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Paint overspray on the canopy.... AAAHHHHHRRRGGHHH

T

thinkn9a

Well Known Member
anyone have recommendations for removing from the canopy, what appears to be paint overspray ??

Not sure what chemicals are ok,..and not ok with the canopy material... and what might cause more harm than good. Also worried about the paint specks ending up causing scratches if they were to be popped loose. And wondering if the paint might have already caused damage with little "divots" where it "bonded" to the surface

I'm trying hard not to go ballistic on this,,..and sure hope someone has figured out how to handle this without trashing the canopy. Until now,... it has been essentially clean and scratch free. (ok,.. not counting that little piece you knock out before you put the canpoy guides in,.. or get real careful setting it down)

ah the joys of sharing a hangar with several planes and a maintenance bench...

Thanks in advance!
 
May try a clay bar from the auto parts store. Keep it wet with a Plexis or some sort of cleaner and rub the clay over it. Use it all the time for over spray (thats what it is for) on cars and dont see any reason why it would hurt the canopy as long as you dont drop it and get metal shavings in it. Good Luck
 
I had some clear coat overspray on my canopyy -- inside and out. I used the Canopy Scratch Kit from Vans to get it off. Worked great. I think I used two of the four compounds (the lightest ones). Link
 
If it's a few small areas, I've used light amount laquer thinner on a soft cloth. But I'd try it on scrap first. I certainly wouldn't rub it over large surfaces. And in the case of some paints, the longer they dry, the less that laquer thinner will do.

Edit: Notice: It may attack, may fog, may craze, may not do anything

Other notices: Do not use windex & stay away from Loctite

L.Adamson --- RV6A
 
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Seems like this problem is a recurring one, with no good answer to a good fix. Covering up that canopy seems to be the only sure thing...I know hind sight is 20/20.
 
Use 3M product

I got overspray all over the inside of my RV-8 canopy. I removed it using a 3M product called: Finesse-it II. It is called Finishing Material and is a very fine liquid rubbing compound. Use a clean soft rag and the overspray can be rubbed off leaving no scratches or marks. It takes a bit of elbo grease, but works great. It costs about $30 for a quart, which should last a lifetime.

Dan Miller
RV-8 700 hours
 
Plexi can be ruined by certain solvents and the damage might not be apparent for quite a long time. Also, many paint finishing compounds contain solvents to speed the paint cutting process. Finally, there is no bigger pain in the rear than fitting the canopy. For these reasons, I'd urge you to use a product designed for plexi. Spruce has several. I'd start with the finest grit available. You'll be amazed when the thing actually looks better than new.
 
overspray removal

overspray I'd treat a bit different than a paint spill.
the little balls of paint should have flashed off much of the solvent when airborne, so won't likely have etched and bonded to the surface with any great tenacity.
I agree trying some mild polish after flushing and thoroughly removing dust etc.
If this won't break free the little specks, then a MILD citrus solvent ( goof off is pretty concentrated).
If you can find it, we used to strip multiple solid layers of paint off plexi sign faces, and even lexan with Wyandotte T2003, ( by akzo-nobel) a very slow, buffered solvent. Wet out a small area, keep it wet, then wipe with soft cotton cloth as you see the dots break free of the surface. (sign suppliers may have it in gallons only....try an electric sign shop.)
 
thinkn9a said:
Not sure what chemicals are ok,..and not ok with the canopy material... and what might cause more harm than good. Also worried about the paint specks ending up causing scratches if they were to be popped loose. And wondering if the paint might have already caused damage with little "divots" where it "bonded" to the surface.
Click to expand...
Call Van's and ask them for the name of their Canopy vendor, then give them a call and ask them what to use. I've met the people that make the canopies for Van's... they are very nice people, and I'm sure they would be willing to help. Sorry, but the company name escapes me right now.
 
I managed to get overspray all over my RV-7A while painting my RV-10 recently. Boy, was I mad. I was actually painting some primer outside and the RV-7 was in the hangar with the door 3/4 of the way closed. I convinced myself it would be OK. No deal. It still got overspray on it. The whole thing felt very rough. I tried everything, from wax to Meguiars #4, and even some solvents. Nothing worked. This week we picked up a Meguiar's Smooth Surface Clay kit at Autozone for $19.99. Since it snowed last night and our runway was toast today, I decided to try it. The kit came with 2 clay bars, of which I only needed one to do the entire airplane, including the canopy. It removed all of the overspray and left it feeling very smooth again! And it was easier than waxing. I think I spent about 2.5 hours on it. But I am very happy with the results.
I am sure I have probably picked up 20 knots. :)

Vic
 
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