Priming - Elevators 9-10-1
The elevators were now ready for priming, so I set aside time at the weekend and decided to prime the parts in the following order
- Left elevator small parts
- All skins and spars
- Right elevator small parts
This would make it easier to keep track of left vs. right elevator parts, and make better use of the space I had available.
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| Left elevator parts labeled and masked on exterior surfaces that I didn't want to prime |
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| Skins and spars were cleaned with EkoEtch outdoors with easy access to a hose for rinsing |
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| EkoEtched parts are ready for priming |
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| Trailing edge and foam rib locations taped off. I found that 3/4" Scotch gift wrap tape was the perfect width for taping off the foam rib locations |
I decided to prime in the garage due to the colder temperatures outdoors. My garage was at around 70 degrees which was perfect for priming with EkoPrime.
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| Using my priming table to prime the parts |
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| Primed spars and skins curing on the work bench |
I was very happy with how the primer went on in this priming session. I really think that I have the spray gun/compressor setting dialed in well. I was able to complete priming of the left elevator parts and all the skins and spars.
I probably should have done a better job of sealing off the priming area from the rest of the garage as spraying does introduce fine particles of primer solids into the air. I did wear a face mask while priming, and I do also have a Wen Air Filtration System installed which did a great job of cleaning up the air. However, the next morning I did still find a very fine layer of primer dust over parts of the garage that had not been filtered. This dust was easily wiped away with a cloth, but I'd rather not have to do that every time I prime indoors.
Based on these findings, I will prime the right elevator small parts outside. The weather should warm up to around 70 degrees in the afternoon by midweek, so I'll plan to tackle those then. In general, I'll plan to prime all future parts outside as weather and temperatures permit, unless I can build an enclosed paint booth indoors, but for that I would need more space!
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| Elevator priming complete! Now to start assembling! |
Primer used ~250g + 25g distilled water
Build Hints
- Prime outdoors if weather and temperature permit
- If priming indoors, work in a sealed off area while applying the primer due to a fine layer of primer dust in the air while spraying
- If small sections were missed during priming, I found a Q-tip dipped in EkoPrime works well to touch up those areas. The finish won't be quite as smooth as spraying, but will be good enough for parts that are hidden.
Time Taken: 9.0 hours
Dates: November 17 - November 24 2022
RV-10 Build Total Time: 202.0 hours
Priming Total Time: 24.8 hours (not included in build time totals)