Stripping, cleaning, and painting fuselage

[1avidflyer 1983]

Hi guys, I've been busy stripping the old paint off an Avid fus, and am looking for tips on how others have done it. Also, how did you clean the fuselage before you started painting. I've got some epoxy paint, but what did you use for a primer. I'm especially worried about rust and preventing it from starting. After cleaning off the paint near the tailwheel, I found some rust in one tube. Looks like it came from the inside out though. Hope that's all of it. Thanks, Jim Chuk

[birddog486 21]

A Harbor freight sandblaster will remove the paint and prep the fuse all in one shot. I used Epibond primer on my bird but it wasnt necessary after I decided to use the stewart system.  

 

The Epibond will stand up just fine to the MEK thats used with alot of covering systems. Using Stewarts glue you can go with a cheaper product but Im sure you get what you pay for.

 

As far as the sandblasting goes, I was a little concerned when I started blasting mine but the Avid manual I have recommended it and I had no problems. I dont think the average home owner air compressor has enough air output to damage the tubing.

[1avidflyer 1983]

I should have mentioned in my first post, the plane had a green primer (probably epoxy) and a black epoxy on top of that. I have a sandblaster and large compressor (7 HP 80 gallon tank) and I used sandblaxsting grit I bought. (Black diamond fine) Sandblaster didn't want to take the paint off very well at all. Wire wheel on a side grinder does work, but it's hard to work around all the tubes. Thanks for the responce, Jim

[EDMO 1078]

I would not use the wire wheel to clean with - If your paint is that tough, and no rust coming thru, I would just clean it with solvent, or possibly a very light blasting, and paint over it if you need more paint or want to change color.

EDMO

[EDMO 1078]

I should have mentioned in my first post, the plane had a green primer (probably epoxy) and a black epoxy on top of that. I have a sandblaster and large compressor (7 HP 80 gallon tank) and I used sandblaxsting grit I bought. (Black diamond fine) Sandblaster didn't want to take the paint off very well at all. Wire wheel on a side grinder does work, but it's hard to work around all the tubes. Thanks for the responce, Jim

Jim,

I have done a lot of blasting in my lifetime - One suggestion I have if you REALLY have to clean all the paint and start from bare metal: Forget the bought grit! My flying buddy is one of the tightest people you could ever meet - We used PLAY SAND from Lowes, about 6 bags of it - cleaned the big rocks out of it thru a scrap screen door, put down a big tarp, and used the sand again, and again, when we did the J3.

FYI: Aluminum Oxide in several grits is used on STEEL.

Plastic beads, and glass beads, are used on aluminum

Baking Soda blasting: Forget it - Too expensive - one guy who does cars said it would cost him $5000 to do a car with it.

If your paint is good, I would not remove it completely - just get the dirt and oil off of it.

An etching primer sticks better than epoxy primer, according to my paint shop buddy - then epoxy over it.

I had mine commercially blasted and they said they had an epoxy that would stick good without primer - so they shot 2 coats of it immediately after blasting. They did our cranes when I was with the Coast Guard, so I knew how tough the paint was.

Hope this helps.

EDMO

Edited 12 Jul 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[1avidflyer 1983]

Thanks Ed for the info.  I think maybe my grit is to small.  There was some medium grit in the sandblaster when I started.  It did seem to work better, although it did pit the metal more than the finer stuff.  The reason I was wanting to get down to the metel was there were places where the paint was chipped and a bit of rust would be there, or even some bits of loose paint with a little rust under that paint.  What's the best way to clean the tubes before paint goes on?  Thanks,  Jim

[EDMO 1078]

If you have rust, then a little scotchbrite or sanding - then wipe with a thinner - I like laquer thinner because it evaporates quickly and dissolves most things. Maybe someone else has a better way?

I would use the biggest grit my gun can handle

EDMO

Edited 12 Jul 2013 by Ed In Missouri

[akflyer 1427]

Jim,

When I did mine, I was just going to spot blast the areas that had dings in the powder coat.... as you said, it takes forever to get that powder coat off.  So I used the wire wheel to strip the powder coat in the areas that needed it, then used the sand blaster to prep the tubes and get the anchor profile I wanted.  I used the polyfiber green epoxy primer then covered over that.

 

Some of the areas in the tail cluster I used my dremel on a flex head with a wire wheel.  It was still faster and easier to use that then to try and blast the area to remmove the powder coating....

 

 

Quick way to get rid of it..... grab you propane torch and quickly hit the area with it... it turns to powder then blasts right off.  I am not talking about getting the tubing to 700° either

 

[BryceKat 125]

I used play sand in my sand blaster on some commercial mowers I repainted. Just a standard homeowner shop compressor and the cheapest sandblaster sears had at the time. Worked like a charm! Like Leni said, heat will work great too!!! Good luck, Bryce

[1avidflyer 1983]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I got most of the paint off now and will get the harder to reach parts with the sandblaster. Jim