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Leading edges Lear 55...cleaning

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Use ROLITE. Make sure that you mask off the paint that is adjacent to the leading edge, even if you polish it by hand. ANY polishing process will etch and stain the paint if it's not protected. You should use painter's (blue) masking tape so that you don't remove any paint or leave sticky adhesive that would need to be cleaned off. I recommend polishing by hand. A set of LearJet leading edges will take anywhere form 2-6 hours to polish, depending on their current state and the degree to which you want them polished.
The reason I would NOT recommend using a buffer, is that, each time you polish you're removing a small amount of the metal. I have seen leading edges and intake rings ruined from over-polishing. This process may take awhile but eventually the rivets become paper thin and the metal itself is ground out of limits(re: thickness).
For a quick polish, use good ol' glass cleaner. One more method is corn starch and water but this works better with chromed steel than it does with polished aluminum.
 
Uncle Sparky said:
Use ROLITE. Make sure that you mask off the paint that is adjacent to the leading edge, even if you polish it by hand. ANY polishing process will etch and stain the paint if it's not protected. You should use painter's (blue) masking tape so that you don't remove any paint or leave sticky adhesive that would need to be cleaned off. I recommend polishing by hand. A set of LearJet leading edges will take anywhere form 2-6 hours to polish, depending on their current state and the degree to which you want them polished.
The reason I would NOT recommend using a buffer, is that, each time you polish you're removing a small amount of the metal. I have seen leading edges and intake rings ruined from over-polishing. This process may take awhile but eventually the rivets become paper thin and the metal itself is ground out of limits(re: thickness).
For a quick polish, use good ol' glass cleaner. One more method is corn starch and water but this works better with chromed steel than it does with polished aluminum.

Ok..............what do you recommend for ring around the collar?
 
..don't mock me you Bastidge!

Laugh now.......but it's like that Sam Kenneson joke about "licking the alphabet".

I bet on Saturday morning when you're detailing your Hyundai-S-Turbo, you'll think twice about using some Corn Starch to get that chrome hood ornament extra sparkly!

Don't forget the painter's (blue) tape so you don't scratch the paint!
 
That's how it should be done.
 
Bwaaah haah haah!

stop-it...stop-it...stop-it...your killing me Bwaaah.haah.haah....stop-it!

I just had a visual of a pilot out there rubbing on the leading edge, trying to polish it.

oh my....

Now that is funny!!!


I am sorry. I will try to compose myself (snicker).....(snicker)......Bwaaah.haah.haah.

I can't!!! Bwaaah.haah.haah
 
I am sorry..

It is taking me a while to stop laughing....still think it is funny!!


Uncle Sparky is right:
The reason I would NOT recommend using a buffer, is that, each time you polish you're removing a small amount of the metal. I have seen leading edges and intake rings ruined from over-polishing. This process may take awhile but eventually the rivets become paper thin and the metal itself is ground out of limits(re: thickness).
For a quick polish, use good ol' glass cleaner. One more method is corn starch and water but this works better with chromed steel than it does with polished aluminum.


I would recommend just doing the wipe down and leaving the polishing to the hangar rats.
You can pick up some spray foam 'aircraft cleaner' at just about any where and use paper towels. DO NOT RUB HARD!!! You will wind up scratching the L/E's.
 

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