractor price and may cost retail around $25 for the general public, it is worth it and wont fail like the box store junk does! Also pickup a quart of Floetrol from Homedepot or just about anywhere and use it for the additive (never thin with water) it will thin your paint and cause it to flow like oil base paint! Yes, it will reduce the orange peel! If you have your fuse or wing on a rotisserie, keep the side that you are painting up (you could even paint it quickly while it's facing you and then turn it up so it will self level better), this will greatly reduce any chance of orange peel, you can rotate it after about 20 minutes dry time. Paint that is shipped to Big Box stores do not have as much UV blocking in them, most people don't even think about UV, but if you don't have a strong UV blocking paint the fabric will rot faster and cause catastrophic failure, it is just that important!
Malcolm, Put fabric on tail feathers and primed. I'm painting it red and not covering good at all. Looks bad. Streaks and can see primer. 5 coats. whats up?
Nice! 2 questions: What brand of latex house paint did you use? I've heard a lot of guys like the Sherwin-Williams "Emerald" brand. How long did you wait after the last coat of paint before you started buffing? Thanks!
Skip the Emerald! Just because it costs upward of $60 per gallon does not make it cover better or more UV protective! A-100 for $16 gal. contractor price or around $25 retail is the same quality and UV protection, but I have to agree Emerald does sound like a better paint than A-100!
Latex strong suit is flexibility. It is a softer finish than auto paint or urethane, so it will scratch easier, but it moves with fabric very well and resists cracking.
So, just wondering, I was thinking of refinishing my ultralight which is covered in poly lite fabric and is already painted but it is about 20 years old and is slightly faded but fabric is still in great condition due to being kept indoors pretty much all its life. How difficult would it be to refinish over the existing paint (looks like very thin coat) with this method?
I painted 3 coats over existing paint on my Titan Tornado (fabric, aluminum, and fiberglass). It has held up very well for 5 years. I cleaned the old surface and scrubbed with a Scotchbrite pad. 220 grit sandpaper would work also, just be careful around protrusions. Then 3 coats of color.
Wow that is great,,, Just for your info, I have a MiniMax 1100R with Rotax 447 weighing in at just shy 254lb about how much weight do you think it would ad at roughly three coats.
I've tried 1.8 and 2.7 oz Dacron. I thought 3.4 oz was the heaviest made and that it was for use on really big airplanes. Even so, I see no reason that this technique would not work on heavy fabric.
Hey, thank you for the quick response. I am sure I have the weight of the fabric wrong, it in on a Rans S-5 I was just taking a guess. I am glad to hear that it should work, I don't see a reason it wouldn't. May I bother you again to ask how you primed it if at all? Your plane looks amazing has it been flying for a while now? Thanks again.
That airplane was sold before I finished it but I've been flying a Titan Tornado finished the same was for the past 5 years. Still looks great. The primer is Glidden Gripper, 6 thinned coats, applied with a foam brush. I have lots more detail on www.weinerdogaero.com
Hello sir, thanks for your informative videos, could I ask however, was there good adhesion with the latex on the backing fabric or did you have to add a glue to the latex? Many thanks
The owner of the video didn't respond, but I can. Latex will adhere like a glue to just about any surface, if you have ever painted a room and got a little latex paint on your clothes you would agree, it wont come off! I have tee shirts, jeans, hats, trucks and hands that have all been splattered with latex at one point or another and it is hard to scrub off of vehicles, most of my work clothes are permanently painted, some shirts have had logos and paint on them, the logos came off with solvent, but the paint still remains... I always add Floetrol to latex/acrylic paint, it will stick better and flow out smooth like oil base.
Very useful video Malcolm. I also enjoyed your webinar today in EAA. I live in Australia and building a kit plane for the first time.
Thank you, Malcom! Best info I've seen on using latex on fabric airplanes. Good camera and audio technique, too.
The Benny Hill hyperlapse :D
I spray latex with great results.
I too (to) am amazed at the finish achieved with latex paint.
Great tip, using the piece of flat glass as roller tray.
Nice bird🦉☎️
I continue to be amazed at the results you get with latex. I just used the exact same polishing compounds on a 39 Olds coupe, but the finish coat was Chromaclear. I don't think it shined any better than latex, and I KNOW it sure wouldn't flex like it on fabric!
using the glass instead of the usual roller tray - a great idea
Glass wont do anything to help the finish or cause the paint to roll better, in fact it may cause the roller not to load properly, Floetrol and a regular roller tray will work best (if glass made rolling easy or better, everyone would be doing it by now...)
Very nice shine you got going there Malcolm! Definitely worth the extra steps to minimize the need for a spray booth setup.
Thank you for the upload.
Interesting technique.
Like the Benny Hill segment, finish looks good nice job.
