Leading edges Lear 55...cleaning

[Lear SIC]

What's a good method to keeping those leading edges nice and polished....?

Thanks

 

[Uncle Sparky]

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.

 

[phishn@daves]

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?

 

[Uncle Sparky]

..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!

 

[G100driver]

What's a good method to keeping those leading edges nice and polished....?

Thanks

That's easy. Just pick up the phone and call the detailer after each flight.

 

[English]

That's how it should be done.

 

[Gatorman]

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

 

[Gatorman]

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.

 

[Lear SIC]

Uncle Sparky,


Thank you for the info. I appreciate it.

 

[Lear70]

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

Oh no you didn't... ROFLMAO!!!

 

[Lear70]

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

Oh no you didn't... ROFLMFAO!!!

 

[FlierDude]

Save that polishing motion for something else...

 

[Duderino]

Unforturnately there are a lot of jobs that ask there FO's to do this kind of work.

To the original poster, it will not take more than two hours, and especially not six. Diffenently use tape, masking or low tac will both work, and neither will take paint off or leave residue(just don't mash it on the wing). Rolite works great. Use a red shop rag to rub the polish in small circles until it turns black. Then come back with another red rag wipe/polish most of the polish out, then come back with a soft cloth and some water and polish the rest out, even breath hot air on some of the more difficult spots. I usually do one coat fairly well and then another extra carefully. Works great. Use a buffer if you would like, it will not hurt your wing.

One thing about the Lear 55. You will see some triangles on the leading edge. Don't even come near them, leave a huge ugly unpolished square around these things. If you dull the edges of these they can have drastic effects on the stall characterstics. I test pilot at Learjet Dallas told before we went to do full stall test, that if there were any problems, the first place they would look to correct the problem is the triangles.

Good luck

Dude

 

[AAPvtPilot]

Dude,


Thanks for the advice. Did you ever get the info that you were looking for on the GIV?

 

[Duderino]

Just one amount. I would like to hear more advice, but don't know where to look.

Have a good weekend

Dude