What is the biggest thing you've ever detailed? For me it was this...

OCDetails

OCDetails

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I've done plenty of big lifted trucks and even a few boats and RVs, but this sucker certainly felt like the biggest thing I've ever detailed.

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The thing that makes aircraft challenging is because you are doing the front, back, top, sides, and bottom of the entire thing. Most vehicles are just two or three sides of that list, so even if they are big, at least you don't have to do the bottom. A plane has every issue a car has and just way more surface.

It is funny how things look big or small when compared to something else. I used to think the CJ3 I maintain was big until I started doing the Challenger 300. After a few months of working on this one I went back over to the CJ3 for some work and it looked tiny! I just did a full detail on the CJ3 this week in preparation for some air to air photos next week and then I went over to clean the bugs off the Challenger and man did it look huge! That's because it is. It took 20 hours to polish and seal that whole plane. I can do the CJ3 in about 10 hours, so this is definitely a bigun. Fortunately I have help for big projects like this. :)

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Just curious what the largest project you've had to tackle is. I know there are other aviation detailers here and a lot of RV and boat guys.

Here are a couple other biguns. (they probably look bigger when you are 12. lol)

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This is the other reason planes are so big. The amount of crud they pick up is exponentially worse than a car sometimes...

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I'm adding this one because damn it is a big truck. lol

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I do have to say that I love detailing in airplane hangars. If you ever get the chance to detail inside one then I highly recommend it. Great lighting, lots of space, often somewhat climate controlled... I can detail 12 months out of the year with a couple of my clients because of these things. It makes it really nice.
 
Damn! I am not worthy! I would be embarrassed to tell you the largest vehicle I have ever done. Let's just say it might be in the far parking spot of the Ball Park! Not even close to yours. But seeing this well done!!

I am just guessing but the DA of choice is either the Flex 3401 or the Rupes. Just curious which DA did you use? Either way beautiful work!!
 
OCDetails said:
I've done plenty of big lifted trucks and even a few boats and RVs, but this sucker certainly felt like the biggest thing I've ever detailed.

29xhr2f.jpg


mhc012.jpg


The thing that makes aircraft challenging is because you are doing the front, back, top, sides, and bottom of the entire thing. Most vehicles are just two or three sides of that list, so even if they are big, at least you don't have to do the bottom. A plane has every issue a car has and just way more surface.

It is funny how things look big or small when compared to something else. I used to think the CJ3 I maintain was big until I started doing the Challenger 300. After a few months of working on this one I went back over to the CJ3 for some work and it looked tiny! I just did a full detail on the CJ3 this week in preparation for some air to air photos next week and then I went over to clean the bugs off the Challenger and man did it look huge! That's because it is. It took 20 hours to polish and seal that whole plane. I can do the CJ3 in about 10 hours, so this is definitely a bigun. Fortunately I have help for big projects like this. :)

k20n4j.jpg


Just curious what the largest project you've had to tackle is. I know there are other aviation detailers here and a lot of RV and boat guys.

Here are a couple other biguns. (they probably look bigger when you are 12. lol)

n1ar06.jpg


raugap.jpg


2e1wp3m.jpg


vxb0h.jpg


This is the other reason planes are so big. The amount of crud they pick up is exponentially worse than a car sometimes...

2vlmhlc.jpg


I'm adding this one because damn it is a big truck. lol

fc8idx.jpg



I do have to say that I love detailing in airplane hangars. If you ever get the chance to detail inside one then I highly recommend it. Great lighting, lots of space, often somewhat climate controlled... I can detail 12 months out of the year with a couple of my clients because of these things. It makes it really nice.
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I've done all of the above and bigger.The undersides of one planes are horrific.I use paint thinner too cut all that oil first then polish.Aircraft paint is entirely different and the paint is hard as a rock.And yes one of them holds 35 pristine classic cars and a jet and is air conditioned.
 
GSKR said:
Props to you on your work ethic at 12.
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:) That's my slave labor at age 12. I've been priming him since he was born. I think there is another thread about him somewhere on here... I'm really looking forward to when he is a little taller. I've been doing this long enough I think. I'm just about ready to hand the reigns over to a younger man. lol
 
Kamakaz1961 said:
Damn! I am not worthy! I would be embarrassed to tell you the largest vehicle I have ever done. Let's just say it might be in the far parking spot of the Ball Park! Not even close to yours. But seeing this well done!!

