Painting rivet heads

We just installed the Skycraft landing lights, which meant drilling a
few dozen holes into my beautiful paint job.

Is there ANY way to touch those rivets up with paint that will yield
satisfactory results? I've tried using automotive touch-up paint in
the past, with limited success. I'd like to find something that
actually looks half-way decent.

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

In article . com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

We just installed the Skycraft landing lights, which meant drilling a
few dozen holes into my beautiful paint job.

Is there ANY way to touch those rivets up with paint that will yield
satisfactory results? I've tried using automotive touch-up paint in
the past, with limited success. I'd like to find something that
actually looks half-way decent.

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Try masking them off and using an airbrush. I have found that my Badger
woeks quit well with Imron -- and -- you can mix only a teaspoonful at a
time!

That's great advice. Will it last? Should it be primed and
everything else that goes along with a good paint job?

On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 21:15:34 GMT, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:

In article . com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

We just installed the Skycraft landing lights, which meant drilling a
few dozen holes into my beautiful paint job.

Is there ANY way to touch those rivets up with paint that will yield
satisfactory results? I've tried using automotive touch-up paint in
the past, with limited success. I'd like to find something that
actually looks half-way decent.

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Try masking them off and using an airbrush. I have found that my Badger
woeks quit well with Imron -- and -- you can mix only a teaspoonful at a
time!

For something like a rivet head, I'd just scuff the area immediately around
it with scotchbrite (and we're talking close... 1/8" if you can do it), wipe
it down with a degreaser, mask to your scuff line, then shoot the paint.
Immediately after shooting the paint, remove the masking so the ridge left
by the masking tape will blend in much better.

KB

"Jon A." wrote in message
...
That's great advice. Will it last? Should it be primed and
everything else that goes along with a good paint job?

On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 21:15:34 GMT, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:

In article . com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

We just installed the Skycraft landing lights, which meant drilling a
few dozen holes into my beautiful paint job.

Is there ANY way to touch those rivets up with paint that will yield
satisfactory results? I've tried using automotive touch-up paint in
the past, with limited success. I'd like to find something that
actually looks half-way decent.

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Try masking them off and using an airbrush. I have found that my Badger
woeks quit well with Imron -- and -- you can mix only a teaspoonful at a
time!

In article ,
Jon A. wrote:

That's great advice. Will it last? Should it be primed and
everything else that goes along with a good paint job?

Treat the rivet head just like a piece of bigger aluminum:
1. Clean it with lacquer thinner.
2. Prime with a good 2-part epoxy primer (I like PPG DP-series)
3. Paint with top coat.

The airbrush has several sizes of tip which can give you a good
selection.

It should last as well as the original paint.





On Sat, 05 Feb 2005 21:15:34 GMT, Orval Fairbairn
wrote:

In article . com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

We just installed the Skycraft landing lights, which meant drilling a
few dozen holes into my beautiful paint job.

Is there ANY way to touch those rivets up with paint that will yield
satisfactory results? I've tried using automotive touch-up paint in
the past, with limited success. I'd like to find something that
actually looks half-way decent.

Thanks!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Try masking them off and using an airbrush. I have found that my Badger
woeks quit well with Imron -- and -- you can mix only a teaspoonful at a
time!

The airbrush has several sizes of tip which can give you a good
selection.

I know nothing about airbrushes. Any recommendations? What do these things
cost?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 14:14:03 GMT, Jay Honeck wrote:

The airbrush has several sizes of tip which can give you a good
selection.

I know nothing about airbrushes. Any recommendations? What do these things
cost?


Go to your local hobby store. They should have a small airbrush that costs
around $50-75. You can use commercial "canned air" (available at the hobby
shop) or buy an extra hose to attach to your own recharable source. The
paint jar on these things is pretty small, about the size of a bottle of
model paint.

You can actually do a lot with these brushes. My friend repainted the
struts on his Tcraft with his. Because it's so small you have a lot of
control and won't have much overspray. Practice first!

- Carl -

Jay Honeck wrote:
The airbrush has several sizes of tip which can give you a good
selection.


I know nothing about airbrushes. Any recommendations? What do these things
cost?

You can get a decent airbrush for well under $100. I have a little Pasche VL
that comes with three different needle sizes and an assortment of cups (and I
think it even came with a can of gas, which is a pain in the butt for real use
and I normally drive it from an air compresser). I think it runs $65 for the
whole set at a hobby store.

Just be real careful with IMRON (I think we went through this before) especially
when spraying it. Frankly, if you have a steady hand, a small paint brush on
just the heads might work as well.

--
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"
"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
m...
Jay Honeck wrote:
The airbrush has several sizes of tip which can give you a good
selection.


I know nothing about airbrushes. Any recommendations? What do these
things cost?

You can get a decent airbrush for well under $100. I have a little
Pasche VL
that comes with three different needle sizes and an assortment of cups
(and I
think it even came with a can of gas, which is a pain in the butt for real
use
and I normally drive it from an air compresser). I think it runs $65 for
the
whole set at a hobby store.

Just be real careful with IMRON (I think we went through this before)
especially
when spraying it. Frankly, if you have a steady hand, a small paint
brush on
just the heads might work as well.

In article LCpNd.52822$eT5.29890@attbi_s51,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

The airbrush has several sizes of tip which can give you a good
selection.

I know nothing about airbrushes. Any recommendations? What do these things
cost?


You can buy one from Harbor Freight for about $20.

You will also need a good regulator (I have one at the end of the
airbrush hose.)

I have found the airbrush to be perfect for touching up striping and
even painting striping, as you have a lot of control over your work.

As others ahve said, hobby stores also sell them. Badger is a good brand
-- others may prefer different brands.

Who knows -- you may end up painting your own nose art on the plane!