Hello all,

Last year I purchased a salvage Cessna 150F fuselage, and I'm in the slow, multi-year/decade process of rebuilding a complete airplane from it (unless I purchase a fully assembled version first). Yep, it's an expensive way of doing it and the end result probably won't be certifiable, but hey, it's a hobby and learning experience. That, and I'll really know this airplane inside and out!

At some point soon, I'm going to be doing some stripping and repainting of the landing gear and perhaps the interior (the paint is quite faded, worn, peeling, plus any other affliction known to man). But before I get started, I thought I better ask if lead-based paint was ever used on aircraft, particularly on my '66 150. I'm thinking the answer is no (lead-based paint isn't suitable for aluminum?), but I'm not certain. Since the landing gear is steel, not sure if Cessna used a different paint there or not. Again, I'm thinking not, but it's better to ask and be sure rather than take a chance.

Thanks!

Be more careful about how you dispose of the material than worries about lead.

Edward

Are there special disposal rules regarding the kind of paint that was used (assuming the paint is lead-free)? Oh, are you referring to the zinc chromate primer that was (probably) used?

Lyle

More like the striper and the paint. Its considered Hazardous Materials and you can't just hose it on the ground or into the sewers with out major fines if caught. The to dispose of it only a few special companies will accept for disposal. not sure of price for that. Good Luck I had wanted to do my plane but with all the cost and hassles I backed off.

It is expensive and you must have an EPA # (another issue that opens another can of worms), the last few years we dealt with body shops a 53gal drum of old thinner waste paint disposal was several hundred dollars. Maybe you could rent/lease a legal shop to do the work in ,that might work. Oh and don;t forget all the paper work!! , Sorry to be so discouraging.

Edward

Thanks for the replies. At this point, I'm going to rethink this. Except for some small parts (i.e. battery box), I'll probably be opting for a paint shop to do the whole thing in one shot when the time comes. As much work and money this project is going to require, that will be a few years yet.

Can't help but wonder if the entire process would be simpler if the paint they used was less-hazardous stuff (zinc phosphate primer instead of zinc chromate, for instance).

The Cessna Pilots Association can answer all your questions and they have a forum comparable to BT.

The disposal of paint removal residue is the issue. There are non noxious removers. With your time frame, starting now, you might get the airplane stripped in time for paint when everything else is finished.

Thanks, I'll have to check them out. I was thinking aircraft paint was a more-or-less universal topic between makes, and the people here seem pretty knowledgeable too. That, and I was already a member.

I've been using this non-toxic stripper (even safe for indoor use) for the little bit of stripping I've done so far. Seems to do the job if one is patient. If the real issue is the paint remover rather than the paint itself, then perhaps I already have the issue addressed...?

Thanks, I'll have to check them out. I was thinking aircraft paint was a more-or-less universal topic between makes, and the people here seem pretty knowledgeable too. That, and I was already a member.

I've been using this non-toxic stripper (even safe for indoor use) for the little bit of stripping I've done so far. Seems to do the job if one is patient. If the real issue is the paint remover rather than the paint itself, then perhaps I already have the issue addressed...?

USAF is now using lasers to strip (vaporize) paint. IIRC, the residue from stripping a C-130 is ~6 oz of dust and requires ~1 day. I do not recall the air filtration requirements being onerous.

I am a unaware if this technology has yet trickled down to civil paint ops.

Many moons ago I helped strip ,prep and paint a c172 . You would not believe the total surface area on these things! I now know why painting an aircraft costs so much. Unless you just want to have this experience you might want to save up for a paint job. Have you considered just a scuff and shoot ,as opposed to striping the airframe ? You are supposed to have the control surfaces balanced before reinstalling them.
Good luck .

Edward

Thanks!

I think the control surfaces will have to be balanced regardless.

I'm thinking in this case, stripping everything is really the only way to go. A bit of history: the fuselage, doors, cowl, and each individual tail feather are all from different C150s, so lets just say the paint is slightly mismatched. That, and the paint on the fuselage itself is in really tough shape; it's peeled to the bare aluminum in spots, primer showing through in many others (mostly around rivets), and there's even a bit of mold or mildew (well dried) in areas. There's also corrosion that I'm dealing with. The entire plane had been flipped over in a windstorm and apparently had spent time upside down in water, as a lot of the corrosion is on the roof (both outside AND inside). The dash wasn't spared either - I spent part of this weekend sanding corrosion from the underside and priming for painting.

This is very much a learning project for me as well as a hobby, but I think I'm convinced to not try and tackle any of the airframe repainting and just limit myself to the mechanicals.

At least when I bring this thing in for repainting, they won't have to spend time taking it apart first!

Interesting. I wonder if any of the shops in my area will be using that in the next few years, assuming it becomes available outside of the military.