Author Topic: Wooden prop treatment opinions  (Read 7251 times)

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Offline tomw

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Wooden prop treatment opinions
« on: June 04, 2012, 10:40:28 am »
Hey, folks;

I will be getting a set of replacement blades for my crashed 12 footer from Chris. Fir was used and I am looking into options for finishing / sealing them and the tail which is birch plywood.

Originally I use supposed indoor / outdoor polyurethane. the "outdoor" designation is bull sheite because it all peeled off in a few months. I thought the raw grain look was nice but this time I want to go with white paint on the prop and tail. Mostly because I want to put a graphic on the tail and contrasting colors on the blade tips.

Any suggestions from experience for coatings? Preferably with names and part numbers or something specific.

Looking for actual experience and not something you "read".

It kind of has to be commonly available at hardware stores like Ace or TrueValue because we don't have many options here for places to shop for that kind of item. It is the curse of living in the sticks.

Thanks.

Tom
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Offline Wolvenar

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2012, 11:07:32 am »
I realize your not wanting to got really spendy, but what is your $ range?

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Offline ChrisOlson

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2012, 12:01:34 pm »
I realize your not wanting to got really spendy, but what is your $ range?

Tom, I use a sandable grey primer that soaks into the wood and seals it.  It takes three days with one coat every day until it stops soaking in and starts to form a layer on the blade surface.  I got your blades done and they need two more coats of this oil-based primer yet:

1221-0

I spray my blades with either DuPont Imron or PPG Shop Line acrylic urethane.  Either one is about $150/quart in Olympic White (PPG part #924260), and takes specialized equipment for application.  It is a two-part base coat/clear coat paint.  The blades will be sealed when you get them (except for the bolt holes you have to drill and silicon sealant works good there).  They can be painted with any good quality acrylic enamel or urethane, and I would use automotive paint, not hardware store paint.  You're not going to find hardware store paint with hardener in it, nor is the paint you get out of spray cans designed to be flexible or stand up to abrasives like good quality automotive paint.  Most canned spray paint is alkyde enamel and it's soft and chips or peels easily.

I've gone away from Imron, for the most part, because it's highly toxic and requires a contained air supply respirator during application to prevent breathing the vapor.  The PPG Shop Line paints are a lot easier to work with and you can apply coats within an hour of one another, wet sand the base coat the next day with 1200 grit and apply the clear coat.
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Offline Dave B.

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2012, 12:07:47 pm »
Hey, folks;

I will be getting a set of replacement blades for my crashed 12 footer from Chris. Fir was used and I am looking into options for finishing / sealing them and the tail which is birch plywood.

Originally I use supposed indoor / outdoor polyurethane. the "outdoor" designation is bull sheite because it all peeled off in a few months. I thought the raw grain look was nice but this time I want to go with white paint on the prop and tail. Mostly because I want to put a graphic on the tail and contrasting colors on the blade tips.

Any suggestions from experience for coatings? Preferably with names and part numbers or something specific.

Looking for actual experience and not something you "read".

It kind of has to be commonly available at hardware stores like Ace or TrueValue because we don't have many options here for places to shop for that kind of item. It is the curse of living in the sticks.

Thanks.

Tom,

  I have used Rustoleum Gloss Enamel which has been on my blades for 7 years. Several light coats and I think the main reason this has worked so well is that I put a coat of good old Simonize hard paste car wax on them annually. The good stuff that takes elbow grease to buff up. I think Enamel is much more flexible / forgiving with the bending, flexing and temp changes your blades will endure, less likely to crack as with epoxies etc. Wild weather here in Western NY, 90 deg F +  to -20 deg F annually is typical. Just my opinion based on experience.  Dave B.

Offline Dale S

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2012, 01:20:24 pm »
If you live anywhere near a west marine store they got lots of excellent paint meant to go on the bottom of wood boats, if that aint water protection I don't know what is, I used one of their two part polyurethanes and it is tough stuff, easy to apply with a roller and self leveling, I'd have to study on it some to remember the one I used, the things been up there for four years now with no paint issues.
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Offline tomw

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2012, 02:03:42 pm »
Chris;

I thought they were coming roughed out needing sanding and finishing?

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I have no painting equipment beyond some rollers and a foam brush or 3.

That puts automotive paint out of my budget.

Had my Superglide repainted with Imron after I dumped it at a rail road track crossing a road at an angle and slid on its side a ways.

It was pretty durable but expensive. Around 1989 or so.

Thanks.

Tom
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Offline ChrisOlson

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2012, 02:42:54 pm »
I thought they were coming roughed out needing sanding and finishing?

Well, "roughed out" is what I call at least primed and sealed.  I just don't get along with paint brushes and rollers and spray cans.  How about if I just paint them for you - Olympic White base coat/clear coat - and all you have to do is tape off the tips, sand them a bit to rough them up and paint the tips with whatever color you decide?

The paint is the key, man.  Imron (and all the other acrylic urethanes) were originally designed for the aircraft industry because airplanes needed paint that don't come off and can flex without cracking or peeling.  It was later adopted by the auto restoration industry and became the Gold Standard (and also the most expensive) auto paint jobs you can get.  I got a gallon here in the shop that has about a 1/2 quart left in it and it needs to be used up because the shelf life ain't all that great after the can has been opened.

Just say the word and I'll do 'er.  I got all the equipment needed to spray the stuff and apply it right.
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Offline tomw

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2012, 03:04:05 pm »
I thought they were coming roughed out needing sanding and finishing?

Well, "roughed out" is what I call at least primed and sealed.  I just don't get along with paint brushes and rollers and spray cans.  How about if I just paint them for you - Olympic White base coat/clear coat - and all you have to do is tape off the tips, sand them a bit to rough them up and paint the tips with whatever color you decide?

The paint is the key, man.  Imron (and all the other acrylic urethanes) were originally designed for the aircraft industry because airplanes needed paint that don't come off and can flex without cracking or peeling.  It was later adopted by the auto restoration industry and became the Gold Standard (and also the most expensive) auto paint jobs you can get.  I got a gallon here in the shop that has about a 1/2 quart left in it and it needs to be used up because the shelf life ain't all that great after the can has been opened.

Just say the word and I'll do 'er.  I got all the equipment needed to spray the stuff and apply it right.
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Chris;

Yes, certainly.

I only paint when I am forced to. Usually a "Rustoleum Overhaul" . I think I learned that in the Army where as lpng as it looked good it was all OK. They even had some yoyos painting tires that were weather checked from being on trucks that landed @ Omaha Beach during Operation Overlord in 1944 I think..  :o

Thanks.

Tom
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I thought that they were angels, but much to my surprise, We climbed aboard their starship and headed for the skies

Offline ChrisOlson

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Re: Wooden prop treatment opinions
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2012, 03:28:42 pm »
yes, certainly.

Good.  I'd get 'er did.  They'll look a lot nicer, and flash in the sunlight like mirrors with real paint on them.  I've never really gotten into slobbering linseed oil on blades either.  But I guess it works as long as you stay out of the throwoff zone when she fires up and starts spraying oil all over the place    ::)

Quote
I only paint when I am forced to. Usually a "Rustoleum Overhaul" . I think I learned that in the Army where as lpng as it looked good it was all OK.

Yeah.  The Army gets a good deal on tanker loads of flat green and flat grey.  Sometimes a few 55 gallon drums of flat black to paint rims with.  The local Reserve outfit had one 6x6 that one of the guys bolted one of them chrome babes with wings to the front of the hood.  I guess the commander seen it and made him take it off there because they can't have anything shiny on them trucks.
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