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  • #16
    FWIW, I used Superflite System7 exclusively and loved it.

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    • #17
      Stewarts...I like Stewarts. Whatever system you choose, go to the class before you paint.

      I chose Stewarts because during Covid they were the only covering system to hold a covering class. Stewart's is all I know. So I dont think its the best because I have no data to compare it with. I think other systems are great too. Paint what you want to paint.

      I feel I had good results. Others compliment my work. One builder who is now evaluating covering systems says mine is his "Stewarts Gold Standard" of those he has seen first hand. I see all my errors and so its okay to get it dirty.

      Prior to covering I had not ever sqeezed a paint gun. I did attend a Stewarts three day weekend covering school which taught us how to BOTH cover and apply all the coatings. I watched the videos, I read the manual and kept it open at the workbench when covering & painting. I looked at another aircraft painted with Stewarts two weeks ago and unfortunately saw things the builder did not do. The manual was not fully complied with and it shows. He did not go to a Stewarts class. I wish it werent so, but that is what it is, darn it. Fabrication brings out our errors doesn't it. I wanted him to have a perfect paint job.

      Whatever system you choose you probably also want to take a short cut and skip the class. Fair enough. Go for it. But you likey also need the class. The class is just a part of the cost of building. Go to the class, and I hope it include teaching you how to apply the paint.

      Secret to eliminate drips....use a rotisserie, have tons of light, apply the fog coats to reach color saturation then apply the final coat only thick enough to reach reflectivity. You'll have a nice light paint job. This wont work out without spending the money on lights. just one more cost of building......
      Brooks Cone
      Southeast Michigan
      Patrol #303, Kit build

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      • Untainted123
        Untainted123 commented
        Editing a comment
        Brooks, I thought your paint job looked great, especially since you did it yourself (I don’t mean that as a backhanded compliment). If you can build a plane, you can paint it too. Pro painting costs have gotten out of hand. RV’s are getting painted for $30k+, so doing it yourself, even if there are few coulda-done-better spots, has the potential to save a lot a money, have a new skill, and be able to repair it yourself should the need arise. The project I bought was thankfully already painted, and all one color. I think that might be a good strategy and then go with color vinyl accents instead of trying to layout 2 paint colors, and the vinyl can just be replaced when damaged or tired.

    • #18
      Just my 2 cents worth. I have covered 3 planes and helped on a couple more. I did mine with polyfiber and the others were Stewart. I would not use
      Stewart on my own plane for a number of reasons. If you can live with a matte type finish, polyfiber with polytone is very fast and easy and super easy to repair and touch up. You do need a good, preferably supplied air, respirator though.

      You can spray urethane over the polyfiber if you need a gloss finish, but repair and touch up is not at all easy.

      I think that one of the best things about polyfiber for beginners is that the fabric and glue is fairly cheap and any mistakes can be removed with MEK or just ripped off for the next try before investing in the expensive coatings. Also it is fast, tensioning can be done in less than 2 hours and a paint run or defect can be wet sanded in 20 minutes or so and redone. Touch up and can be done with airbrush and light mist of MEK over the area will make the repair undetectable.

      Oshkosh is a good place to look at planes that have been in service for 10 -15 years, most do not look like they did when new. If you are going to use your airplane for backcountry or on gravel and dirt, repairability is important.

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      • #19
        I'm just taking a break for a cup of tea whilst doing my Patrol covering...I settled on Oratex and am using their shiny silver with jet black inner coating. (I've covered two biplanes before using the traditional ceconite system , 18 coats of paint etc) and am very impressed at how this is looking. You have to be meticulous with gloves, correct degreaser etc. I'm also using their stitch-less 'engineering change' as they call it method which entails bonding beech cap strips to the rib tops to take the hot melt adhesive. The resulting look is very nice and smooth, but the amount of time I'm saving is LOL... With the prep done (two coats of adhesive and the cap strips in place) I completed a horizontal stab in about an hour. The Oratex owner, Siegfried has been extremely helpful and takes my calls straight to his mobile in Germany or wherever he is. I saw another builders log gave him 395 hours to do his Patrol in Stewarts - think I'll be more in the 40 / 45 hrs league.

        Attached Files

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        • N204jh
          N204jh commented
          Editing a comment
          You are obviously a master at fabric covering, so you also know how to stitch ribs. You still saved a ton of time with the beech caps versus stitching?

          And 40-45 hrs to do a Patrol? That is stunningly fast.

          What's your plans for painting the wings and over aluminum parts? Are you going to match the matte-finish of the silver?

