[R-390] Painting Notes and Parts

[Paul H. Anderson]

On Thu, 8 May 2003, Barry Hauser wrote:

> The panels were primed with one thing, finish coated with another, then
> refinished once or twice more.  So you'll find a mix of things on them.
> There are two basic kinds of stripper -- nonflammable (caustic) and the
> flammable solvent gel types (napalm?)  The second type may work on some
> finishes that the caustic ones fail on.  I used a combination of the
> aircraft spray and denatured alcohol -- but not at the same time so as to
> avoid generating nerve gas or explosions or the-end-of-life-as-we-know-it,
> etc.

The main strippers I know of use methylene chloride, which is nasty stuff,
but works well.  Respirator is mandatory, as are rubber gloves, doing it
outside, and flushing with water afterwards.

Caustic compounds will lift paint, too, but turn aluminum to jello if
exposed long enough.  You can make a lye bucket and drop parts in it to
remove paint - I've done this with some degree of success on auto parts.
Even better but dangerous, is to heat it to near boiling.  I'd only do
this with iron or steel parts, only outside, and only with a respirator.

> There was some stuff -- yellow primer -- that neither worked on and called
> for elbow grease.  Best to start with a Scotch-Brite pad or similar abrasive
> pad rather than sandpaper wet or otherwise.

These pads work real well.

> Finish off with wetsanding using a block behind it to even out the grain --
> and sharpen up the edges of the stampings.  I suggest always
> sanding/scotchbriting in one direction -- horizontal.  If there are no
> gouges to fill, the panel looks so nice at this stage, I've been tempted to
> finish with clearcoat and fill the lettering with black or nothing.  (That
> snazzy brushed aluminum look!  One of these days, maybe even in this
> lifetime.)

I did that with a TV-7 panel I refinished.  It looked great, and I'd love
to try it with an R-390!

Paul