Fuel tank sealant removal machine

[isaacpr7]

Second coat of aerosol stripper and viola! I love this stuff! 6 dollars a can sure is cheaper than a 300 dollar tub but each product has its advantages on different areas of the project.

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[TargetDriver]

Guys, I may be onto something even better!!!  I tried a can of the much thicker version that comes in a quart can. It is a great split between the gel and the aerosol spray!  I put this stripper on for 1 hour on this last plate that had literally nothing done to it. It pretty much took it straight to metal. This can is also about $6 and for that price you could pour this in the tank completely! I'm definitely trying this court can of stripper tomorrow in them fuel tank instead of the spray.

[isaacpr7]

Guys, I may be onto something even better!!!  I tried a can of the much thicker version that comes in a quart can. It is a great split between the gel and the aerosol spray!  I put this stripper on for 1 hour on this last plate that had literally nothing done to it. It pretty much took it straight to metal. This can is also about $6 and for that price you could pour this in the tank completely! I'm definitely trying this court can of stripper tomorrow in them fuel tank instead of the spray.

Awesome pirep bud. Be careful with the paint though. I taped the painted portion if the panels so I could also strip the flange and the stripper ate through the edges of the paint

At least it's an easy fix

Let us know how the can works on the tank

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[isaacpr7]

Today I managed to continue working on the recirculating system for the machine. Although I am doing the right tank by hand I will continue to work on the machine for use on the left tank. In the pictures below you can see that I am remaking the lower access panels with a large drain orifice were all the sludge will be coming out of and into the first screen filter in the solvent sump tank. Next step will be to flange and punch the panels and install rivnuts for installation in the tank.

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I'm also making a set of top access panels out of clear plexiglass. That way I can monitor the sealant removal process while it is being recirculated through the tank.

[isaacpr7]

Guys, I may be onto something even better!!!  I tried a can of the much thicker version that comes in a quart can. It is a great split between the gel and the aerosol spray!  I put this stripper on for 1 hour on this last plate that had literally nothing done to it. It pretty much took it straight to metal. This can is also about $6 and for that price you could pour this in the tank completely! I'm definitely trying this court can of stripper tomorrow in them fuel tank instead of the spray.

Any luck on using the canned version inside the tanks?

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[TargetDriver]

Hey. I'm at the plane now and was going to post tonight. I have been saving the last 1/2 of my gel for the upper corners so have been using the O'Reilly's Auto Parts version of that stripper. Home Depot Klean Strip is Acetone, Mythanol and Methylene Chloride.  The same stripper in a quart can available at O'Reilly Auto Parts is Aircraft Paint Remover by Klean strip. It has Ammonia instead of Acetone which works much faster. I'll post pics of it and results next.

[TargetDriver]

Here's the new stuff. 

[TargetDriver]

While this isn't the exact fuel bay (moved those pics off my phone) this is before and after pics. The trick is to coat it heavy, let one set and go to the next bay. Coat it and go back to first one and stir it up amd light removal. Keep going back forth and keep it covered. 3 hours,  2 bays. Now, I still have to lay on my back and do the upper corners with the gel but this stuff works!...and it's  $10 a can.  That's 25 or 30 cans to equal Poly Gone Gel. I have 3 bays to this point from one and a half qts.

[TargetDriver]

Here'S a pic of letting it set with a heavy coating after 30 min. One swipe with a plastic scraper.

[carusoam]

Great photos!

You guys are going to be elected to the CB hall of fame when the project is through... (A good thing I think) 

Good to use eye protection if working under (even near) it.  Good ventilation to keep from breathing it as well.

Best regards,

-a-

[helitim]

18 hours ago, carusoam said:

Great photos!

You guys are going to be elected to the CB hall of fame when the project is through... (A good thing I think) 

Good to use eye protection if working under it.  Good ventilation to keep from breathing it as well.

Best regards,

-a-

They got my vote !

[isaacpr7]

Well it's time to start working on fixing the paint stripped on the panels. Lesson learned: Don't go cheap on masking tape because it can put a hole in your pocket. Here's the panel painting progress.

BTW, I hate bugs!

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[TargetDriver]

Very cool Isaac! Have you already sealed the back side pf your painted panels?  

Im saving stripping the sealer from around my painted areas for last. Hope to get the process down so I don't ruin the paint. I do have some edges to fix around the bottom openings in the wing skins from the stripper being scrapped out and from even the vapors. 

I'm also 98% done with everything reachable from the top down. Ready to lay on my back and work in the upper inner corners. 

Did you guys use some type of loadable squeeze gun to put the stripper up in the corners?  I ran through the motions before leaving yesterday and dipping a paint brush while laying over your head and then painting up sure doesn't seem workable? ... and Yes, eye protection! 

