Best technique to attach already primed & painted parts

[foxhandybread]

Hi all! I'm sure this is a very basic thing but I can't seem to find a definitive answer so I thought I'd ask you very knowledgeable chaps.

 

I'm working on an aircraft build and usually speaking I would have attached everything together before priming and then painting, to ensure all the gaps could be sorted before final touches. However, because of some pretty complex masking underneath the wings (struts in the way) I've opted to prime and paint the wings separately from the fuselage before assembly. I've seen a few others do this in builds and being pretty inexperienced I'm worried about the assembly phase. I know there are going to be big old gaps around the wing roots. My questions is, what's the best approach to sorting these? I'm aware that I'll need to sand down any paint that's going to be glued to ensure a good bond, but once they're attached, can you apply putty over the top of the paint and primer, or will I need to sand down the gaps, then re-prime and re-paint? Or can I get away with a little bit of filler and then spray a bit of paint over that? I know all builds are different but I'd be very interested to hear how people generally approach this task!

 

Thanks in advance

[Graham T]

Fine for things like undercarriages, ordinance & other small details but I wouldn't recommend painting ANY airframe parts before gluing, filling, sanding etc.

[Ray_W]

My usual approach would be to spend a lot of time dry fitting and correcting potential gaps before painting. I correct with plastic shimming, glued and shaped or other strategies such as bracing the fuselage out to close a wing root gap. All dependent on the case. I try to get to a stage where any gaps are essentially pre-filled eliminating or minimising post filling and the latter, if needed, is preferably a hairline filled using CA, CA/Talc or Milliput.  I am most happy when I can get a pre-painted piece to almost clip into place This is very true of struts. I'll work with them so they can, again hopefully, be put in place and glued after painting. I also prioritise. If it is a tricky paint job with struts, I really put a lot of thought into how I can fit the struts last.

 

However, every case is different. The pre-planning and correction stage of a project is one part I really enjoy. My first goal on every build is no filler.

 

Ray

[foxhandybread]

Thanks chaps, this is handy—I definitely should have assembled the entire thing first but I'm here now and must try and make the best of it ( @Ray_W pre-planning and correction is the name of the game.. next time!!)

 

Hopefully the gaps will be small and not require filling. I'll report back when I get to The Attachment. Not looking forward to it. Will report back..

[Mark Harmsworth]

I agree with what's been said above. An important consideration here is the manufacturer. Some have a good reputation for the way a kit is engineered so the fit is usually good. Others not so much. As an example I am currently building a 1:72 Lancaster from Hasegawa and am painting wings separately from fuselage. I checked the fit first so I know there will be no gaps between wing and fuselage. I've done it that way as the three parts are much easier to hold and paint than the completed plane. If the fit had been poor I wouldn't be doing it that way.

Mark