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Speed,Combat,Scale,Racing => Speed Talk => Topic started by: Superclown on October 30, 2006, 07:24:39 PM

Title: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Superclown on October 30, 2006, 07:24:39 PM
:)

Hi All,
I've obtained two used Harter Magnesium Speed Pans and I would like to clean them. Is there any recommended method or procedure?

Thanks,
Henry
Superclown  :P

Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Joey Mathison 9806 on October 30, 2006, 08:12:34 PM
start with the green scrachy pads your wife uses when cleaning. then sand paper then you can polish. i have not tried ultrasonic but that may work also.
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Bill Hughes on October 30, 2006, 10:31:52 PM
Steel wool or Scotch Brite pads....you don't want it shinny,  just smooth
Bill
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Joey Mathison 9806 on October 31, 2006, 05:26:25 AM
 the chrome look is more pleasing to the eye when put on display.not as fast as one that is a bit rougher. are you going to use these pans to fly speed?
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: john e. holliday on October 31, 2006, 01:24:38 PM
If it is magnesium material in the pans, they will not stay shiny for long from my experience when I used them for Rat Racing years ago.  I even tried a clear coat of dope at the time.  DOC Holliday
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Bobby Poisson on January 09, 2007, 10:24:36 AM
Hi all,
         I just joined the forum so I was reading through all the old posts.

 
the chrome look is more pleasing to the eye when put on display.not as fast as one that is a bit rougher. are you going to use these pans to fly speed?

Joey/Bill,
              Why is a rougher pan faster?...I've always gotten mine to the 'chrome look' that Joey is talking about just because it looks nicer...interested to know why this is wrong.  How much of a difference in speed are we talking about?
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Robert Bolton on January 09, 2007, 02:58:14 PM
Bobby, I am not sure of the speed gain but their is a fraction. The reason for it is the same as why a golf ball isn't smooth. The dimples help the air flow over the surface if it was smooth or shiny the air sticks for some strange reason making it slower and travels less. By have a non shiny surface stops the air sticking??  If we had the time and know how we would come up with a pan/wing with thousands of dimples in correct locations to make it a faster model.

Regards
Robert
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Bill Hughes on January 09, 2007, 03:14:45 PM
I feel that the shinny pan make the engine run hotter. The pan is a real good heat sink.
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Joey Mathison 9806 on January 09, 2007, 05:50:09 PM
welcome to the hanger bob hope you enjoy it. i believe your question has been ansered about the shinny pan.
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: jetbill40 on January 10, 2007, 09:27:21 AM
Welcome Bobby : The reason a rough surface works better is that the air becomes trapped and allows for a slicker surface. Also remember that air flows better over a radiused edge better than a sharp edge.  JB
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Bobby Poisson on January 10, 2007, 07:56:21 PM
interesting....makes you think twice about spending hours sanding wings/tails.  HB~>

Anyways, thanks for the welcome guys....My dad and I will be at the nats again this year and hopefully another contest. Haven't had a whole lot of time to build & tinker because of school stuff...I'm sure we'll get everything done 5 minutes or so before it's time to leave.   **)


Bobby
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Robert McHam on January 10, 2007, 10:50:55 PM
I don't know too much about the pans first hand but the first thing that comes to mind as to cleaning these things would be the hot antifreeze method. I have heard wonderful things about cleaning motors in a crockpot with antifreeze (yep, the same stuff you put in your car/truck/SUV).
Even a half A speedpan may not fit in a crockpot but most of us are enterprising individuals and could figure someway to do this safely.

Of course keep in mind not to do this in your kitchen or in anything you may use food with later to avoid any contamination of cooking/serving/ eating containers!

Robert 
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Sonny Williams on January 29, 2007, 03:50:56 PM
Hey Superclown,  Brake cleaner from auto supply store will clean them and remove all grease and/or oil. You can then sand them down and polish.  Don't leave the brake cleaner on them. Rinse it off with gasoline or lacquer thinner.
Title: Re: Cleaning speed pans
Post by: Glen R. Dye on February 09, 2007, 01:10:41 PM
Hello All!   My Deceased Speed-Flying partner, Larry  "BEBOP" Stockstad used to polish the pans on a buffing wheel, and then spray-coat them with the material he used for all the Brass Band instruments that he repaired for a living.  It  DIDN'T hold up for too long with the 70 % Nitro we used back in the 80's, but should do better with the 10% Soda-Pop we're using now for fuel.
   A trip to a Musical Instrment store, that does repairs to Brass Band instruments for School Bands, would get you the type of material they're using now to keep the horns nice and shiny.   
 
    Cheers, Glen