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Mike & Aneta's RV Projects
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Date: 7-17-2011
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Number of Hours: 0.00
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Manual Reference:
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Brief Description: Primer Decision
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After many hours researching the web, reading the VAF forum posts, and talking to lots of people, Aneta and I have decided not the apply self-etching primer anywhere on the plane except areas we intend to paint. Below I have attempted to summarize the information that lead us to this decision. I urge any builders reading this to do their homework and make the decision that's best for them..
My beliefs about self-etching (SE) primers BEFORE researching the issue:
1) SE primers adhere to metal without damaging it and provide a non-porous barrier against moisture.
2) SE primers are relatively inexpensive, easy to aplly and don't add a lot of time to the build.
3) There is real-world test evidence that SE primers provide better corrosion resistance than just AlClad (pure aluminum) by itself.
4) Vans Aircraft recommends SE primer and use it on their quick-build kits.
5) A plane that has been primed during the build is more valuable than one that hasn't.
My beliefs about SE primers AFTER researching the issue.
1) SE primers have etching agents that eat into the metal in order to mechanically bond to the substrate, which removes AlClad protection. They are porous by nature and require paint to provide a moisture barrier.
2) SE primers can be very expensive or not so expensive, but they do add time to the build for prep, paint, drying and touch-up.
3) The reall-world tests never show you what's UNDER the primer. If they do remove it, they are most likely removing the potential corrosion underneath in the process.
4) Vans states that priming is not necessary and only use primer on the quickbuilds because people who are priming the rest of their planes want their quickbuild parts primed as well.
5) If I ever have to sell, which I don't plan on doing, ever, I feel more than equiped to argue this point with a potential buyer.
Case closed.
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