Cheap Glider Trailer Refinish

[collins...@gmail.com]

I have an alluminum "cigar tube" trailer for my Glasflugel Libelle. Over the past 5 years the previous owner has left it outside in the Texas sun and weather which has resulted in some chips of paint starting to fall off and some algae growing on the paint. (By the way, it rigs great and is structurally sound and the inside is nice, just thought I was bashing my glider trailer too much, I really do love it!)

I'm 16 and still in highschool so I don't have money to shell out at any given time..

I'm going to keep it the way it is for this soaring season but sometime after this season I am going to repaint it.

Suggestions for stripping the old paint and putting a new coat of white paint on?

I'm not looking for 30+ years of guaranteed paint durability because I know that will just result in $$$ I don't have. Just lookin. for something that will look good for at least a few years. The trailer now sits under the shade if it's not out because i'm 5,000 feet above it.

[Mike C]

As far as the paint.

Several years ago I painted my trailer with this single part Polyurethane, and it has held up very well outside year around in the high New Mexico desert. It is easy to apply with a roller and levels very well. The result is a very nice finish. You will have to apply a primer first. This paint is ideal for your purpose, easy to apply, inexpensive and durable.

https://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=64

Mike

[collins...@gmail.com]

Thanks Mike!

What primer did you use? And I know we don't have the exact trailer but how much did you use, if you rememember of course...

Thanks again!

[johnrobinso...@gmail.com]

I'd suggest waterblast off what you can and repaint with acrylic external white house paint using a roller. The roller makes a great finish and the house paint is cheap, made for tough jobs yet easy to clean up!

[Mike C]

I applied two coats, one per day for two days, and used around one gallon I think when mixed with their thinner. I did not use a primer, it is an old fiberglass trailer that did not need it. The existing finish had worn evenly partway through and you could just see a bit of the glass fibers sparkling in the sun. I cleaned it well before painting it. Your metal trailer will need a primer though if you strip it down to bare metal. Check for primers in the posted Jamestown link.

BTW I met a pilot once that used this type of one part polyurethane on a sailplane that turned out really nice. I do not remember if he used a roller though.

Mike

[Colin Roney]

At 07:02 30 April 2017, Mike C wrote:
>On Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 12:14:21 AM UTC-6, collins...@gmail.com
wrote:

>> Thanks Mike!=20
>>=20

>> What primer did you use? And I know we don't have the exact trailer but

>h=
>ow much did you use, if you rememember of course...=20
>>=20

>> Thanks again!
>
>I applied two coats, one per day for two days, and used around one gallon

>I=

> think when mixed with their thinner. I did not use a primer, it is an
old

>=

>fiberglass trailer that did not need it. The existing finish had worn

>evenl=

>y partway through and you could just see a bit of the glass fibers

>sparklin=

>g in the sun. I cleaned it well before painting it. Your metal trailer

>will=

> need a primer though if you strip it down to bare metal. Check for

>primer=
>s in the posted Jamestown link. =20

>
>BTW I met a pilot once that used this type of one part polyurethane on a

>sa=

>ilplane that turned out really nice. I do not remember if he used a

>roller=
> though.
>
Having painted the trailer again you are always at the mercy of the weather
and will have to do it again later and so on.
Have you thought of removing all of the existing paint and allow a layer of
aluminium oxide to form which in itself is a protection.
Similar to copper or lead.




>Mike
>

[Andrzej Kobus]

Whatever you do, keep your health in mind. Commercial automotive paints and even some paints available to general public, contain isocyanates. These are very dangerous chemicals if not used properly and/or without adequate protection.

Look at youtube, some people repainted RVs with a roller and some inexpensive paint with good results. This approach could work for you.

Andrzej

[son_of_flubber]

On Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 12:34:58 AM UTC-4, collins...@gmail.com wrote:

> I have an alluminum "cigar tube" trailer for my Glasflugel Libelle.

Getting primer to bond to heavily oxidized aluminum is a challenge. It may look good for a year and then start to chip.

You did say CHEAP. Two components 1)material cost 2)your time.

Here is a cheap approach:

https://www.google.com/shopping/product/3176473314435100848?lsf=seller:8740,store:4603595813296347470&prds=oid:1840559446009561028&q=lowes+aluminum+roofing+tar&hl=en&ei=FuMFWdyFFMnPmwG14qewAQ&lsft=gclid:CjwKEAjwlpbIBRCx4eT8l9W26igSJAAuQ_HGy6KBIkj90xppDDqgL7jMXRe2X-uhGHmXovCQSy31fhoCMujw_wcB

It might even plug the leaky rivet holes.

