Airframe cleaning with WD40

some years ago working in a factory machine shop a 17 year old apprentice went missing off the shop floor, they knew he had signed in on the morning and was there for tea break but nobody could remember seeing him after that apart from one labourer who saw him walking off down the shop with a bucket in his hand.
A search finally found him in the toilets with his head over a bucket of trique, he was dead as a government promise after inhaling the stuff for an hour at least, it appears he had become addicted to the stuff after working on the degreasing for months.

in Rowland White’s book ‘Phoenix Squadron’ one of the Buccaneer pilots mentions the aroma of hot WD40 being sprayed into the engines as they spooled down on Ark Royal’s deck as ‘wonderful, just like baking bread’. It must have been of some use out in a harsh salt laden atmosphere! When ‘Just Jane’ first went to East Kirkby they used to use lubricating oil to freshen the paintwork up before she was fully repainted.
Whatever you are using, well done to you all that give up your weekends etc. to enable an airframe to continue to survive our harsh climate.

I had occasion to go into Ely Hospital for a minor Op in the 70’s and there was a small room just off our ward and on a rare occasion when the door was left open I saw the most pathetic and distorted creature I have ever seen and I was told by one of the nurses it was the poor airman who had been overcome by fumes and collapsed into a bath of Tric. Not a pleasant memory.

John

the stuff virtually dissapeared off the RAF face of the earth after that poor guy at Lynham with his M/bike wheels.

That would be him John, he was from what I heard apparently cleaning his motorbike wheels on his own during his lunch break and was either overcome by fumes or whatever, and collapsed into it, he was discovered by guys coming back from lunch…….
He apparently survived for some six months before finally sucumbing to his injuries…. I think he was only a young SAC and the story soon went round the RAF….. It was such a tragic waste of life and soon after the stuff dissapeared from use.. 🙁

Shame about the Triton, as the Americans make more camshafts for the Triumph engine, than Triumph made engines, unfortunately none can be fitted without splitting the crankcase……but with regard to oil on paintwork, even the UK dries out now and then, and the resulting dust storms, will surely make all airframes coated look like gulf war veterans!

Took a look at restorebike.com

Started to get nostalgic about my old Triton.. then spotted that red Enfield & was reminded why I now ride Kaw’s 🙂

ha ha, ive got a modern japcrap machine (fazer 600) in my shed next to some good old british iron (ajs 650 & matchless 600) and and old vespa in ww2 italian desert airforce colours that im trying to flog. perhaps i should start another thread lol

Took a look at restorebike.com

Started to get nostalgic about my old Triton.. then spotted that red Enfield & was reminded why I now ride Kaw’s 🙂

depends on your budget really and the state of the paint on the airframe. if you can afford it then a motor trade type satin varnish will do wonders to bring the colour back into the faded paint and will obviously have a longer lasting effect than any wd40 type product.. in the long run it would be far more cost effective as well..
i restore things for a living, mainly motorbikes but have done plenty over the years within the motoring/aviation world. have a look at restorebike.com if you get time?

when my father was involved in flying XJ729 he always told me that they used to spray wd40on her to protect the airframe. I believe they used a weedkiller sprayer and used to get drums of wd40 🙂

Have you ever tried oiling down something the size of a harrier or Shackleton with a silly little spray can of ACF50?? no, I thought not. one can would last one wing! It’s damned expensive. fine for motorcycles and millionaires, not for half a dozen whole air frames a month.

As for the painters, who gives a stuff.How often do such aiframes ever get a total repaint!? By the time it needs a total repaint, it should be taken back to metal anyway. we are talking about non flying outside storage scrap for all intensive purposes, with no budget for fancy paint jobs.

Wind your neck back in. You appear to be having a comprehension issue. I wasn’t addressing the suitability, I was addressing the comment about it’s availability.

I’ve been involved in 5 or 6 total repaints, I assume you’ve done more?

If it is as you say “outside storage scrap” just haul it off the dump & stop pissing about. If you just want some cheap stuff to put on the paint to make it look shiny/better use Mop N Glow floor wax. Cheap as chips & can be applied with a mop from a bucket.

