Removing all paint and Polishing the Aluminum

[huck]

I recently purchased an older Cessna 150, mechanically it is sound but the paint is bad. The paint on the leading edges of the wings, struts and the engine cowl have been chipped all the way down to the aluminum. The aluminum itself does not seem to be corroded just paint missing. I am considering stripping aircraft down to bare aluminum and the polishing it. I would like to hear the pros and cons from people who have done this, what is the best chemical stripper to use, best way to polish and maintain a bright shiny finish etc.

[meloosifah]

I had an RV-8 polished. It took a LOT of work to keep it shiny. I would really love to have a polished 140 but I just can’t see ever investing that time again. There are several systems that work for polishing but all take a ton of effort and time. And don’t get me started about acidic fingerprints…

[huck]

let me ask you this in your opinion. if a paint job costs anywhere from 8 to 15k ( ive seen estimates all across the board) and its an older aircraft thats likely to need a new or overhauled engine long before the new paint would wear out, and your retired with a lot more time than discretional income, would stripping and polishing an aging aircraft yourself be a viable alternative to having an expensive professional paint job?

[6643]

You are free to come and practice polishing on mine. I won't charge you anything and you can get a feel for how much work it is.

[maverick_fa]

I recently used what was available at the local auto parts dealer: CMA’s Aircraft Stripper
link: https://www.abexpress.ca/PROD/CMA-AIR001

I tried another one... i forgot the name... but I didn't like it. Result can change with the type of painting you got on your fuselage.
Temperature above 15°C is really important.
I was using some saran wrap to help the chemical to do it's job on some parts...

Turco is another good brand.


Here is my fuselage.
I'm not planning to do a lot of polishing but I'll wash my airplane regularly

[maverick_fa]

Paint
Pro:
1. Additional protection: can help to prevent erosion/corrosion
2. Cosmetic & personnalisation
Cons:
1. Cost of paint/painter (~5k USD)
2. Extra weight (~15 pounds)

Polished
Pro:
1. Save weight (~15 pounds)
2. Save time & money if you don't polish your airplane (just strip the paint)
3. Easy DIY project (if you know & A&P for parts removal/installation)
4. Fuselage is easier to inspect
Cons:
1. Need to wash &/or polish your airplane regularly (remove corrosion and scratches on the surface)
2. Extremely time consuming for polishing... especially if you want to go glass mirror
3. You might need to replace some structural portion hidden under a layer of putty... $$$

[a64pilot]

Do NOT use stripper in your landing gear. I believe they are high strength steel and stripper can lead to hydrogen embrittlement, that of course leads to snapped gear.
I may be wrong, but I don’t think so.