How much paint?

[Isotope]

What is the typical amount of paint used to cover the XL? I am trying to get an idea of how much i will need. And if i decide to go with Stewart's Systems expensive Ekopoly I do not want to purchase more than I need. I'm thinking on using latex directly over Ekobond and Ekofill.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Paint is *really* heavy. Trust me..

[pappyadkins]

I used maybe just over a gallon of paint, could maybe get by with 1 but probably 2... Now background, I used Stewart Systems procedures... I actually started with their stuff, but found out about the 3M FastBound green & went the rest of the wings with it... If you pull up the MSDS of both you'll see same results... I've heard of some that 'filled the weave' with EkoFill & some fill it with Latex Primer... I personally, waterproofed weave with watered down 3M & then started painting, my latex had 'built in' primer... Hope that helps... I just posted a video on the painting of the wings... the painting of the tail was a few videos back... Also, as Chuck just said, the painting can add alot of weight if you're not careful... That's primarily why I choose Latex & didn't pre fill the weave - all about saving weight...

[Isotope]

So one could go over Ekobond "3m Fast Bon" with latex paint/primer? Completely skipping the Ekofill step? This is of course after coating the whole surface with 3 parts ekobond "3m stuff" 1 part water like stewarts systems updated procedure.

[pappyadkins]

Well, I'm careful not to tell people they can or can't do... I'll let you know what I did, but the lawyers probably wouldn't allow (wink)... this man has several helpful youtube videos too... He goes over and above to make a very professional looking latex paint jobs... If your an EAA member, he has several videos there too...  But to answer your question, I didn't use EkoFill or primer before painting & I'm very please - I also didn't sand between coats... I have talked with several 'long time' LE pilots that had done the same & they say things have held up well over the course of time...  https://www.youtube.com/@123mmorrison

[kalazzerx]

I just went standard primer paint like what you use on your walls (box store stuff) and outdoor latex paint.  When painting with both, I thinned them both down quite a bit (this is especially important for the primer so it soaks into the fabric).  Rolled both on using one cross coat each. Did not need more than a gallon of both and still have some primer left over.  I got the best quality of both primer and paint I could get at my local box store.  And yes, paint is heavy but it is also needed/required.  I used latex because I refuse to pay more on paint then the rest of my build and also it is a proven solution that has been used for years.

[Isotope]

After seeing your build log i see you used Behr enamel? But the post says latex. I thought i had latex, enamel, acrylic paints figured out, but after a google search im more confused. What am i missing?
EDIT- I just went down the paint rabbit hole. I guess im behind on my paint understanding. Im used to when paint said enamel it meant enamel and when it said acrylic it was acrylic. Now there is water based enamel, latex enamel, latex, acrylic latex..  I thought i knew my paints! HELP!! Somebody put it for me in stupid terms.

[kalazzerx]

ya, it is called Enamel in the label - you are correct.  I get a little confused with the lingo for paint but it is water based so I think of it as latex?  Not sure how Enamel paint (typically oil based) can be call enamel   Maybe I am totally wrong but anyway, worked out good on my LE

[Kamcoman77]

I think you will find that the word "enamel" is synonymous with "coating", which are both just fancy names for "paint", when used with Acrylic Enamel labeling. If you go with Acrylic Latex Enamel, you should be fine. Malcom Morrison has some good videos on YouTube.  He used an acrylic primer and topcoat. He thinned each coat with either water or a wiper fluid/water mix and rolled it on. He sanded between coats. He did not fill the weave with EkoBond or FastBond, he used the primer. I will be using this procedure, and the paint products pictured.

[jrbirdman47]

So this is where we are now: A melding of definitions so as to render actual useful information impossible. 

[Kamcoman77]

Here's a link to a neat article about painting a Flybaby with acrylic latex. It's a little dated but has some good info. http://www.bowersflybaby.com/tech/latex.html Dennis Tyson has a series of YouTube videos showing his MiniMax build. There are several showing how he used acrylic latex.