1975 7KCAB Restoration

[Chan Hughes]

Good morning all,

Here's an update, as well as a few photos.

Envelope is on and prelim shrunk.

Preferred Airparts provided this envelope which fit great. The problems I faced were due to my own errors...not the envelope.

 

[Chan Hughes]

Update

Through 2cd coat of white. Taping and scallops in beautiful Colorado Red next!

 

[Chan Hughes]

Update

Landing gear OVD ☑ she's back on the ground and starting to look like a plane again.

 

[Bob Turner]

Nice house. You have an airport there?

 

[Chan Hughes]

No sir. Will trailer fuselage and wings to airfield for final assembly. @Bob Turner

 

[Desert7GCBC]

Nice work! It's hard to imagine beforehand how much time it takes to do all that detail work on the landing gear.

What kind of paint are you using?

 

[Chan Hughes]

Thank you Desert, yes lots of dirt and grime to clean out for prep but all fun to renew.

For most brake parts, Zinc Chromate as my primer (Socomore) with grey VHT paint. Both found on Spruce.

Wheel halves, Zinc Chromate primer with a single stage white polyurethane enamel by Interlux. Y4359 White

Tail springs and main landing gear struts, 2 stage Epoxy Primer by Randolph (White) then topcoat with single stage Y4359 White.
@Desert7GCBC

 

[Desert7GCBC]

Thanks for the info! I'm planning new tires and tubes next month during the annual and you're motivating me to clean everything up on the gear and pretty it up.

 

[Chan Hughes]

Absolutely, glad to hear it. Let those wheel halves cure (fully) before tire/tube assembly. I waited little over 2 weeks. Will not be fun if you pull that tire off in a few years and also pull all that paint around the bead with it. Darn!
@Desert7GCBC

 

[Desert7GCBC]

Thanks! Another question; Is there a way to strip the old crusty paint from the gear legs? (I'm not too enthusiastic about removing them for sand blasting.)

Also, before retirement, I was known as a bonding (glueing) specialist at work doing aerospace/composite stuff for many years. When curing any two-part adhesive or paint, I sometimes parked a car aiming south and put the bonded/painted part on the dashboard. The elevated temperatures drastically reduced curing time.

 

[Bob Turner]

I would be a bit careful about sand blasting - but the gear legs really come off easily, and you can replace the inner bolts with NAS bolts, avoiding the 50 hour torque check. Take them off, have them chemically cleaned, then repaint?

Edit: I can see you have removed them before - cannot tell if you replaced the U bolts, but if not . . .

 

[Desert7GCBC]

Thanks for the tip concerning sand blasting.

Yeah, I replaced the u-bolts with a Univair kit years ago. It's probably a good thing considering some of my bad landings since then.

 

[Chan Hughes]

Great tip. @Desert7GCBC

I tried a couple stripping agents on the gear legs (Citristrip, Jasco's paint and epoxy remover). Neither were very effective. A general purpose scuffing pad and patience (lots) brought me down to the bare spring steel for priming. Not a sanding pad, but a soft pad on an air tool. Hope this helps.

 

[runt]

I have a second set of wheels I need to pretty up too.

Our DOM at work said sand blasting the wheels removes a protective coating on the magnesium. I would think sanding may do the same but not sure. He said there is a chemical way to get it done. Not sure if that means a stripper though as we haven't started yet.

 

[Desert7GCBC]

I've been known to take parts to a self-serve car wash for de-greasing. They have hot soapy water and you can hold the nozzle right on the parts. Works good!

Got busted once, though. The owner was pretty irritated. Apparently, they recycle the water and don't want grease in it.

 

[Chan Hughes]

Colorado Red sprays like a dream. Stencils ordered through James @ Aerographics. Will have to touch up a couple areas with a q-tip/ buffing and polishing. Would advise to wait an hour or two before pulling stencil.

 

[Desert7GCBC]

Beautiful work! Lots of us are benefiting from your documenting this. Thank you!

Wish I had known about stencils being available or maybe traced some stencils before removing the fabric. I ended up cutting the scallops out of the old fabric and using them as a pattern for masking. Tedious!

 

[Desert7GCBC]

Speaking of paint strippers, the EPA has recently banned all sales of methylene chloride for consumer use.

It's obviously extremely nasty stuff but, in my experience, the most effective paint stripper available.

Anybody got any experience or advice concerning substitutes?

 

[Chan Hughes]

I can imagine. @Desert7GCBC What brand/ type of tape did you use for curved areas?

Attached are dimensions for scallop design. Good layout and taping could save someone some money....

 

[Chan Hughes]

Repairing cowl. Who knew someone could fit 170 holes in this. Anyways, how have you guys feathered glass flush after filling holes/ damaged areas? Best idea as of now is a softer scotch pad on a pneumatic tool.