ksykes
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2017
- Messages
- 460
- Reaction score
- 271
My Archer has 20 year old paint that looks great from 10 feet, but when you get closer there's lots of crazing and it's pretty dull. I finally cleared the hangar waitlist and correcting the paint was top of my list. I've been detailing my own cars for years, but hadn't really cracked how to get the paint to shine on my plane. It's a single stage paint and hard as a rock, so conventional polishing doesn't do much. I was able to make a pretty big difference and thought I'd share the how to. It's a pretty serious step, so if you're not comfortable with some of the techniques, please be careful.
I first cleaned it and clay barred the paint. That removes some of the embedded contamination. The hard part came next. I had tried multiple compounds, pads and tools and none of them really did much. So I went to wet sanding (Color sanding is the autobody term). This knocked down the crazing and got a smooth (but dull) surface to start with. I used 1500, 2000 and 3000 grit wet sandpaper. The first two grits I hand sanded using a soft, small block and a spray of water on the paint and on the paper. Very short strokes and very little pressure. The 3000 was a foam backed pad that I used on my Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher. Also using a mist of water as a lubricant. I wiped up the residue between each step with a microfiber towel. That step is done when there is an even, but dull finish to the paint.
Next step is Meguiars 105 with a wool pad on a rotary polisher. This is the hardest part to get right. You need to clean the wool pad after each 2 sq foot section with compressed air to keep it working well. It's also the most satisfying step as you go from very dull to pretty polished in one step. The next step I used Optimum Hyper Polish with a foam pad on the dual action to clean the little bit of haze from the compound. Here's a before/after.
After (no wax or sealant just wetsand, compound and fine polish) This is white paint, the light in the hangar is a bit weak. Difference is visible in the clarity of the reflection.
Before - Dull from all the crazing
I first cleaned it and clay barred the paint. That removes some of the embedded contamination. The hard part came next. I had tried multiple compounds, pads and tools and none of them really did much. So I went to wet sanding (Color sanding is the autobody term). This knocked down the crazing and got a smooth (but dull) surface to start with. I used 1500, 2000 and 3000 grit wet sandpaper. The first two grits I hand sanded using a soft, small block and a spray of water on the paint and on the paper. Very short strokes and very little pressure. The 3000 was a foam backed pad that I used on my Porter Cable Dual Action Polisher. Also using a mist of water as a lubricant. I wiped up the residue between each step with a microfiber towel. That step is done when there is an even, but dull finish to the paint.
Next step is Meguiars 105 with a wool pad on a rotary polisher. This is the hardest part to get right. You need to clean the wool pad after each 2 sq foot section with compressed air to keep it working well. It's also the most satisfying step as you go from very dull to pretty polished in one step. The next step I used Optimum Hyper Polish with a foam pad on the dual action to clean the little bit of haze from the compound. Here's a before/after.
After (no wax or sealant just wetsand, compound and fine polish) This is white paint, the light in the hangar is a bit weak. Difference is visible in the clarity of the reflection.
Before - Dull from all the crazing
