Airplane Detailing at Autogeek - Using a one step cleaner wax

Joined
Dec 5, 2022
Messages
51,004
Reaction score
6
Airplane Detailing at Autogeek - Using a one step cleaner wax


I have a young man that has reached out to me for help restoring this Dad's airplane. Here's a couple of pictures...


Plane_Detail_02.jpg



Plane_Detail_01.jpg



Stay tuned....


:)
 
Looking forward to this!!

Tom
 
Update...


Matt just got back to me, here's what he said,

1955 Cessna 310. Same body style plane if you ever watched the old show Sky King


Here's a link to the TV show in IMDB, I've never seen the show myself but happy to help Matt bring the paint back as best as is possible.


Sky King


Here's the start of the TV show...

Cessna T-50 Bobcat

Sky_King_001.jpg


Sky_King_002.jpg




So Matt is saying the 1955 Cessna 310 is the same body "style" as the airplane on the TV show, not the same model. Still very cool project.


From Wikipedia

The series had strong Western elements. King usually captured criminals and spies and found lost hikers, though he did so with the use of his airplane, the Songbird.

Two twin-engine Cessna airplanes were used by King during the course of the TV series. The first was a Cessna T-50 and in later episodes a Cessna 310B was used till the series' end. The 310's make and model type number was prominently displayed during the closing titles.

:)
 
Did he say what type of paint the aircraft has on it? It looks like it's had a re-paint at some point. There are many things that will have to be done to restore an airplane that has sat for a long time. Those old Hartzell steel hub propellers got my attention right away. Numerous AD's on those.
 
Cool project, my Dad and I used to love Sky King, although I don't remember much about it.
 
That’s got single stage. Clear cut or M105 will work great. Been using clear cut recently with awesome results on single stage. I detail a lot of aircraft. The paint is super tough to buff. Best bet is using a rotary with wool pad at first. It will look great!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hello everyone! This is my project. I’ve been working on this since January of this year. I’ve been busy replacing parts on it and fixing things here and there, with some help. Now it’s time to start working on the cosmetic side of things. I reached out to Mike Phillips and he’s been a tremendous help! This I’ll be my first time buffing an airplane, hopefully it all goes well. I’m not expecting showroom results, but I would like to restore some gloss and ditch the chaulky white and red color. If the weather stays cooperative this weekend I will start the process. I’ll be using Blackfire One step and for a sealant I will probably use RejeX or Collinite 845. Those seem to be the most popular at the airport.
 
Did he say what type of paint the aircraft has on it? It looks like it's had a re-paint at some point. There are many things that will have to be done to restore an airplane that has sat for a long time. Those old Hartzell steel hub propellers got my attention right away. Numerous AD's on those.

As far as my dad and I are aware it’s the original paint job. We searched thru the log books. You might be thrown off because of the left tank. It was replaced with another tank. The original was damaged. Good eye on the props/Hubs I will send those off for an overhaul and inspection when it gets closer to the annual date. Since they are 5 year or 500 hour inspection. All ADs are update now other than the props. This has been no easy project when trying to find parts.
 
That’s got single stage. Clear cut or M105 will work great. Been using clear cut recently with awesome results on single stage. I detail a lot of aircraft. The paint is super tough to buff. Best bet is using a rotary with wool pad at first. It will look great!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for your input, I will probably stick with the porter cable route for right now. Reason being it’s all I have and I’m not sure I would be to comfortable using a rotary.
 
I used to own an aircraft propeller repair station. Quick story- one day a guy comes in with a pair of Cessna 310 props. He says "So and so annuals my plane, and he's the best. I'm sure these props will be cheap to overhaul." I told him to hang out while I disassembled them. I tear them down, and the blade bearings were so rusted the balls were not even round! it looked like someone had pressure washed the blade clamps which is a big no-no. I asked him if these props even changed pitch. I felt so bad for the guy that I didn't charge him for the disassembly. Hopefully he has a new IA now!
 
Very cool project! Will be fun to follow you on your journey. Nice thing to do for your dad.

/Tony
 
I have a dumb question, I’m looking at the RejeX sealant and I see that it’s pretty picky on temperature. The plane is covered in a hangar now, so would it be fine to apply. Or does temps over 85 in general hurt RejeX?
 
If you are new to this and I am making an assumption that you are you really need to do a test spot first. Airplane paint is normally tougher than automotive paint so that Porter Cable with a One Step (AOI) May not cut the paint enough to give you the look you are hoping for. IMHO AOIs are for vehicles with minor marring and scratches, not correcting airplane paint. If you are going to put on a separate sealant anyway why not use a compound or a stronger polish then apply your sealant? I also would suggest you use microfiber cutting pads even if you still go with an AOI. I don’t know much about RejeX, but I would suggest Finish Kare 1000p over 845. Good luck and buy a ton of pads!
 
Sorry for the late update. I haven’t forgot about this project.

Cleaning the paint has been harder than I imagined. With tree residue and the residue leaving an outline from the cleaning.

Attached is some updates I’ve only been able to do the front at the moment. It’s not perfect but it’s an improvement.

0dde2ff8cc2341d0685d3bffa49eb96d.jpg


604debc8f5264c4341b59cbc06c88565.jpg


c965cfa80336667cc2873fbdc3b3195d.jpg


ca9d3b1f4114aa6d8028552f4e592f04.jpg




Sent from my iPhone using AGOnline
 
Back
Top