Wing Walk Strip and Refresh

[Sven]

At our last annual we had to do some tank work which means the old wing walk had to come off. I’ve done this a couple of times and have made some handy discoveries I thought I would pass on hoping it will be of some help. I’m going to include pictures, hopefully in the right order.

Before you begin this project order the wing walk paint. I’ve always used Randolf but I’ve learned a trick. Don't thin it out. When my can arrives I turn it upside down for a week or two. It will come in a plastic bag so just leave it in the bag in case it leaks, which mine has never done. The grit at the bottom of the can is hard to deal with and this method, though slower, really pays off. Leave it upside down until the grit has shifted to what is now the top of the can. You can feel the change in the can when it does but it takes a while. That’s why you order the wing walk first and do the next part later. Patience will pay off later.

 I start by using aluminum foil tape I get at Home Depot. Not sure why this works so well for this project but it does. The tape needs to have clean edges, not dented or damaged. I carefully place the tape outside the existing wing walk and make sure I use ample plastic to catch any drips. I’m also careful to press down the edges of the tape making sure there are no wrinkles. You want a good clean seal on the edge of the tape.

Now that I have the wing walk area masked off it’s time for the stripper. I use Citristrip. One small bottle is all you will need. Using a disposable brush I apply a thick coat all over the old wing walk. The trick to this step is that you do not want the stripper drying out. After a thick coat is applied I cover it with Saran Wrap and carefully press it down over the goop. Then I double check that none of it is, or will, drip off the boundaries of the aluminum tape onto any paint I want to keep. Now is when you walk away and leave it overnight.

The next day use a plastic spatula to scrape it all off being careful to not drip it on any paint you want to keep. You’ll be amazed at how well it works and there’s no fumes. I dump mine into a small box and throw it out. Using damp paper towels I carefully wash off the residue being certain not to create any runoff. Once I know it’s clean I use a solvent on it just to be sure. If you want to use Alodine and AlumaPrep now is the time. I take off the tape and clean it again paying careful attention to the edges of the tape. Hopefully you’ll get a nice clean stripped line like I do every time. I’ve never had any stripper get under the aluminum tape.

Now it’s time to re-tape the area just like before and prep it for wing walk. I place the tape just barely over the paint line so I’m sure I get clean coverage. Here’s where turning the can pays off. Open the can and start chopping up the grit blob with the paint stir stick. This process is so much faster when the blob is at the top of the can opposed to all the grit being stuck to the bottom. Keep chopping and stirring. Wearing a work apron and safety glasses would be smart in case some of it jumps out of the can. Chop and stir, chop and stir. 

I apply the wing walk using a 4” foam roller and a disposable tray. The roller works much better than the brush which is the recommended method. Pour a little less than half of the wing walk into the tray. The trick is to keep it moving and mixed since the grit likes to settle fast. Apply evenly and watch for streaks. I apply two full coats and wait about 30-45 minutes between applications. After the second coat has dried for 30-45 minutes I remove the tape and plastic masking. 

Now is the time to be patient again. The last time I did this we waited for 3-4 days to be sure it was hardened and then we went flying. In the hot Redding sun a passenger turned his heal on the wing walk and it must not have hardened enough and created a small divot. Your results may vary but this time I am waiting a week to ten days before using it. I do not have pictures of the full process but I have enough it should make sense.

 

-Sven

 

[milotron]

Thanks. Very helpful info. I am doing mine later this summer.

iain

[XXX]

Awesome instructions, looks great!

[jasona900]

Great write up!  Thank you!

[Hedge]

This is awesome.  I have to reseal both of my tanks too and didn't know that I had to replace the wing walk.  but now that I see the pictures, I understand.  That looks really good.  Anyone know the temperatures required to apply?

[Marauder]

Thanks for posting this. I see you have the extend wing root fairings. Just a comment to your post that may help others looking to do this and other maintenance on their wing areas. If you are removing the wing root fairing, carefully check the condition of the seal under that fairing. The factory original "seal" is just duct tape (paper not metal version). When I went to pick up my plane after the annual, we noted some water after a torrential downpour (2 inches in 30 minutes) seeped into the wing root area. Fortunately, we discovered this (another story) and corrected it. 

The shop who did the annual (Air Mods in New Jersey) is a leading MSC for repairing corrosion damage to planes. They are the ones who took care of Erik's corrosion problem. They said the best way to handle this is to use the heavy Gorilla tape on the gap, "shingling" it from the high point on the wing to the wing ends (flaps and leading edge sides) and then running a line of PRC B2 (a version of the wing tank sealant) on the inner and outer edge of the fairing to ensure water doesn't get under the fairing.

