On my social media I see a lot of post about laser paint removal. I’m fascinated with this topic apparently because I keep watching them, wondering if this thing is real or just some heat up junk. But, I acquired a Luscombe to restore, and the gentleman who started the restoration applied a fresh coat of silver paint before he passed away.
I don’t know how much surface prep was put into the project, but I can see places where the silver paint is already peeling up. (1) I am just a little anal retentive about things like this; (2) I don’t like the look of silver paint because it’s not bright enough to make a second color pop out - I would much rather have a white canvas; and (3) I really want a polished airplane. On the third point, I don’t know that I’m actually going to do it. I either want a full on show plane, or I’m going to leave the silver paint where it is put some black numbers on it, get her flying, and just enjoy the plane and don’t worry about what it looks like. Again that decision has not been made yet.
However, if I decide to go to show plane route… That paints gotta come off. And these laser paint removers have really gotten my attention. I know the cost of just stripping the paint off of the plane is going to be as much as one of these machines would cost. (I’ve been shopping, they start at around 4000 but like paint jobs can top 20 with very little effort.)
Has anyone on this forum heard of, know of someone, or seen one of these laser paint removers used on an aircraft?
Madame Google tells me that a lower power ~100 to 400W pulse laser would be appropriate for aluminum, and Wood, which means I could use it on other stuff later, and these can be had for about $5000. Which is what I figure it’s gonna cost just to get the existing paint stripped off of the airplane and that’s with great hope that they get off every little bit. I will probably with a $5000 strip job still require 40 to 50 hours of my own personal labor to clean up the smaller spots around rivets, etc..
Before I convince myself, this is the thing to do has anybody tried it?
I don’t know how much surface prep was put into the project, but I can see places where the silver paint is already peeling up. (1) I am just a little anal retentive about things like this; (2) I don’t like the look of silver paint because it’s not bright enough to make a second color pop out - I would much rather have a white canvas; and (3) I really want a polished airplane. On the third point, I don’t know that I’m actually going to do it. I either want a full on show plane, or I’m going to leave the silver paint where it is put some black numbers on it, get her flying, and just enjoy the plane and don’t worry about what it looks like. Again that decision has not been made yet.
However, if I decide to go to show plane route… That paints gotta come off. And these laser paint removers have really gotten my attention. I know the cost of just stripping the paint off of the plane is going to be as much as one of these machines would cost. (I’ve been shopping, they start at around 4000 but like paint jobs can top 20 with very little effort.)
Has anyone on this forum heard of, know of someone, or seen one of these laser paint removers used on an aircraft?
Madame Google tells me that a lower power ~100 to 400W pulse laser would be appropriate for aluminum, and Wood, which means I could use it on other stuff later, and these can be had for about $5000. Which is what I figure it’s gonna cost just to get the existing paint stripped off of the airplane and that’s with great hope that they get off every little bit. I will probably with a $5000 strip job still require 40 to 50 hours of my own personal labor to clean up the smaller spots around rivets, etc..
Before I convince myself, this is the thing to do has anybody tried it?
