Sunfish, mask it properly. You don't want overspray on or in your single radio :ok:

Check if Aeropaint Australia is still going in Horsham VIC ?? They used to be great, and not far fly from NSW...

The best quote is not always the best. Got a full respray done in Moorabin in mid 90's. They were accepted as the best at the time and their quote was 30% over most of the others. A couple of people told me I was stupid paying that much over the norm but after all these years, with occasional polishing, the paint is still almost showroom and the new owner is extremely happy. The people who told me I was stupid have had a couple of repaints over the time, have paid a heap more than I did, and still have ordinary paint. The moral of the story, find the best, don't scimp, don't try to negotiate the price, make sure inside cowls and inspection plates are chromated and don't hang around. Go and do something else and come back when they tell you it is finished.
This advice is worth what you paid for it.

is it better to Polish paintwork, or wax it?

Just leave it in a 'natural' unwashed state and call it a Rat Rod..:}

The last time I asked (just before Xmas) how much it was going to cost to paint the 210 I was told nothing south of $25,000. Add on the inevitable other bits and pieces that will crop up and you won't get any change out of $30k. The windows should all be replaced at the same time. Nothing worse than seeing a flash paint job downgraded with the original ****ty Perspex. That'll be another $5,000 at least. So nothing left out of $35k and the 210 is one of the simpler aircraft to paint (the later ones that originally didn't have the gear doors).
The 172 won't cost all that much less (maybe a tad over $30k to do it properly), but fortunately that's already been done.
Someone above mentioned a Warrior. I would have thought that would be done for around the same money as a 172. If it's already stripped I'd reckon you could knock off about 10% (maybe) of the original quote if the paint was still on it.

....and what flywatcher said.

The only thing I know is that preparation and good foundations are the key to any paint job in any application, home, marine, aircraft, cars.

The build is getting Sherwin - Williams Strontium Chromate Two pack polyurethane primer.

That is going over Alodine for the little parts, or Sherwin - Williams wash primer for the bigger bits I can't dip.

The top coat will also be Sherwin - Williams, which will be applied by a professional using airless spray equipment.

The cost? Wash primer $245 per Gal. Polyurethane primer $500 per gal. However I have to say it sprays on like a dream and covers a multitude of my sins. The test panel I made shows it is as tough as nails and sticks like the proverbial.

I was reminded how good it is when I bought some Dulux rattle cans of primer and gloss from Bunnings to paint some 4130 steel parts. Talk about crap paint! They are now binned and I'm using Norglass marine primer and Two pack for the steelwork.

Most "structural" bits like doublers where water might pool and all dissimilar metal joints are sealed with AC240-B2 polysulphide rubber fuselage and fuel tank sealer (AKA "brown sh!t" in the old days at Ansett, and a pretty good description when you try to apply it)

I'd certainly agree with that. The last one I had painted was a few years ago now and was getting up there. Stripping reveals a multitude of sins. I heard of one that had some hail damage that had been bogged probably decades ago. Not a word in the logs. The painter was was quite happy to rebog it ... for another 6 grand. I dread to think what is underneath some of those shiny paint jobs. Always better to buy one with original paint if you can.

But is painting really worth it? Let's say you have a 35 year old 172, with maybe 6,000 hours and mid life engine and prop. If it needs paint, probably needs interior too, and windows. The avionics are probably boat anchors. Then there's SIDs (painting would be a good time to do that.) Would look nice.... But would probably not see it for about 12 months and not be worth what it cost. Dont even think about the misery of project managing some of those morons who make promises they know they will not keep. Better decision is more likely parting out or paint on most of those old planes.

i know of a few B747-4**s' getting around carrying a few tonnes of Bog. :eek:

I called in to see Keith at Aeropaint a couple of weeks ago. He's going strong!

The repaint issue depends a bit on your objective. The Lance that Keith repainted for us cost about $40k including a single piece windscreen and some other speed mods, but we picked up a real 8 knots. A lot of the time (and money) was in fibreglass work. The wavy fibreglass components like wigtips take a lot of sanding hours to make nice and smooth. We took it back to bare metal and dealt with some corrosion issues & replaced some working rivets. We also replaced every exposed nut bot and screw. But at the end of it, we got an airframe that I have equal confidence in as a new one together with a paint job that still looks new 5 years later.

The other end of the spectrum is to rub the gloss off the existing paint and put another coat on the top. There are some guys who argue that this is better because it is less invasive.

Just putting the 185 through a thorough strip and repaint as we speak. Last paint turns out to have been done well in terms of preparation.
Phew.

I am expecting $20-30k, but how long is a piece of string....