Requested Blog on N3322G Paint job and Annual

[9089P]

[N3322G]

[N3322G]

[N3322G]

[Dale Vandever]

Wow, Pat, that is a VERY effective paint stripper.

Can you share with us the brand that they use?

Dale

[Bruce Thumann]

Pat, you are right, those pictures should be rated NFTFOH (Not For The Faint Of Heart". As Dale pointed out, that stripper seems to be really effective. If you have time, please elaborate some on the process of how DESAPI insures no stripper is left behind in lap joints, under weatherstripping, and other hidden areas, only to resurface as problem areas a year or so later eating your plane from the inside out under your beautiful new $24,000 paint job.

Kudos again to you for sharing this with us.

Bruce

[N3322G]

Blog part 10 on paint job and annual

Sep 4, 2008: First, responses to the posts: Hi Dale, They use a couple of different kinds of paint stripper and the effectiveness varies by type of paint and primer that was used previously. They did test areas yesterday and said they may use two different strippers because the colors may take different stripper than the white. I do know there were two layers of white in several areas – and the expected bondo on the damaged nose cowl and integral tanks. The strength of the stripper is likely why Dick, Chris, Darrin, Mark, and Cathie have been so concerned about me even being close to the stripper bay without protective clothing or shoes. The fumes are strong and paint chips on the ground can be tracked into cars and home and destroy carpets in those locations …so I have kept my distance. the paint shop considers their stripping process to be a competitive advantage and does not share the information. I have also learned that some strippers can be incompatible with some paints. the paint shop paints DuPont Imron. DuPont Imron is what is on the plane today and lasted well for over 18 years.

Bruce said, “Pat, you are right, those pictures should be rated NFTFOH (Not For The Faint Of Heart". As Dale pointed out, that stripper seems to be really effective. If you have time, please elaborate some on the process of how the paint shop insures no stripper is left behind in lap joints, under weatherstripping, and other hidden areas, only to resurface as problem areas a year or so later eating your plane from the inside out under your beautiful new $24,000 paint job. Kudos again to you for sharing this with us.” - - - - - - -

Bruce and all, now you can understand why Ken and I spent so much effort to research a paint shop. The two biggest issues I read about on the internet was shops who used stripper on the gear and then the owner ended up having to replace wheel bearings due to stripper residue and damage and those that had to replace prop hubs for the same reason. the paint shop, as you can see from the photos, ‘bags’ the gear and engines. The gear will have the paint removed by sanding to avoid stripper contamination and the engine cowls are stripped off the plane. In terms of getting stripper out of lap joints, it is applied with paint brushes so none is forced into crevices and most is removed by the strippers with wooden scrapers. Then the surfaces are powerwashed … I hope to be there to see each step. The weatherstripping was removed today so it will be hard for the stripper to hide under there. It only feels like I’m paying $24,000 so far we are within the allotments and expecting $18,000 to leave our hands – it can be more if the metal work runs over.

It appears that the paint shop has 100% customer satisfaction. For those who own businesses, you know how hard that is to achieve. After about 800 planes and close to 20 years, if there was a problem with their process, it would have surfaced by now. The reason Aviation Consumer is so high on them is the survey process gave them 100% positive feedback. So I don’t know everything but I sure see a lot of attention to detail at every step. I get to watch the process on customers ahead and behind me and they all get the same attention. I find the work fascinating. Today the V-tail ahead of us was unveiled and it looks fabulous – not even my plane and it’s exciting.

One of the reasons I chose the paint shop is I knew they played by all the rules – including EPA rules. The Environmental Protection Agency has visited often – this is steel and coal country around here so I bet the EPA office is fully staffed. The rules keep changing. Dick installed cleaner disposal systems long before they were required. One shop I visited didn’t even have floor drains – this would be another item to put on your checklist for shop selection. I figure there is always some wait time between shop selection and paint date so if they are in compliance the odds that the shop will still be in business when paint date arrives is much higher than if they skirt the rules.

As tough as it is to keep my distance, the folks have all cautioned me so I adhere to my promises to stay out of the stripper bay and in fact I stand about 10 feet outside the doorway. If I go closer I hold my breath, take a photo and then move away. The paint bay doesn’t carry the same cautions and I look-but-don’t-touch as they work. I find the details fascinating to watch. As they say when you paint your house inside or out – it isn’t the paint application that makes it look good – it’s the prep work. The first house I bought had a quickie paint job on the gutters, a couple of years later Ken used a propane torch to loosen and then scrape the paint off, I primed and painted – years later, it still looks good.

You may wonder how the employees can stand the stripper odor. It just doesn’t seem to phase any of them. They obviously wear protection suits and when they get under the wings, they have a flexible helmet with long ‘tails’ that cover to their shoulders and a visor to prevent stripper getting on their face. Today Clinton got a bit on his arm and said it is worse than a jellyfish sting. He said he should have flushed sooner.

The first photo shows how each rivet has been brushed. I call this the toothbrush part of stripping and the staff calls it nitpicking. The next photo shows the foam seeping out of the door. The interior is protected with additional plastic and then foam is added to really make the door seal more robust and keep the stripper out. They do a lot to protect the customer’s plane – have mistake’s been made in the past – uh huh and Dick has paid for new interior, window or whatever it takes to make that customer happy again.

Next the paint shop makes their own brushes to get in the crevices. A couple more labeled photos and then the back of the engine cowl – a great shot of how beautifully the Webco nacelle tanks go in – as opposed to the integral wet wing tanks and all the associated bondo. I can see why so many Swifts are polished aluminum. It is pretty but I couldn’t handle the upkeep – I’d rather wash and wax.

I’m going to spend some time with husband so I’ll pass on watching more nitpicking tomorrow and blog again on Monday. Oh and here’s 6-week old grand-niece Carmela Judith Biedenbach and niece Carrie Keefer Biedenbach. And they’re the reason I came home early today. More on Monday.


Wishing all Blue Skies and Tailwinds,

Pat Keefer ICS 08899

All rights reserved by RTW, Round the World, A Motivational Company
All photos taken by Patricia Jayne (Pat) Keefer unless otherwise noted.

[N3322G]

[N3322G]

[15384]

[Hansmeister]

[N3322G]

[Bruce Thumann]

[Alan Cheak]

[Hansmeister]