Plastic bag - genius! We ARE PSU #FTK
what did you use to reduce it with? i've heard some people using windshield washer fluid haha
The glass tray idea.....I would never have thought of that
A glass tray is not going to do anything for the paint finish and will probably prevent the roller from loading properly (Note, the orange peel paint surface) Floetrol will reduce orange peel and make the paint flow out like oil base paint. Never thin latex/acrylic paint with water, always use Floetrol, it works with interior and exterior latex paint and will give your project a smooth professional finish, without reducing UV protection or coverage.
I owe a whole bunch of people an apology. That someone who has done custom paint work I scoffed at latex paint especially rolling it on. This has been incredibly informative and helpful as I'm getting ready to repaint my Tailwind and I'm probably going to use this method.
I am curious. What brand of latex are you and others using?
Thank you.
This is very interesting.
May I ask if this will work on stewarts Ekofill ?
Also what paint would I purchase considering I am in the UK ?
Cheers.
My Olympic representative says you should let latex paint cure fully between coats, not just dry to the touch. Which means several weeks between coats.
+CHOPPERGIRL AIRWAR More drying time probably would be better, especially before final sanding and polishing, but I'm impatient and this seems to be working.
well done
OK, another comment instead of editing my other one. What I'd really like to know is, is it true that the Emerald paint is has U V protection in it and how long is this latex paint lasting?
Awesome~!!!!!!
Any chance of producing a video of the paint being sprayed on? Thanks for great videos.
+gary wheeler I've been wanting to do that, maybe this summer.
Great video ! Does the paint require frequent repolishing?
Great video! I'm going to be covering an airplane soon and plan on painting with latex. I like your method, and will likely use it. However, I wonder if this method will require constant polishing every few months or years? Does the polishing compound act like a wax that will wear off over time?
I have 3.5 years on my Titan Tornado and the paint is as good as new. I wax a couple times each year.
I had that same question. It seems that Meguire 205 is a non filling polisher, which means its acting just like liquid sandpaper, so it's not filling the scratches with any oils or fillers but removing additional paint to permanently remove the fine scratches. In other words, it's just bringing back the original shine or gloss of the paint if I'm not mistaken. So it should be permanent, right? I'm assuming the wax is just to make it even shinier, and maintain the surface shiny from natural wear and tear, not because the polisher is wearing off. I'm just crossing my fingers, that if I do succeed in smoothing the surface without stripping it, that it also works for semi-gloss or satin, or if the dulling agents in those will prevent the semi-shine from ever coming back. Next time I attempt something like this I will definitely go for high gloss, since this process allows you to control the level of shine anyway
@@alexglass3613 He removed any finish that the paint was intended to produce when he sanded it, the 1000-1500 grit sand paper is actually considered polish just like the Meguire's polishing compound it also contains grit to remove paint, the polishing wheel is actually burnishing the paint to fill any pin holes, wax will offer a primary UV protection that will keep his plane in the air for a very long time if he used a UV blocking wax. (not trying to be the know it all, but finishes are my business)
@@superiorcarpetpaintllc4351
Thought I would reply to you to see if I can get a quicker response. I have a Whitman Tailwind W10. Obviously by my comments I am interested in this process though the money really isn't the issue for me as much as an ease of getting it done. Is there anybody done longevity test on this so to
speak not just for paint shine but also adhesion?
What colors are you using?
electric lime green and some dark blue
Thanks for posting.
What are you flying to Brodhead in 2015?
Hope to see you there again.
Bob
So is this just a ordinary latex paint? Did you have to seal the fabric before painting? Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Regular latex paint thinned about 25% with water. I used regular latex primer, thinned also, to fill the fabric weave. There is more information at www.wienerdogaero.com also.
@@123mmorrison Thanks a lot, Malcolm. That's a big help. Have a great week.
I was wondering what I was going to paint my airplane with, after all it's just a prototype. I think I'll use latex paint.
Use Sherwin Williams or another paint store brand paint! DO NOT BUY PAINT FROM A BIG BOX STORE. All paint is NOT created equally, Home Depot may be a good place to buy hardware and screws, but don't buy their paint, unless you want to put 4 or more coats on and not have even half the UV protection of a professional paint that costs the same or less, like Sherwin Williams A-100 exterior Acrylic Latex. You don't need to pay more to get a better quality, UV protection in A-100 will outlast all of the other brands and costs half the price, it is what I use and recommend for all exterior commercial and what most other contractors spec for large exterior projects. It costs me about $16 gallon contractor price and may cost retail around $25 for the general public, it is worth it and wont fail like the box store junk does! Also pickup a quart of Floetrol from Homedepot or just about anywhere and use it for the additive (never thin with water) it will thin your paint and cause it to flow like oil base paint! Yes, it will reduce the orange peel! If you have your fuse or wing on a rotisserie, keep the side that you are painting up (you could even paint it quickly while it's facing you and then turn it up so it will self level better), this will greatly reduce any chance of orange peel, you can rotate it after about 20 minutes dry time.