I am just guessing but the DA of choice is either the Flex 3401 or the Rupes. Just curious which DA did you use? Either way beautiful work!!
Click to expand...

I'm a big fan of the Flex 3401. It is just so efficient. Aircraft paint is a lot different than automotive paint, but the 3401 does a great job. It's a little heavy for little hands, so I let Erik use the 7424 to apply the sealants and I use the 3401 to polish.
 
The biggest things I have detailed were a couple different toy haulers. Around 28'. I've also done a handful of ski boats.
I remember the older thread with you and your son. That's so cool that he enjoys detailing with you. My 3 year old daughter mimics me on her power wheel and I can only hope that she will enjoy wrenching and detailing with me as she gets older.
 
I love when you post up these hangar pictures, Anthony. What is that your son is cleaning off with the Tuff Stuff? Tire residue? Or is that some sort of hydraulic fluid or lubricant residue coming off the gear or out of the well, as GSKR was alluding to?
 
We've found it helps soften the sheet of liquified bug that gets smeared all over the flaps. It isn't quire as effective as some other products, but it is less expensive. It keeps Erik busy and feeling like he us contributing, so there is that too. :)
 
The flaps get hammered with bugs,but the under belly on some small cessnas or bonanzas get coverered in a thick gel oil substance and inside the landing gear.Every four months I do the same planes,so there pretty kept up and makes the job a bit easier.One of my clients has a old navy commander,I dread working on that.One little 40 minute fun flight and it's covered everywhere.
 
OCDetails said:
:) That's my slave labor at age 12. I've been priming him since he was born. I think there is another thread about him somewhere on here... I'm really looking forward to when he is a little taller. I've been doing this long enough I think. I'm just about ready to hand the reigns over to a younger man. lol
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Thats awesome and he is heading in the right direction work work,and work.I get 30 year old guys whining when I need help.
 
GSKR said:
The flaps get hammered with bugs,but the under belly on some small cessnas or bonanzas get coverered in a thick gel oil substance and inside the landing gear.Every four months I do the same planes,so there pretty kept up and makes the job a bit easier.One of my clients has a old navy commander,I dread working on that.One little 40 minute fun flight and it's covered everywhere.
Click to expand...

My favorite is cleaning the Challenger when it lands on a we runway. Ugh.... That may be worse than bugs. Lol.
 
Do you know of a approved window restoration product that can be safely used to make those annoying hair line scratch clear.must be approved by aviation guidelines any help would be great.
 
You mean like micromesh or similar for acrylic windows?
 
I don't even touch the windows on that Citation. The windshield on the Challenger is glass, so that isn't a problem, but the ones on the Citation can pick up those hairline swirls that really mess with visibility, so the pilots said that they like to be responsible for keeping them clean. I'm fine with that. The last thing I want to do is mess with something on an airplane that makes life difficult. Everything on a plane is so expensive that I don't even want to imagine how much it would cost to resurface the windows if I did something wrong to them.

However, on the thought of everything being expensive, I did a little fancy photoshop work to a couple pictures and sent this to one of the pilots asking if this was a problem. lol

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For those of you who don't know, that piece would cost somewhere in the neighborhood of half a million dollars to replace. lol They had to scratch their heads for a second to even figure out how I would have broken it before they called me. I'm glad they have a sense of humor. lol
 
Yeah seats are like 80k props are 60k one sheet of glass is 40k,not to mention the planes annual inspection is way into the thousands depending on the make and model.Want a nice corporate write off get a jet.Thanks for your attention to this your the second person that said steer away from Windows.
 
C'mon Anthony, that pitot tube isn't a half-million dollar part. Great joke, though.
 
Never ever will forget a rookie mistake I did years ago.Was working on a big Beechcraft as I was backing up my van,I was trying to gauge the distance in my mirror and the top of my econoline slammed into the wing.I had a little luck that day only broke the lamp that's at the end of the wing.
 
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