Fabric Aircraft / Gentle Cleaning - WashWax or Something better?

Skymac

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Nov 9, 2015
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Kentucky
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Justin
In the past I’ve used Mothers Quick Detailer and WashWax to Hand wash my 78’ Decathlon in fair condition original paint. I don’t want to get too aggressive but I feel like the white would clean up a little better with slight elbow grease or maybe something that cuts it a little better. I even thought maybe some NuFinish. Seen some older threads but has any discovered anything newer?
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I use Aero Cosmetics Wash/Wax All for regular cleaning (instead of the wash rack and buckets and all that hassle). I use Aero Cosmetics Belly Soap on difficult stains (like exhaust stains on the belly. And, I use a product called "Bug Slide" on the leading edges when the bugs are out.

Wipe down regularly and it takes just a few minutes. I use the blue "ShopTowel" paper towels. Buy them at Costco.
 
Paint is paint, treat it like you would a new car.
You wouldn't buff a sharp corner on your car, don't do it on your aircraft.
Abrasive cleaners will attack the paint, it will on your car, it will on your aircraft.
 
WashWax All - great stuff and works perfectly on fabric. Easy to use and the more often you use it, the better the it looks!
 
Whatever wash and wax is on sale at Wally World. Liquid dish detergent if I don't have any wash and wax on hand. Dollar Store generic lemon pledge spray for daily touch ups. Aviation specific cleaners are a scam.
 
Sometimes you need to take it out and wash it with a water hose and soap just like you do your car. I usually hose wash my planes 1 time a year, then clean them with detailer and a microfiber the rest of the time.
 
Paint is paint, treat it like you would a new car.
You wouldn't buff a sharp corner on your car, don't do it on your aircraft.
Abrasive cleaners will attack the paint, it will on your car, it will on your aircraft.
Not true. Car paint is clear coated. Aircraft paint is single stage
 
I just use the cheap liquid carwash soap. Polish is done with Collinite 845. I like having a higher dielectric constant on my plane.
 
Not true. Car paint is clear coated. Aircraft paint is single stage
Clear coat can be buffed away just like any other paint. When it gets dull it can be polished.
 
I struggled to find a good way to do this when I first got my ragwing Cessna. I finally started using a water fed brush on a long pole. I worry about water being trapped in a bad place, so I use this method at a time when I can fly it shortly thereafter to attempt to blow the water out.
 
Dollar store Woolite is a very mild but effective soap...
 
Some aircraft paint has clear coat.

I certainly wouldn't think that would be the case on a fabric plane... Clear Coat is not flexible, thats why boats are not clear coated, they are often gel coated but not clear coated. I have an old speedboat thats is pretty as the day is long when she is wet, dry shes dull as can be. I tried every trick in the book, I thought I had a great idea and would rattle can some clear coat on... Or maybe have a body shop do it and had one willing that said they had done it before. Luckly I did more google research and found that due to the flexing of a fiberglass boat clear coat no matter how applied will not hold up to the flexing of a fiberglass boat, so I doubt it would handle being on fabric well at all!
 
I certainly wouldn't think that would be the case on a fabric plane... Clear Coat is not flexible, thats why boats are not clear coated, they are often gel coated but not clear coated. I have an old speedboat thats is pretty as the day is long when she is wet, dry shes dull as can be. I tried every trick in the book, I thought I had a great idea and would rattle can some clear coat on... Or maybe have a body shop do it and had one willing that said they had done it before. Luckly I did more google research and found that due to the flexing of a fiberglass boat clear coat no matter how applied will not hold up to the flexing of a fiberglass boat, so I doubt it would handle being on fabric well at all!
Funny thing, How well rubbing compound and Carnuba wax flexes.
 
Wash and wax both blue and pink. Like to use blue coral wash and wax when using water.
 
Funny thing, How well rubbing compound and Carnuba wax flexes.

Once the gel coat is toast, which mine is, carnuba is of no use... I tried cutting compounds and expensive polishes with carnuba on top, looked good for a quick minute. Once the gel coat is gone-its gone... Nothing to rubbing compound into in spots or you are right into the metal flake... So I cried uncle on that shine project- I aint out chasing ladies in it and kids in a tube behind it don't care if its shiny :)
 
Nothing cleans an airplane better than a flight through a rain shower.
 
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Once the gel coat is toast, which mine is, carnuba is of no use... I tried cutting compounds and expensive polishes with carnuba on top, looked good for a quick minute. Once the gel coat is gone-its gone... Nothing to rubbing compound into in spots or you are right into the metal flake... So I cried uncle on that shine project- I aint out chasing ladies in it and kids in a tube behind it don't care if its shiny :)
How many believe Gel-Coat is what is on Aircraft?
 
How many believe Gel-Coat is what is on Aircraft?
Me.
It's on quite a few aircraft - in spite of the fact that it is a **** poor substitute for paint.
I have it on parts of mine, for example.
And. I could make a list of aircraft that have it purd near all over, but that would be work.
 
Once the gel coat is toast, which mine is, carnuba is of no use... I tried cutting compounds and expensive polishes with carnuba on top, looked good for a quick minute. Once the gel coat is gone-its gone... Nothing to rubbing compound into in spots or you are right into the metal flake... So I cried uncle on that shine project- I aint out chasing ladies in it and kids in a tube behind it don't care if its shiny :)
I have not had that experience with gel coat. However I too wasted a lot of time trying to figure out how to fix mine. Did research on the internet, tried a bunch of different waxes and products on a high speed polisher to no avail last year.

Decided to take another swing at it this spring, and instead of looking on the internet for advice, I went to the boat store and talked to the old man who sits in the rocking chair. His advice... Get some Meguiars oxidation remover and a high speed polishing tool with a rubbing compound foam disc. It worked.

It will cut through the oxidation like nothing and look great thereafter.

Example from my boat, as I was doing it (had not done the top most section yet):
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After you get all the oxidation and **** off the gel coat, apply wash wax all on a regular basis, and the damn thing will look brand new and stay that way.

If the above plan doesn’t work, then wet sand it, more work but will do the job.

I removed all the oxidation, painted the bottom again, and the damn thing looks like it’s brand new (it’s a late 80s model).
 
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Haha yea, if we were talking get-coat.. Would make life so much easier!
 
It’s paint... It’s not gel-coat. But you care for a 40 year old paint job a little differently than a 10 year old paint job.
 
It’s paint... It’s not gel-coat. But you care for a 40 year old paint job a little differently than a 10 year old paint job.
I never said it was paint, I was addressing the false idea that gelcoats shine can’t be brought back. Notice I quoted a post about gel coat ?
 
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