Cleaning before priming - choice of detergent

Having spent wayyy too much time reading and thinking about how I'm going to prime the internal surfaces, I've decided to go down the Stewart Systems Primer/Sealer path.

A common recommendation regards surface prep is to use Dawn to remove oils (in this case, prior to using the SS EkoEtch).

I can't find Dawn in any of the shops nearby, so would like to know, does Dawn have any particular characteristics that makes it better (for this process) than other dish-washing detergents, or would I be fine using any off-the-shelf dish-washing detergent (such as Morning Fresh, Palmolive that are common here in Oz).

I believe Dawn detergent rinses off the best of most "cleaners". Although I've had good success just wiping down large parts using only lacquer thinner.
(pre acid etch and alodine) I think a serious lacquer thinner wipe down would be sufficiant for Stewart Systems...drop them an Email , see want they say.
(And get back to us)
Regards

Acetone works very well! It is used by one Gulfstream, Sikorsky part manufacturer that I know.

i quit using dawn while painting because after a washing with dawn and a new scotch brite the water beaded.. i then became unsure of its ingredients and went to using dx 330, wax grease and silicone remover. (mineral spirits)
acetone is probally one of the best grease removers according to the chart i read...said it was even better than mek for that. YMMV.
detergents for dish washing have antibiotics, lotions and so much other stuff these days im a little concerned they will react when topcoated. i did watch a guy painting a camaro with a fish eye problem wipe it down with a dawn and water solution and let it dry, then paint it. it was my car kept it 5 years. looked great the whole time with no fish eye.

RE:Cleaning pre-prime

Alexis

Since starting my project I have used about everything in the book....(aceton,MEK,Dawn,acid etch...and in comnbination). I am now in the mist ....not fog...in painting my RV7A with SS paint. I think their product is great. I now use their EkoClean Heavy Duty Cleaner to clean...FG/Metal prior to prime/paint. I have not had any major problem since using this product. Except where I happened to inadvertantly touch a part with my bare hand. In each of these cases the primer would lift after I was done doing my prepaint sanding of the primer. I would then take the time to reclean and reshoot the affected area.

Good luck as you progress in this fun/challenging/sometimes aggravateing process of painting you aircraft.

Frank @ 1l8 ....RV7A... paint in process....

Choice of detergent

Alexis,
I am also going to use Sterwart Sytems primer/sealer. It came with a bottle of EkoClean Heavy Duty Cleaner. I haven't used it yet but probably will in a couple weeks.

I just finished wiping down everything internally with MEK--man that stuff will stink up a garage, but smells just like the model paint I used as a kid to build a balsa RC airplane. I wore a home made respirator (idea I got from here) that worked really well too, but I need more fans for ventilation--fans are tough to find this time of year. I still have to mask off areas I don't want to paint yet but the aluminum sure looks pretty all cleaned up.

I have been wiping down parts with either Acetone or MEK, personally I can't tell the difference between them as far as removing oils - which only means that they are both doing the job OK and says nothing about which is better. I have not used any type of detergent, just the Acetone/MEK wipe down and have had no problems at all with primer adhesion. I'm shooting AKZO on nearly everything with 7220 rattle can used for touch-up.

Using Detergent

I use to use Dawn but I think they changed the formula. It doesn't seem to work as well as it use to. Any detergent that has a caustic action on the aluminum will work. Using a scotch bright, scrub the aluminum and see if the soap turns a dark gray as you scrub. What you are looking for is the water not beading up at all on the surface . You should then prime or Alodine within an hour or so or the aluminum will oxidize again.

Use both. What one won't clean the other will. soda, beer, blood, etc. clean up best with good ol detergent. Oil, Sharpie, mystery stuff, clean well with your favorite ketone.

Cleaning Parts

I use any washing detergent and scrub all the parts with maroon scothbrite until the surface of all parts are a nice matte finish rinse and let them dry and then directly before priming i wipe all panels with wax and grease remover this has good results for me. Check the technical datasheet of the product you are using and it should tell how they recomened you prepare the surface.

OPPS

Probably got of on a tangent there .As long as there is another step after cleaning the parts with detergent and before priming any detergent should be fine as any residue will be removed.