Aircraft Finish Spot Repairs

kontiki

kontiki

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Kontiki
I've several spot repairs to make on my airplane, surface corrosion here and there, fairing cracks, etc.

I plan to remove and treat the corrosion areas, brighten, alodine & prime, and want to put some sort of temporary finish on it until I'm ready to have it all repainted. Likewise with the fairings, I'd like to do something temporary with them because I don't want to take the time to re-balance everything after replacement.

Any one know of an strategy for doing that reduces the looks like hell factor.
 
10520700.jpg
 
Any idea what your original paint is? Lacquer, Enamel, Urethane, Polyurethane? Is it a standard factory color, or custom? This is on your Tiger?

-Dana
 
Dave Wartofsky used to be found out at his mixmaster spraying it with green krylon on a regular basis. I hear he finally got it professionally repainted.
Just be careful with the prep. Scotchbrite works well, do not use sandpaper.
 
Go through your logs, you should have paint codes somewhere, just had some louvers put on my plane, cowl got a repaint with the install, you can't even tell.
 
I always keep some extra paint around. In my case that's Imron so catalyzing it is a bit of a pain in small batches and I always need to buy fresh catalyst but that's what it takes to do it right. I dab it on using Pro Touch micro brushes. These little micro brushes make small spot repairs like chips and rivet heads really simple.

http://www.autobodytoolmart.com/protouch-precision-micro-paint-brush-p-10520.aspx
 
thomasdr72 said:
Any idea what your original paint is? Lacquer, Enamel, Urethane, Polyurethane? Is it a standard factory color, or custom? This is on your Tiger?

-Dana
Click to expand...

According to the Log ->
Sherwood Williams Jet-Glo & US Paint Alum-Grip
Base Matterhorn White G8003
Trim April Green 10620
Las Vegas Gold 10494

I want to make sure I don't put something on there that might someone from applying a good paint job later.
I don't have much technique with paint either.

My worst touch up area is possibly 6" across with about half under the dorsal fairing and half not.

I really probably need to just replace the MLG wheel fairings, they really are shot.
 
flyingron said:
Dave Wartofsky used to be found out at his mixmaster spraying it with green krylon on a regular basis. I hear he finally got it professionally repainted.
Just be careful with the prep. Scotchbrite works well, do not use sandpaper.
Click to expand...
I was thinking sandpaper with aluminum oxide grit would be OK, the Scotchbrite 7447 also contains aluminum oxide grit abrasive. I don't know why emory is a problem with aluminum. What's have you heard about sandpaper?
 
most sandpaper has iron/steel oxide....and will become imbedded in the aluminum....causing corrosion.
 
kontiki said:
I want to make sure I don't put something on there that might someone from applying a good paint job later.
I don't have much technique with paint either.
Click to expand...

When proper stripping & cleaning is complete, it really doesn't matter much what was there to start.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
most sandpaper has iron/steel oxide....and will become imbedded in the aluminum....causing corrosion.
Click to expand...
The reddish stuff is Iron oxide, the black stuff is flint. the whitish stuff is granite, Flint or granite is better for aluminum. because it is not a metal that can form one side of the galvanic cell when left imbedded.
 
Just strip it, polish it, It's lighter and you can see the corrosion better :)
 
Proper method to remove old blistered paint and the corrosion under it.

With a Stainless scraper remove the loose paint. Next etch with Alumabright from AS&S while you brush with a Stainless steel platers brush. rincewith fresh water and dry. then re-etch with alodine (6% chromic acid ) re-rince and dry then paint.
 
I personally use 3M Scotch-Brite 6" scuffing discs on my random orbital air sander for larger work. Part #3m-07467 (Maroon General Purpose) most often.
Also, if you have the 2" Roloc conditioning disc mount the 3M-07515 maroon discs are great as well. Be careful, as the standard for materials removal generally is only 10% of the thickness. However, 2024-T3 is pretty forgiving in this area, as it tends to turn white on the surface, and then stop corroding further (or at least corrode more slowly).
Then I clean with Alumiprep 33 (Eagle 1 brand etching mag wheel cleaner is similar) which is a phosphoric-acid based aluminum brightener. A good fresh water rinse, followed by Alodine 1200S, and rinse again.
Now you are ready for your primer and paint. I have had good results with commercially-available self-etching primers, as well as several different topcoats.
Lots of good tips for painting are on YouTube. My favorite is a guy in Perth Australia that goes by "The Gunman".
Good Luck!

-Dana
 
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