Prop keeps slinging off paint

[carusoam]

Let’s invite @Cody Stallings to help you with your question...  (prop paint question above)

Best regards,

-a-

[aggiepilot04]

This was 4 years ago, but I ended up taking mine (on the 3rd attempt) to San Antonio Prop Service and haven't had issues since.  Sensenich picked up the tab.  The technical answers above are likely correct, but the bottom line is that it wasn't done right on the first 2 attempts.

[A64Pilot]

On 3/27/2017 at 11:55 PM, Aerodon said:

I have not had good experience with Prop guard - it fails in rain and ice.  And you would not want to complicate this repainting situation, something definitely not right.  Aerodon

I have not had good experiences with it either 

[Andy95W]

I have had nothing but good experience with PropGuard.  Two caveats:

1.). It must be applied properly.  If the installer has issues, he’s not doing it right.

2.) It doesn’t last forever.  It will need to be redone after about 8 years or about 400-500 hours.

I fly from a poorly maintained airport that has more rocks and pebbles than it should.  Saving my prop blades is a very big deal to me.

[Cody Stallings]

I have had this same issue in my shop.

With the Polane paint it requires a perfect mixture of V66 Catalyst to harden properly, otherwise it will dry, just won’t harden the way it’s intended to then it blows off in sheets.

Humidity also plays a part in this aswell.

Polane T is a Cabinet Paint an it does really well at that job, but it lacks luster when it comes to propellers in my opinion.

I see propellers that come in for routine maintenance that have had automotive grade enamels applied that is nearly impossible to media blast off, its a far superior paint for the given application.

[1964-M20E]

Cody just did my prop.  I only have about 1.5 hours on it and looks great.  The flip side several years ago I painted the prop myself with so called prop paint and it did not hold up very well but I did fly within a week of painting it so the paint may not have been fully cured.

[A64Pilot]

Go to Lowe’s or Home Depot and get appliance epoxy spray paint for the white tips.

‘It’s the same thing as what you buy at Spruce for a whole lot less money. It takes days to dry, several days to fully cure, it won’t stay on until fully cured.

Anything that comes out of a spray can is not real prop paint, it will not last, but I figure it’s better than bare metal.

I painted mine largely out of curiosity to see how much prop damage I would pick uo from operating off of grass, figured fresh paint would highlight it, surprisingly the answer is none.

Edited June 10, 2021 by A64Pilot

[PT20J]

I believe McCauley and Hartzell use a Sherwin-Williams 2K polyurethane. Any good 2K polyurethane should hold up better than a single component paint because the catalyst hardens it. Auto paint stores can put 2K paint in a spray can. You punch the button on the bottom to inject the catalyst and then you have a limited time to use it before it goes bad in the can. Wear a good organic solvent mask -- the catalyst is an isocyanate. And, of course, you want to be mindful of the balance.

Skip

[carusoam]

Go MS!

You guys have so much experience!

thanks for sharing it all.

Best regards,

-a-