There is a way. You will need a hangar to work in with a large
compressor (3-5 REAL horsepower - twin cylinder, 60 gallon tank 220V).
Obtain a conventional production spray gun (Binks Model 7 or similar).
Wash the plane, dry it well, blow out all the seams with air, and mask
it off. Dry sand lightly with 320 (dry white paper, not black
wet-or-dry). Do the wings one day and the fuselage the next day
(covering the part you are not painting COMPLETELY). For a 150, you
could do the entire thing at once, but you need to hustle. This is not
something you try if you have no experience. Put the plane OUTSIDE on a
calm afternoon and wear a charcoal filter respirator. Or, if you have an
alternate air supply (not just a filter mask - outside air with a hose
attached to a face mask), use that and put the plane inside and leave
the door open 3 or 4 feet. Cover yourself COMPLETELY (long sleeve shirt,
light gloves, hood, long pants). FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CAN TO THE
LETTER.

Paint only on calm, clear days with humidity under around 60%, temps
from 65F to 80F. Use the activator/thinner for the temps you spray in.
Ask the paint store for the right stuff. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE
CAN TO THE LETTER.

Spray on 3 coats of the same base color that is on there using a single
stage urethane (some colors need more, white usually needs 3 - although
I only did 2 on mine). You get the paint and sandpaper at an auto body
supply shop, NOT the hardware store or home center. For a 150 base
color, you will need around 6 quarts. I would get 2 gallons and activate
ONLY what you need (2 quarts at a time). Keep the rest for touch
ups/accidents/new wing tips. Paint the entire airplane (wings or
fuselage) covering over any existing accent colors. Wait a day and mask
off the accent color (or one of the accent colors if there is more than
one). Use 3-M fine line tape for the edges of any stripe. Use 3M 3/4
inch masking tape for the rest of the masking (add a piece of 3/4 on
top of the fine line to give you a bigger surface to tape the paper to).
Press down the edge of the fine line tape using a scotch brite FINE
pad. Don't press/sand until you screw up the tape, just enough for it to
stick completely (it changes color when it is right). Then do the other
accent colors, again COMPLETELY covering the rest of the bird (aka
reverse masking). Put back any parts you removed.

Now, cross your fingers that the new paint will adhere to the substrate.
99 times out of 100 it will. The trick to modern urethanes is to NOT
paint the rest of the airport because the stuff sticks to EVERYTHING
that is not covered in oil or dirt. The blacktop or concrete you paint
on will forever be the color of the plane. If you don't want that. put
down tarps within a 50 FOOT radius of the plane. FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS
ON THE CAN TO THE LETTER.

This job will cost you around $1000 in paint and material, provided you
have the compressor, spray gun, oil/water separator for the air line,
and mask/air supply. Don't skip the filter mask or outside air. This
stuff is VERY dangerous to breathe. It WILL harden on the surface of
your lungs!!! FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CAN TO THE LETTER.

If you have no experience painting, or no experience painting with the
paint brand/type you choose, get someone who has. Practice on something
small, like a toolbox. Oh yeah, FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE CAN TO THE
LETTER.

Good Luck,
Mike

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
The paint shop nearest me wants $7K to do a 152 (2 colors). I can't
justify that for a $20K bird; the current paint isn't that bad. Is
there any way at all to get a real paint job done for, say, closer to
half that??


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