Do Over

[Paul Taylor]

I might refinish a plane. What are your experiences with removing a dope finish down to the wood without compromising glue joints?

[GallopingGhostler]

I might refinish a plane. What are your experiences with removing a dope finish down to the wood without compromising glue joints?

Careful and patient hand sanding. Using a sanding block helps.

[bill bischoff]

I have had some success with using a heat gun to peel off old silkspan and dope. I would avoid using chemicals and stick to mechanical removal methods.

[mccoy40]

Dope thinner might help - you should also be thinking about how to re-glue if you need it

[Paul Taylor]

Great info Bob!!!
Thanks I’m motivated!!!

[Phil Spillman]

Hi Paul, In 1992 I stripped an old Ringmaster with Zip Strip and it worked great! Now I wonder if it would work as well today 30 years later! I'd give it a try though! if all else fails use acetone sparingly hopefully the model wasn't built with with Ambroid although mine was! it still is flying. I built it for my son in 1976 and it was an original Sterling kit with heavy wood! I did rehinge the elevator with Goldberg Nylon 1" tape t works quite well!

Phil Spillman 

[Paul Taylor]

Hi Paul, In 1992 I stripped an old Ringmaster with Zip Strip and it worked great! Now I wonder if it would work as well today 30 years later! I'd give it a try though! if all else fails use acetone sparingly hopefully the model wasn't built with with Ambroid although mine was! it still is flying. I built it for my son in 1976 and it was an original Sterling kit with heavy wood! I did rehinge the elevator with Goldberg Nylon 1" tape t works quite well!

Phil Spillman

Thanks for the tip ole friend.

I will keep y’all posted.

[M Spencer]

A/ youll make a big mess . So a sealed area or outdoors or something , helps . Like a vacume cleaner on standby alert ! .

B/ Throwing rags / paper towels rather damp with acetone , softens big areas , to peel off .

CHISELS even when oversharp tend to dig in . Gotta usem upsidedown .

A hacksaw Blade, NEW . Dragged across like a slicer , lostens the covering , then peel . Work sticky spots .

The more dope under the covering the better its stuck . Just Butrate peels easy .

80 Wt sandpaper new & sharp , often replenished , on decent blocks / forms , to cut through stuck parts , initially .

The glue seams , right angle corners need the most patiance & care . A paint scraper to fold the paper over , or a few steel straight edges ( dosnt do them a lot of good )
a selection of square , triangle , half round & flat files , B'std first , are good too . One flat with one plain edge is handy . Newish ones work best . DONT DROP THEM ON IT .


Yerinfer a few days work . Whacking off the control surfaces is a good idea . Slicing over & under hinges & stabing edges , the pull easy / o.k. , with a bit of a wriggle & the odd re cut .
Bob's trick was / is to re fit timber in the holes resulting, and re cut slots . In one of his artiles at least .

So , youll be in for new hinges , too . If Fitted .

[Paul Taylor]

Thanks Bob
I was going to ask you how you got the hinges out.

I know for some it’s easier to just build a new plane but I hate giving up on a plane just cause I got heavy handed with a paint gun. 🤪
It looks straight and it did not do anything weird in flight. I will give it one more try.

[Serge_Krauss]

When I stripped my P-Force a few years ago, I first tried with acetone. For that Brodak finish, I found that "Dad's" paint stripper actually worked significantly better than acetone in removing the silkspan.