Paint that is shipped to Big Box stores do not have as much UV blocking in them, most people don't even think about UV, but if you don't have a strong UV blocking paint the fabric will rot faster and cause catastrophic failure, it is just that important!
Malcolm, Put fabric on tail feathers and primed. I'm painting it red and not covering good at all. Looks bad. Streaks and can see primer. 5 coats. whats up?
Give my a few more details. Are you thinning? How much? Rolling? Brushing? Type of roller or brush? Type of paint?
thinning 20 percent. foam roller like you have. good brush. weatherall semi gloss exterior and white weatherall primer/
the hardware store said red is a difficult color to cover. ?
Nice! 2 questions:
What brand of latex house paint did you use? I've heard a lot of guys like the Sherwin-Williams "Emerald" brand.
How long did you wait after the last coat of paint before you started buffing?
Thanks!
Skip the Emerald! Just because it costs upward of $60 per gallon does not make it cover better or more UV protective!
A-100 for $16 gal. contractor price or around $25 retail is the same quality and UV protection, but I have to agree Emerald does sound like a better paint than A-100!
Just one more question,,,,how flexible is the finished paint and how does it not crack on fabric
Latex strong suit is flexibility. It is a softer finish than auto paint or urethane, so it will scratch easier, but it moves with fabric very well and resists cracking.
Ok thanks so much again
+Malcolm Morris do you have any videos on flight controls and how to build and setup?
Sorry, nothing like that at this time
Malcolm Morrison thank's for the reply :D i need help building a mechanism for an aircraft controls is there a website i can go to I'm confused
So, just wondering, I was thinking of refinishing my ultralight which is covered in poly lite fabric and is already painted but it is about 20 years old and is slightly faded but fabric is still in great condition due to being kept indoors pretty much all its life. How difficult would it be to refinish over the existing paint (looks like very thin coat) with this method?
I painted 3 coats over existing paint on my Titan Tornado (fabric, aluminum, and fiberglass). It has held up very well for 5 years. I cleaned the old surface and scrubbed with a Scotchbrite pad. 220 grit sandpaper would work also, just be careful around protrusions. Then 3 coats of color.
Wow that is great,,, Just for your info, I have a MiniMax 1100R with Rotax 447 weighing in at just shy 254lb about how much weight do you think it would ad at roughly three coats.
Very rough guess: to do all surfaces of a mini max, 3 reduced coats, will take about 1.5 gallons. Probably end up around 9 pounds.
ok thanks so much for the info and keep up the great work!!!
is it possible to paint a light sport airplane with this same method if the fabric is 4.0 OZ. Dacron?
I've tried 1.8 and 2.7 oz Dacron. I thought 3.4 oz was the heaviest made and that it was for use on really big airplanes. Even so, I see no reason that this technique would not work on heavy fabric.
Hey, thank you for the quick response. I am sure I have the weight of the fabric wrong, it in on a Rans S-5 I was just taking a guess. I am glad to hear that it should work, I don't see a reason it wouldn't. May I bother you again to ask how you primed it if at all? Your plane looks amazing has it been flying for a while now?
Thanks again.
That airplane was sold before I finished it but I've been flying a Titan Tornado finished the same was for the past 5 years. Still looks great. The primer is Glidden Gripper, 6 thinned coats, applied with a foam brush. I have lots more detail on www.weinerdogaero.com
Titan Tornado, I had to look that up...High wing pusher? looks like a sweet plane. Thanks for all the help and tips. I am grateful!
Is the latex house paint?
This one used Sherwin Williams Interior/Exterior High Gloss Latex. I've also used Behr exterior gloss latex.
HEAVY??
About the same as Polyfiber
ROGER THAT!
Latex! 🙄 Just don't tell anyone about how many pounds it added to the plane. 🤫
About the same as Polyfiber
Hello sir, thanks for your informative videos, could I ask however, was there good adhesion with the latex on the backing fabric or did you have to add a glue to the latex? Many thanks
The owner of the video didn't respond, but I can. Latex will adhere like a glue to just about any surface, if you have ever painted a room and got a little latex paint on your clothes you would agree, it wont come off! I have tee shirts, jeans, hats, trucks and hands that have all been splattered with latex at one point or another and it is hard to scrub off of vehicles, most of my work clothes are permanently painted, some shirts have had logos and paint on them, the logos came off with solvent, but the paint still remains...
I always add Floetrol to latex/acrylic paint, it will stick better and flow out smooth like oil base.