Prop Paint

[aerobat95]

Hey guys, quick question for you.  First can you paint your prop?  Second if so how does one go about doing it?  If you look in my gallery you can see that the white strips out at the tips could use some touching up as well as the grey. 

Thanks

Ray

[N601RX]

It's been a long time since I've looked, but there was some published guidance by the FAA and prop manufactures.  I think it said small areas could be touched up.  Don't use heavy coats, It doesn't take much paint out on the tips to get it out of balance.  Spruce sells some prop touch paint in spray cans.  It will need to dry for several days before flight of it will come off.

[jetdriven]

I just striped and painted our prop. The correct paint, and no other is Sherwin-Williams Polane paint. It is specified in the overhaul manual for both Hartzell and McCauley.  Now for touch ups, you can file it, hit it with acid, alodine, wash primer and then epoxy propeller paint they sell at Aircraft Spruce, and it will go a year or two.

[aerobat95]

Thanks for the info.  After painting did you have to get the prop balanced?

[jetdriven]

In reverse actually. We decided to get the prop dynamic balanced, and the 1400 hour prop needed paint badly. Rather than balance it, then spend the annual inspection filing and painting the prop (ruining the balance job) , decided to get proactive and refinish the whole prop. Then balance.

I have put 4 hours on it and the vibration is no wore than it was, which is a slight buzz at 2500 RPM or more.