        • paulodonnell
          paulodonnell commented
          Editing a comment
          I dunno about being a master at it! ...but the Oratex cap strips only take a few minutes to fit. Once on, they leave firm surface to iron over, so the hours of stitching are saved. I did my rudder last night in about 2 1/2 hours. I agonised over going the Oratex route having admired shiny Wacos at airshows and have secretly intended to probably hit it with one last finishing coat but the silver has a pretty nice finish in comparison to the other Oratex colours. Oratex also have a 'wet' system too, but this silver is so nice I'm thinking now of a colour scheme to incorporate it. I was originally intent on the 70s Gulf racing colours of baby blue and orange with Gulp! instead of Gulf LOL

      • #20
        I am in the final stages of painting my Patrol with Stewart’s. I have used Poly-Fiber in the past and can’t tell you how nice it is to use a solvent free system and save my liver for better things. People who stop by my hangar. On days when I spray indicate they smell nothing. That said the technique is vastly different between the two systems and experienced fabric covering people have to un-learn some of their techniques when transitioning to Stewart. I would highly recommend you take a two day course from someone like Mike Moser who is a Lindy winner for his Stewart fabric work. I did and learned a ton of good tips.

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        • #21
          I used Stewart's System and got very good results. I can't speak to the long term durability yet, but it's been 3 years now and the paint is holding up well. There's a few chips where rocks have hit the tail but that's to be expected.

          I've sprayed a lot of paint on houses in the past but never a car or anything similar to an airplane. I was too busy to devote the time to traveling to US to take a course but I watched and rewatched the videos online and studied the manual regularly. I called Stewarts tech support line a few times when things were not totally clear and they we very helpful. The most important tip was the proper application of the fog coats before applying the heavier final coat.

          For me, smelly systems were not an option. I was working in a garage in my house with a suite directly above.

          Hopefully it'll hold up well over time but the early results are looking favourable.
          4-Place QB kit #111. First flight May 2022.
          IO-470 - 260hp

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          • #22
            Originally posted by TimTall View Post
            . I called Stewarts tech support line a few times when things were not totally clear and they we very helpful.
            Any covering system that Amateur builders choose need a good support line. Test their help line before you choose a system. Stewarts manual is not without faults....like not having a viscosity setting in the manual for the gun that they now sell to spray their paint.

            So, A goal I had for covering class was to develop a professional relationship with the class instructor. I did, and I have his number in my contacts. I called him and texted a number of times during the covering process. Without this my results would have not met my expectations.

            Those who are using Oratex and are using Oratex help from Germany, you may be on to something. I know folks here in the US who are evaluating the system and find the instructions and US representative less than satisfactory. The US representative is one of the causes for doubt of a successful outcome. I want Oratex to be easy and destroy the doubt and uncertainty. I have been rooting for them for almost a decade.

            i have heard great things about Airtex too. They held no class when I was searching.

            We should not talk about paint systems without talking about the paint booth you will build to paint in. I built three for my build. Believe me....the booth is a life or death topic. Its gotta be safe and its not intuative. Maybe another thread?
            Brooks Cone
            Southeast Michigan
            Patrol #303, Kit build

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            • #23
              I am in the process of finalizing my order with Airtech, minus paint for the time being.

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              • #24
                Originally posted by Bcone1381 View Post

                i have heard great things about Airtex too. They held no class when I was searching.
                Do you mean Airtech? I think the company was recently (last year or so) sold, haven't had a lot of interaction with new owners, so unknown if good or bad results from that, but they used to have a kind of class you could go to, but I think it was rather informal. They do have YT videos making it look easy, but on a small project we did with Airtech, it definitely had a learning curve, and I would be afraid to paint a whole airplane with my current level of knowledge.

                I too find the promise of Oratex alluring, and I have talked with the owner/creator and the US rep. Both are very no-nonsense, blunt personalities, which can be off-putting to our more North American expectations of interacting with a company we spent a lot of money with. But, once you get past that, both are helpful and informative and expect that same bluntness from you, which many aren't used to . It can be a point of friction enough that people don't choose Oratex, or are hesitant to ask questions and get a bad result, which I think unfortunately limits the appeal of the product.

                re: Paint booth, perhaps some curated YT content that you have found useful?

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                • #25
                  Originally posted by Untainted123 View Post

                  Do you mean Airtech? I think the company was recently (last year or so) sold, haven't had a lot of interaction with new owners, so unknown if good or bad results from that, but they used to have a kind of class you could go to, but I think it was rather informal. They do have YT videos making it look easy, but on a small project we did with Airtech, it definitely had a learning curve, and I would be afraid to paint a whole airplane with my current level of knowledge.

                  I too find the promise of Oratex alluring, and I have talked with the owner/creator and the US rep. Both are very no-nonsense, blunt personalities, which can be off-putting to our more North American expectations of interacting with a company we spent a lot of money with. But, once you get past that, both are helpful and informative and expect that same bluntness from you, which many aren't used to . It can be a point of friction enough that people don't choose Oratex, or are hesitant to ask questions and get a bad result, which I think unfortunately limits the appeal of the product.

                  re: Paint booth, perhaps some curated YT content that you have found useful?
                  This is most helpful, thank you! Fortunately, I've interacted with Germans throughout my career, and I actually enjoy the directness and bluntness.

                  I decided after much research to go with Oratex. I have the full sample kit and now the challenge is choosing the colors and pattern. I'll lean heavily on the forum members that have gone before me with Oratex.

                  John
                  John Hansen
                  Leavenworth, WA
                  Bearhawk 5 QB #63
                  IO-540-D4 with EFII System 32

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