I actually had some flick off a small brush last week into my eyes. I had just stopped to do a quick application...Wouldn't take but a minute...didn't put on the safety glasses...  right !   It instantly started what felt like melting my eye ball... jumped up and ran to the kitchen sink and felt my way to turn on the sprayer head and just soaked half the kitchen while flushing my eyes. The wife was wanting to call 911, EMT's, and a helicopter!  Ha. Some redness on my eye lids and I'm sure I burnt the eye hairs off !  Haha. Note to self...WEAR SAFETY GLASSES ...heck, I'm wearing them now even if I walk by the mess. !  Ha

[isaacpr7]

Very cool Isaac! Have you already sealed the back side pf your painted panels?  

Im saving stripping the sealer from around my painted areas for last. Hope to get the process down so I don't ruin the paint. I do have some edges to fix around the bottom openings in the wing skins from the stripper being scrapped out and from even the vapors. 

I'm also 98% done with everything reachable from the top down. Ready to lay on my back and work in the upper inner corners. 

Did you guys use some type of loadable squeeze gun to put the stripper up in the corners?  I ran through the motions before leaving yesterday and dipping a paint brush while laying over your head and then painting up sure doesn't seem workable? ... and Yes, eye protection! 

I actually had some flick off a small brush last week into my eyes. I had just stopped to do a quick application...Wouldn't take but a minute...didn't put on the safety glasses...  right !   It instantly started what felt like melting my eye ball... jumped up and ran to the kitchen sink and felt my way to turn on the sprayer head and just soaked half the kitchen while flushing my eyes. The wife was wanting to call 911, EMT's, and a helicopter!  Ha. Some redness on my eye lids and I'm sure I burnt the eye hairs off !  Haha. Note to self...WEAR SAFETY GLASSES ...heck, I'm wearing them now even if I walk by the mess. !  Ha

Haven't sealed the back side yet. I'm saving that for when I crack the sealer open to do the tanks so it can be one shot, one kill. You know how sometimes people tend to leave the worst for last? That's how I feel about the inside of the wing walk area. Lol!

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[TargetDriver]

Gotcha. I know that exact feeling..leaving the worst for last... I'm at that place now... getting ready to do all the lay down over my head head work in the upper corners. Ugggg.

[isaacpr7]

Final coat of paint on the panels to fix my mistake and on to the sealant removal again.

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[par]

This might be a project I can tackle in the fall. Like everyone else viewing it, thanks for spearheading this CB effort.

[TargetDriver]

Par, and others...   In all honesty, Having umped into it now, I would not try this in the summer when the heat up unless I had built the flood-wash system. It been 65-75 here in Nor Cal and I couldn't imagine doing this in a hanger with the summer heat. The fumes alone would be tough to handle. The main ingredient in the "Aircraft Stripper" is Ammonia... I sometimes smell it now even when I'm not at the airport. Haha   

[TargetDriver]

Great looking paint job Isaac. Hey, maybe you and I could start a fuel tank and plane stripping/painting business ?    HAHAHAHAHALOLOOLMAO LMAO LMAO

[isaacpr7]

Great looking paint job Isaac. Hey, maybe you and I could start a fuel tank and plane stripping/painting business ?    HAHAHAHAHALOLOOLMAO LMAO LMAO

I like the idea bud

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[Hedge]

i am looking forward to stripping my plane's right wing (one wing at a time) and I think I am going to do it myself (OK, with the help of one of our members).  Can't wait to see how the sealing goes with the reports on this stripping.  YOU guys are awesome.

[TargetDriver]

Hedge,  I looked forward to doing mine too...until I got in there!  LOL  It's not that bad really. Will keep detailing as much as practical to help anyone else that wants to do their own. 

 

My left wing was the real leaker, so fortunately I haven't had to do the wing walk panel... I have looked at it and it doesn't look like fun getting that top access panel off.  Will probably save that one for the fall/winter project.

[Hector]

Very nice job of documenting this process!! Please continue. I had not considered doing this myself but I'm rethinking that. A reseal is not too far in my future.

[DonMuncy]

I thought those paint strippers were all corrosive to aluminum.

[jetdriven]

On 4/22/2016 at 6:34 PM, TargetDriver said:

Here's the new stuff. 

You'll find that the can says "do not use one aircraft".  I researched this, and its because it fails the sandwich corrosion test for aluminum. That stuff wicks its way in between the skin and the spars and corrodes from inside out. Its fine on simple sheet parts, bit not on complex ones.

http://www.kleanstrip.com/uploads/documents/Aircraft_Paint_Remover_C0719.pdf

I've also used Polygone, which is not stripper, its a chemical which dissolves Polysulfide sealers. Its different. It attacks plastic, not metal.

Even aircraft paint shops, using approved methylene chloride stripper, tape the seams because it causes corrosion in the seams.  And thats the approved stuff. 

Mooney gives you .002" of defect to work out of  a spar, after that it must be replaced. 6061 T-6 is more reactive than the 2024 T-3 that the skin is made of.

You are really rolling the dice here with the stripper on the wing spars, it can total your airplane. You might as well be dumping Coca Cola or  Simple Green in there. Followed with a nice water wash. Please tell me you are joking.

Edited April 26, 2016 by jetdriven