5
$\begingroup$

I don't really like the colours on my drone and found a few bright spray paint colours around my house. I would like to spray paint my drone, but I obviously do not want to damage any parts of my drone (motors, electrical components etc.)

  • Is it safe to do this?
  • What should I look out for when painting? Any specific areas of the drone I should avoid touching?
  • How can I get the paint to not wash off it the drone crashes etc.? Anything I can apply to it?
Improve this question
$\endgroup$

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
10
$\begingroup$

If you have the technical know how, I would suggest you remove the shell from the drone and spray paint that separately to avoid contamination any of the electronics or mechanical components.

If you aren’t able to do that, then apply masking tape and/or plastic or any other protective layer over any exposed electronics, cameras, ports, motors etc. Basically anything functional. Also make sure not to point the propellers as this could lead to them being unbalanced.

Before you paint the drones, you may want to scuff the surface with some sand paper. This will provide better adhesion for the paint - if you’ve ever tried writing in marker on a smooth surface, you know how difficult it is to stick.

After you have applied your paint, you can add a clear coat and a fixative to protect the paint.

Here is a video showing how to spray paint a drone: https://youtu.be/5aSsd3tCJ-c, notice how the person completely disassembles the drone before applying the paint.

You may also want to consider a vinyl wrap of hydro dipping as decent alternatives to spray paint.

Here is another example of how to spray paint a more premium drone: https://youtu.be/mP4oyjipwhQ

 

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ "Before you paint the drones, you may want to scuff the surface with some sand paper. This will provide better adhesion for the paint - if you’ve ever tried writing in marker on a smooth surface, you know how difficult it is to stick." This is referred to as keying. It's very important to get a well-abrased surface for the paint to key onto. $\endgroup$
    – spikey_richie
    May 7, 2020 at 8:44
4
$\begingroup$

How much mass will this coat of paint add, and can your drone cope with that additional weight ? This could result in a decrease in flighttime-per-charge, a drop in maximum climb rate, and a lower top speed due to a rougher outer surface.

Paint can be surprisingly heavy (a 747 uses around 90 gallons of paint weighing in the vicinity of 550 pounds) and the number of coats of paint factors into range calculations.
From https://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/2354/why-are-planes-generally-painted-white

Don't paint your props at all - even a thin layer will mess up their performance.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ This part can't be stressed enough: whatever you do, DON'T paint the props. Or any moving parts for that matter. Keep away from bearings and connectors. $\endgroup$
    – Mast
    May 7, 2020 at 16:24

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.