Removing wax residue

[thomas1142]

Every rivet head and every stripe boundary has a coat of old wax on it or around it. It's like the previous owner applied turtle wax and waited to long to remove it. Does anyone know of a better way to remove; other than a tooth pick?

 

Edited September 13, 2017 by thomas1142

[RLCarter]

I used a tooth brush....pain in the butt but it goes fairly quick

[thomas1142]

4 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

I used a tooth brush....pain in the butt but it goes fairly quick

Did you use anything to "soften" it up?

[RLCarter]

soft bristle tooth brush, the dried wax came right out

[Raptor05121]

I have a 10" random orbital, I'll tilt it on its edge and just get one side, and move down the line for the same side of rivets, come back and get the other side and keep moving down.

for the ones I couldn't reach, terry cloth towel and make a "pinch" with my fingers and circle the rivet head.

[jaylw314]

On cars they suggest using dish soap in water to strip old wax, but I don't think that's safe for aircraft

Edited September 13, 2017 by jaylw314

[anthonydesmet]

For old wax the toothbrush dipped into a cup of water works. Go behind it with a dry towel. When I wax the build up happens but I also go behind my buffing with a damp towel just around the rivets followed by a dry cloth.


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[steingar]

If its Turtle wax the passage of the wind will blow it off, stuff doesn't hold up well.  I was never in that big a hurry to get rid of old wax, it is still a hydrophobic barrier that will keep out rain and other liquids that can corrode your airframe.

[LANCECASPER]

10 hours ago, thomas1142 said:

Every rivet head and every stripe boundary has a coat of old wax on it or around it. It's like the previous owner applied turtle wax and waited to long to remove it. Does anyone know of a better way to remove; other than a tooth pick?

If only every previous owner took such good care of his Mooney by waxing it too much. 

[RLCarter]

8 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

If only every previous owner took such good care of his Mooney by waxing it too much. 

I think a new owner has every intention of waxing his aircraft frequently until after the the first time. Took me several hours, multiple days to wax it the 1st time

[Hank]

2 hours ago, RLCarter said:

I think a new owner has every intention of waxing his aircraft frequently until after the the first time. Took me several hours, multiple days to wax it the 1st time

I figure one Mooney wax equals about 4 car waxes [don't have to wax the bottom of the car . . . . . ]

[RLCarter]

1 hour ago, Hank said:

I figure one Mooney wax equals about 4 car waxes [don't have to wax the bottom of the car . . . . . ]

At least 4, there's a guy on the field that charges $20 or $25 to clean the outside of the plane and $75 to wax it. He uses all aviation cleaning products and does a really good job. 

[steingar]

3 minutes ago, RLCarter said:

At least 4, there's a guy on the field that charges $20 or $25 to clean the outside of the plane and $75 to wax it. He uses all aviation cleaning products and does a really good job. 

Were there such a guy at my field I would happily engage his services.  My wash and wax took most of a weekend. Took about 4 hours on Saturday to wash, and I'm not even happy with the job I did on the underside, the gear or the wheel wells.  I was just too tuckered out when I got to them.

The wax job took 5 or 6 hours, and that's not doing the bottom, either.  Its a big job.  I do it once a year.

[RLCarter]

I've only seen him use water a few times, has 4~5 spray bottles with various cleaners, little brushes for the tight spots and several dozen micro-fiber towels

[Hank]

I use AeroCosmetics Wash n Wax, one cotton washcloth ans several terrycloth hand towels. Three days is about right:  one wing, fuselage half and cowl; other wing, fuselage half, horizontal stabilizers and elevator; then the belly and bottom of the tail. Sometimes this can drag out over a couple of weeks . . . .

[steingar]

14 hours ago, Hank said:

I use AeroCosmetics Wash n Wax, one cotton washcloth ans several terrycloth hand towels. Three days is about right:  one wing, fuselage half and cowl; other wing, fuselage half, horizontal stabilizers and elevator; then the belly and bottom of the tail. Sometimes this can drag out over a couple of weeks . . . .

If I could take that kind of time my Mooney would look like I think it should.  But I have a  job, wife, household etc...

[Hank]

27 minutes ago, steingar said:

If I could take that kind of time my Mooney would look like I think it should.  But I have a  job, wife, household etc...

Me, too. That's why it takes a couple of weeks. When i do more than leading edges and cowl.  

[steingar]

4 hours ago, Hank said:

Me, too. That's why it takes a couple of weeks. When i do more than leading edges and cowl.  

I get antsy when I go a couple weeks without flying.  Life is too short to let your airplane spend that much time down for cleaning, at least in the book of Steingar.  I bet yours is cleaner, though.

[thinwing]

On 9/13/2017 at 11:23 AM, RLCarter said:

At least 4, there's a guy on the field that charges $20 or $25 to clean the outside of the plane and $75 to wax it. He uses all aviation cleaning products and does a really good job. 

I had a guy come and offer a wash/wax detail for a couple hundred bucks...I said ok and later when he said he was finished I took a look at the belly..no what he had never touched it!He was obviously a car detailer 

[jetdriven]

Some guy showed up A couple of hangers down to detail a cardinal belong to a friend Of mine.  I came down to check out his set up. He pulled out a pressure washer with industrial chemicals and begin to blast the heck out of the airplane from every different direction, against lap seams, hinges,  windows at all. You name it. Nobody is touching my airplane. 

[Hank]

4 hours ago, steingar said:

I get antsy when I go a couple weeks without flying.  Life is too short to let your airplane spend that much time down for cleaning, at least in the book of Steingar.  I bet yours is cleaner, though.

I fly all the time between cleanings! Sure, there's less drag on the clean left wing than the dirty right one, but the right one's turn is coming . . . .  Eventually the whole thing gets done, it's just rarely all finished at the same time. I will make an effort to have (most?) of her clean for the Summit.

[steingar]

17 hours ago, jetdriven said:

Some guy showed up A couple of hangers down to detail a cardinal belong to a friend Of mine.  I came down to check out his set up. He pulled out a pressure washer with industrial chemicals and begin to blast the heck out of the airplane from every different direction, against lap seams, hinges,  windows at all. You name it. Nobody is touching my airplane. 

I used an el-cheapo pressure washer on mine, thing doesn't blow 1600 psi, certainly not enough to take off paint.  Used a car wash soap, though I forgot my soap gun.  Boy I like that thing.  Did a nice job without, though.  I got under the wings somewhat, but like I said didn't get to the belly.

[jetdriven]

pressure washers blast water and the chemicals that are with them underneath the lap seams of the skin  and causes corrosion there. It can't be washed out.  . There is a thread on Beechtalk where the Saudi Arabian Air Force was pressure washing all of their Bonanzas regularly. After 10 years they had to replace all of the wings on them because they were all corroded beyond being airworthy. 

[M20F-1968]

I bought a clear "speed wax" a year ago at Oshkosh.  Spray on, buff, no residue.  I can look for the name.

John Breda

[M20F-1968]

Just remembered, it is Flitz speed wax.  Aircraft Spruce has it.

John Breda