[bkervaski]

Taking scotchbrite to those perfect aluminum panels you've worked so hard to protect .. sad, sad day ..

(prepping cabin for paint)

 

[rockwoodrv9]

I found my loop - hook DA sander holds the scotch brite pads very well and speeds up the process. They work great for smoothing out fiberglass too.

Have fun!

 

[jibby212]

I did the same thing but it will no longer hold sand paper when your done, my experience anyway.

 

[kentlik]

Taking scotchbrite to those perfect aluminum panels you've worked so hard to protect .. sad, sad day ..

(prepping cabin for paint)

I never understood why people spend so much time with a straight edge and soldering gun. Unless you are going to polish.

 

[rockwoodrv9]

I did the same thing but it will no longer hold sand paper when your done, my experience anyway.

A new bottom for a Dewalt is $12 at HD. Worth it. I took my old one, cleaned it off and now can use it for pressure glue sanding discs.

 

[rmartingt]

I never understood why people spend so much time with a straight edge and soldering gun. Unless you are going to polish.

Protection helps. My skins don't look perfect but leaving the plastic on helps with the minor hangar rash. It'll still have to get scuffed for paint but the less blending I have to do to remove minor damage, the better.

 

[bret]

Don't forget you want to primer or whatever you are using as soon as possible after scuffing before the aluminum starts to oxidize, paint stuff don't stick well to oxidized aluminum

 

[JonJay]

Don't forget you want to primer or whatever you are using as soon as possible after scuffing before the aluminum starts to oxidize, paint stuff don't stick well to oxidized aluminum

Good practice, but that is partly what the etching process does, rids the skin of oxidation. It may be more critical that you top coat within a specified time depending on the systems you are using. Leaving primer on for extended periods may require you to go back and rough up again before your top coat.
Ideally, your paint prep and painting all occur together within a few days for most systems.
I wouldn't waste time prepping until you're ready to go: prep/prime/paint.
It is a LOT of work.

 

[A5555]

Ideally, your paint prep and painting all occur together within a few days for most systems.

this is good advice. increases your chance for good bonding.

 

[ColoCardinal]

When to paint

In a much larger scope of when to paint. Do any of you know if any DARs have objected to the plane being painted prior to the inspection? Wondering if they want to see every rivet.
Tried to contact a couple of tech counselors and would have asked them but none return my calls.

 

[lr172]

Protection helps. My skins don't look perfect but leaving the plastic on helps with the minor hangar rash. It'll still have to get scuffed for paint but the less blending I have to do to remove minor damage, the better.

I struggle to believe that anything capable of scratching aluminum deep enough to require filling/blending would be stopped by a thin layer of plastic. Most of the surface scratchingd (hanger rash) that you see is well under a thou (.001") and can't be detected after the primer coat. I sanded with 80 grit paper on a DA (comparable to 180 grit hand sanding) and the first coat of epoxy primer looked like a sheet of glass.

Larry

 

[lr172]

Good practice, but that is partly what the etching process does, rids the skin of oxidation. It may be more critical that you top coat within a specified time depending on the systems you are using. Leaving primer on for extended periods may require you to go back and rough up again before your top coat.
Ideally, your paint prep and painting all occur together within a few days for most systems.
I wouldn't waste time prepping until you're ready to go: prep/prime/paint.
It is a LOT of work.

Aluminum starts to oxidize immediately. The general recommendation is to get the first coat of paint/primer on within 2 hours of scuffing (i.e. oxidation removal). Chemical conversion treatments such as alodine eliminate this requirement, but simple chemical etching does not (oxidation begins as soon as the etching chemical is rinsed off). Unless chemically treated, the oxidation begins immediately after the etching or mechanical abrasion occurs. The question is how much oxidation does it take to prevent good paint bonding.

Most people don't realize how fast Aluminum will oxidize, because of it's lack of affect. Aluminum oxidize very rapidly, especially the alloys. Howver, once a surface layer is created, the oxidized aluminum coating helps to prevent further oxidation by blocking the air from contacting the virgin aluminum underneath. This is very different than how steel oxidizes, where a rust coating actually encourages further rusting.
Larry

 

[mfleming]

I never understood why people spend so much time with a straight edge and soldering gun. Unless you are going to polish.

Your absolutely right...I just finished my last panel the other day and I carefully removed strips of vinyl because.....that's what everybody else does

If I had to do it over again, I'd not bother.

Wasting time??