I use "Dad's Stripper" just like Randy, I might have even turned him on to it! LOL!! My oldest, Aaron, fond it a few years ago at Wally World. We have gone through two quarts, all most, and have stripped 5 planes down to the bare wood, in no time! I usually use two coats to get everything off. The first coat to get the colors off, and the second to get the paper and substrate off. If you play with the time that you leave it on (just don't let it dry! LOL!!) you can take off "layers". Wipe everything down with "something" (I have used various cleaners for this), make repairs, cover and finish!
I have a Charles Parrott P-47 (classic era stunter) that was "porky" and close to 10 years old. I took off all the finish, cut off the blocks and did a LOT more hollowing (and some replacements), Lightened everything I could get my knife on (LOL!!), did some repairs in the nose section, and took almost 7 oz. off the plane. Originally I had a stock Fox .35, but now she has a T&L McCoy .40 RH in her! Flies a lot better. Aaron's Ares, and an SV11 have also gone through the "Stripper Stage" and came out the better for it. A Sterling Spitfire from 1973 is now getting the rework after she (was) stripped!
I
KNOW she will be so much better after I get through with her this time. The oldest one I have done is 1963 Smoothie that I hadn't flown in 30 years or so. I changed the engine from inverted to upright while she was stripped. Took off the old rip stop nylon (it's good sometimes to be so close to Ft. Bragg) and of course she is much better now than she was when I first built her. It made me realize that sometimes "restoring" and old model can be a good thing! Geez, I got kinda carried away....
Big Bear
Topic: Stripping silk & dope (Read 1169 times)