Primer on Priming

Today I tried my hand at priming on the practice projects. Here's the procedure I'm using:

1. Assemble all parts including match drilling, deburring, and dimpling. 
2. Scrub everything with Bon Ami and maroon Scotch Brite in the guestroom bathtub. 
1. I'm not using Alumiprep or Alodine. I might get talked into it, but Bon Ami is easy to use and I'm not sure that I need alodine. 
3. Lay out on the painting screen. Dry off with the air hose. 
4. Wipe down with Acetone to remove any last skin oils. 
5. Don the respirator & mix the Akzo. 
6. Wait 30 minutes.
7. Load the primer into the gun using a screen. 
8. Spray the first side. 
9. Wait 15-20 minutes.
10. Spray the second side. 
11. Clean the paint gun with MEK.
12. Remove the respirator and put everything away. 

Here's what I learned:

1. Akzo is NASTY stuff! As soon as I slightly cracked the lid the fumes were intense. This is definitely something to use a respirator the whole time it's being worked with. I don't understand how some folks only use a mask while spraying. You need to be protected any time a can is open. 
2. Priming must be done outside. I thought I could get by with priming in the open doorway while it was raining outside. Nuh uh. This stuff is nastier than I want anywhere in my house. An open garage would also be an option. A respirator is mandatory either way. 
3. Mix Mates are awesome. I couldn't imagine having to open the cans each time and reseal. The syringe method of alloquating sounds good, but Mix Mates are better. 
4. Disposable mixing cups are the way to go. 
5. MEK is pretty nasty too. It does a good job of cleaning up the paint gun, but it needs the respirator too. 
6. Priming after dimpling is going to really wear out the Scotch Brite pads. It also means that you can't rivet-as-you-go. For the airplane I'm going to try deburring then priming. This stuff is supposed to be plenty tough enough to stand up to dimpling and it will be nice if I don't have to stop assembly because I haven't primed yet. 
7. Bon Ami is good stuff. It makes a noticeable difference in the water break test and I don't need to wear gloves with it. For fun I primed some parts that hadn't been cleaned and they're noticeably inferior. 
8. The HobbyAir is great. However, the pump really needs to be placed far enough away to avoid fumes. Initially I had it across the basement and I was getting fumes through the hose. I had to move it to the other side of the house to get really clean air. Used on eBay is definitely the way to go here, but the replacement mask straps need to get here.
9. Akzo goes on great, but a couple light coats are better than one heavy coat. I'm impatient. That's my greatest weakness when it comes to priming, and probably to airplane building in general. 
10. A $15 Harbor Freight gun is a piece of junk, but it's plenty nice enough for spraying Akzo primer. If you're spending more you're wasting your money. 

Bon Ami and Scotch Brite. Is this really all that I need for primer prep?

Professional airplane builder wash basin.I'm not sure that this tub has ever been used before. 

Clean parts ready for primer. 

Akzo with Mix Mates and graduated disposable cup. The 8oz cups are going to be too small for big batches. I'll just have to use 2 at a time. 

$15 Harbor Freight gun ($9 with coupon) with HF regulator and dryer. Nice setup for primer but it needs a swivel elbow so the stand will hold it properly. 

Primed parts on the paint screen. This should always be done well outside. This took about 5oz to do both sides plus the practice skins not shown here.