[MyNameIsNobody]

Really nice detailed write-up.  This should be in MAPA or the monthly newsletter.  Thanks!  A very professional "How to".  Someone that has never done it. Or done it right has all the detail to have success!

[xcrmckenna]

That will be my next project thanks to this write up. Should I worry about the stripper getting into the fuel tank access panel on top of the tank? My fuel tanks are in great shape and don't want to do something that will change that other than my off landing every now and then...


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[Sean S]

Awesome how to post, thanks for sharing!

[Sven]

Thanks for the props. I've never had an issue with the fuel tank. The stripper does not seep in and did not cause any issues. I neglected to say to drop your flaps and cover well with plastic. The big tricks learned are the aluminum tape and especially putting the can upside down until the grit releases from the bottom. I left mine in the warm hangar and a week seemed to do the trick. It makes mixing it up so much easier. I've painted this onto a few non-aviation surfaces and the mixing has been the most frustrating thing. I even tried using one of those mixer that goes on the end of a drill. Don't try it. Trust me.

Make sure the aluminum tape edges stay on the paint and not on the wing walk. You cannot press down a good clean edge if it's on the walk. Get your reading glasses and get in close if you have to. It will pay off. The directions say it's dry after 6 hours but I would not trust walking on it for a few days. Already made that mistake. Let it cure and be patient. Here's another picture of the clean edge that aluminum tape leaves.

-Sven

[xcrmckenna]

It looks great!


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[RobertGary1]

I've read a lot of people question the need to strip. Was yours already pealing off? I'm considering skipping the strip.

 

-Robert

[xcrmckenna]

Is a quart of wing walk enough?


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[MB65E]

 It's plenty. You'll probably use less than half of it. 

-Matt

[carusoam]

Great detailed writing, Sven!

Best regards,

-a-

[Guest]

The issue with simply adding another layer is increased thickness which leads to cracking and peeling.  Stripping and reprinting is the best option.

For wing walk which has lost its black colour, spray it with WD40.

Clarence

[jetdriven]

1 hour ago, M20Doc said:

The issue with simply adding another layer is increased thickness which leads to cracking and peeling.  Stripping and reprinting is the best option.

For wing walk which has lost its black colour, spray it with WD40.

Clarence

If you're going to go to the trouble to strip it, consider going ahead and just use paint and shark grip it's tougher and looks better both. you can roll  it on as well. 

[Sven]

The only reason we stripped it was that we needed to work in the tank and so we had to remove the top panel. I would consider refreshing it once, but I would strip it before doing it a third time. If you look at my original photos you'll see half was stripped and half was refreshed.

[Guest]

8 hours ago, jetdriven said:

If you're going to go to the trouble to strip it, consider going ahead and just use paint and shark grip it's tougher and looks better both. you can roll  it on as well. 

Cirrus and Diamond do this as well.

Clarence

[DMJones]

Great article.  Question to the knowledgeable: If my wing-walk is in good shape, can it just be spray painted flat black to improve the look?  Or is the WD-40 method the best way to "freshen" it up?  For some reason spraying WD-40 on it makes me nervous, as it seems like the lubricant would weaken the paint...

[jetdriven]

You could spray paint it flat black. You'll have to do it away from anything valuable and mask (plastic bag) off the entire airplane.   Not a big fan of the WD40 method. Washing it or leaving it in the sun will cause it to fade rapidly.  That and tracking wd40 onto the carpet inside. The Randolph wing walk ages after a couple yaeard but it also builds up and adds weight.  Hence the body color paint and shark grip (interlux intergrip) method.  They use it on boats. 

[xcrmckenna]

On 7/22/2017 at 4:56 AM, jetdriven said:

If you're going to go to the trouble to strip it, consider going ahead and just use paint and shark grip it's tougher and looks better both. you can roll  it on as well. 

What would be the mixing procedure when you add the grit to the paint? And do you use exterior paint, or would you want to use something like rustoleum paint so it bonds to the aluminum better?

[Hank]

I believe the shark grip is mixed in with the aircraft paint. Your paint shop will be able to do it.

Rustoleum is good stuff, but I don't think it would hold up against being walked on every time you get in and out of the plane.

[jetdriven]

We sprayed on a wet coat. Sprinkled the shark grip on from 3' high and very carefully, then sprayed another wet coat on. That stuff comes out of a salt shaker far far too fast and heavy. I ended up putting some in my palm and taking a pinch of it and carefully spreading it by rolling my two fingers. It's like dust so move slowly. You just need about ~20-40 grains per sq in. 

[Raptor05121]

I just ordered the same stuff as Sven. I'm looking forward to redoing mine