Painting wing struts

[lora]

I didn't realize what a good deal I had until it was gone. For the past five years, my husband has taken care of all the maintenance on our 120. All I had to worry about was flying it. Well now he's run off and bought his own airplane and left the 120 maintenance to me. So I'm trying to figure this out one step at a time.

My first order of business is the struts. They are looking pretty rusty. Do I need to remove them in order to paint them? Any advice on stripping the old paint or sanding. Thanks!

[6643]

Those look pretty nasty! I would suggest removing them, propping the wings (if it's inside) and stripping them. Then, treat the rust, prime and paint. When you paint, be sure to get good coverage on the leading and trailing edges first. Painting the flat surfaces is easy. Getting good coverage on the edges is much harder.

OBTW, left and right are not the same...

[lora]

Thanks for the advice! I was afraid they would need to be removed. Do you have any suggestions for bracing the wings? It is in an inside hangar.

[6339]

I’ve found that 2 6ft stepladders with kitchen chair cushions placed under the outermost ribs are the perfect height. Have a helper to manipulate the wingtips and don’t forget to remove the wing/ fuselage fairings.
Good luck!

[6898]

Sent you a PM

[lora]

I’ve found that 2 6ft stepladders with kitchen chair cushions placed under the outermost ribs are the perfect height. Have a helper to manipulate the wingtips and don’t forget to remove the wing/ fuselage fairings.
Good luck!

Okay, good idea. Thanks! I think I can do this!

[6643]

Do NOT try to rest the outboard end of the strut on the ground while the inboard end is still in the gear box. It will damage the skin under the cutout and that piece has the whole rest of the plane attached to it.