[WB]

Painted a fiberglass tube trailer last year with Benjamin Moore primer and Benjamin Moore gloss exterior house paint. Rolled on the primer and sprayed the top coat. I think the top coat would have done just as well or better if I had rolled it on. Regardless, the job came out looking very good. Both the paint and primer leveled well and did not leave roller marks. The paint dried very hard and has been reasonably scratch resistant. Washes well and seems stain resistant. Bonus is that it is water based. I would definitely do it again. Oh, and the reason I mentioned Benjamin Moore paint by name is that, in my hands at least, it is easier to apply and covers better than any paint I've used on the several houses I have painted inside and out. My (hopefully) last house painting job used 37 gallons of Ben Moore primer and paint!

One poster mentioned using a marine one-part polyurethane. That would be a great way to go. Interlux, Petit, Total Boat are all similar products that you can get from Jamestown Distributors. They have some good videos on how to use those paints as well. Those are made to be rolled on and level well. The only downsides to the boat paints are that they are twice the cost of the house paint and you have to clean up with solvent.

[WB]

Forgot to address stripping. Stripping is going to be no fun at all. The suggestion of using a pressure washer to blast off the paint is probably a good one. Sanding the whole trailer would be a good idea as well. I sanded the trailer I painted to remove as much of the old paint as possible. No expensive but time consuming and tiring.

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

Prepping and painting a fiberglass trailor is a bit different than an oxidized aluminum trailor and getting anytime out of the finish.

Likelyhe best bet is to powerwash the old paint, then decide if you do an etch, then convert before painting. That would be best, but costs more in time and money.
At least get the old loose stuff off and maybe Scotchbrite before painting.

[Martin Gregorie]

On Sun, 30 Apr 2017 10:48:27 -0700, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)
wrote:

> Prepping and painting a fiberglass trailor is a bit different than an
> oxidized aluminum trailor and getting anytime out of the finish.
>

When I repainted my alloy clad box trailer a couple of years ago I went
round the seams with a rotary wire brush to get rid of the gunge round
the rivet heads and down the edge of the sheet alloy overlaps and then
used an orbital sander to get loosely attached paint and orange-peel one
the panels. I think the trailer is about the same age as the A-series
Standard Libelle inside it: it had certainly been painted more than once
and not wonderfully well in at least one case.

This was followed by a coat of metal etch primer and two coats of semi-
gloss white polyurethane, applied 24 hours apart. Primer and paint all
applied with rollers. The result looks good and so far seems to be
shrugging off algae and roosting bird detritus.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

[Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)]

Sounds great, good job. As to the rotary brush, I have heard that it should be brass to prevent steel doing a galvanic number on the aluminum (dissimilar metal corrosion) if you leave any ferrous metal behind.
Thus my comment about using Scotchbrite.

[Martin Gregorie]

On Sun, 30 Apr 2017 12:53:43 -0700, Charlie M. (UH & 002 owner/pilot)
wrote:

Good point. However, as pop rivets were used to join the panels on my
trailer, and they almost always have steel cores, THAT damage was
probably done decades ago....

[nerbe...@gmail.com]

On Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 12:34:58 AM UTC-4, collins...@gmail.com wrote:

[nerbe...@gmail.com]

I use the white roof paint at Home Depot, has glass bead, even cooler and more reflective. Apply with roller and brush, Sticks well to half-ass prep job, seals leaks, flat very bright white finish.

Ed

[Papa3]

FWIW, Scotch Brite on a grinding wheel (as opposed to manually scrubbing with square pads) works really well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0089QJQI4/ref=biss_dp_t_asn

[2G]

On Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 6:46:16 AM UTC-7, WB wrote:
> Painted a fiberglass tube trailer last year with Benjamin Moore primer and Benjamin Moore gloss exterior house paint. Rolled on the primer and sprayed the top coat. I think the top coat would have done just as well or better if I had rolled it on. Regardless, the job came out looking very good. Both the paint and primer leveled well and did not leave roller marks. The paint dried very hard and has been reasonably scratch resistant. Washes well and seems stain resistant. Bonus is that it is water based. I would definitely do it again. Oh, and the reason I mentioned Benjamin Moore paint by name is that, in my hands at least, it is easier to apply and covers better than any paint I've used on the several houses I have painted inside and out. My (hopefully) last house painting job used 37 gallons of Ben Moore primer and paint!
>
> One poster mentioned using a marine one-part polyurethane. That would be a great way to go. Interlux, Petit, Total Boat are all similar products that you can get from Jamestown Distributors. They have some good videos on how to use those paints as well. Those are made to be rolled on and level well. The only downsides to the boat paints are that they are twice the cost of the house paint and you have to clean up with solvent.

Marine grade paint would be a good choice, but will be more expensive than house paint. West Marine is a good place to get it; they have Interlux polyurethane and primer:

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/interlux--brightside-one-part-polyurethane-paint--P004_121_002_006?recordNum=1
https://www.westmarine.com/buy/interlux--brightside-pre-kote-primer--P004_121_003_016?recordNum=2

Boat painters often use the roll and tip method, but this requires 2 people:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ_T84GU_as

I would be wary of trying to cut corners on materials as quite a bit of time is spent on the job and doing it over will require even more time than the original job.

Tom