I had occasion to go into Ely Hospital for a minor Op in the 70’s and there was a small room just off our ward and on a rare occasion when the door was left open I saw the most pathetic and distorted creature I have ever seen and I was told by one of the nurses it was the poor airman who had been overcome by fumes and collapsed into a bath of Tric. Not a pleasant memory.

John

In the late 70’s when the hangar floor used to sweat we used on a couple of occasions several 46 gal drums of trichloroethylene, opened them, tip them on their sides and roll them through the hangar, following up with squeegies to push it and all the oil out of the doors and down the storm drains!!!!!!!!!

Worked a treat and you never had sweating floors again for months…….. but crikey, you imagine that happening now……. the stuff virtually dissapeared of the RAF face of the earth after that poor guy at Lynham with his M/bike wheels.

That kind of reinforces my point. We used to splash Trich and MEK around without any worries, but even in those days they said wear a mask when spraying PX-24. When using the stuff in civvy street masks were always worn.

Tony, there’s someone at the door for you……… he say’s he’s from Greenpeace and he’s holding what looks like a pickled dolphin…. muttering something about Trich and drains…..

😀

I’m not sure I’d be recommending spraying the stuff without the proper safety gear.
I seem to recall even back in the 80’s when health and safety wasn’t nearly so prevalent we had to wear good masks when spaying the stuff on Tornado wings. If it gets in your lungs it’s not good news at all!.

In the late 70’s when the hangar floor used to sweat we used on a couple of occasions several 46 gal drums of trichloroethylene, opened them, tip them on their sides and roll them through the hangar, following up with squeegies to push it and all the oil out of the doors and down the storm drains!!!!!!!!!

Worked a treat and you never had sweating floors again for months…….. but crikey, you imagine that happening now……. the stuff virtually dissapeared of the RAF face of the earth after that poor guy at Lynham with his M/bike wheels.

MJR after reading a post you made on a Shack thread I tried (with some trepidation!) engine oil on a very tired Harrier nose, it was surprising how well it brought up the colours, gave it a shine, and provided a nice wet resistant finish. It goes a long way if you really rub it in well.
I would think that given the price of WD-40 these days that engine oil is the cheaper alternative.
Also I would think that as this is an ATC airframe that KN should be able to obtain PX-24, hopefully.

works quite well.probably right actually, bet it is cheaper

Just about every motorcycle shop in the nation sells ACF50.

If, at some point down the road, the airframe goes for a repaint expect some interesting conversations with the painter after he finds out someone used engine oil to “make it look good”

Have you ever tried oiling down something the size of a harrier or Shackleton with a silly little spray can of ACF50?? no, I thought not. one can would last one wing! It’s damned expensive. fine for motorcycles and millionaires, not for half a dozen whole air frames a month.

As for the painters, who gives a stuff.How often do such aiframes ever get a total repaint!? By the time it needs a total repaint, it should be taken back to metal anyway. we are talking about non flying outside storage scrap for all intensive purposes, with no budget for fancy paint jobs.

Repaint? That’s the trouble with America, their version of surface finishing is so much different to ours!:D

despite what all the doom mongers say, there is nothing wrong with using WD40 at all. PX24 is not readily available from retailers, neither is ACF50.

Just about every motorcycle shop in the nation sells ACF50.

If, at some point down the road, the airframe goes for a repaint expect some interesting conversations with the painter after he finds out someone used engine oil to “make it look good”

I’m not sure I’d be recommending spraying the stuff without the proper safety gear.
I seem to recall even back in the 80’s when health and safety wasn’t nearly so prevalent we had to wear good masks when spaying the stuff on Tornado wings. If it gets in your lungs it’s not good news at all!.

We never wore masks on the Sqn when applying the stuff using those garden centre type flower sprayers, but then that was just one squadron of many(ish) and there’s nothin’ wrong with me!… *cough*….:p:p

As is so often the way with H&S – common sense may be the best judge, whether using PX-24, WD-40, Pledge furniture polish or otherwise. Prolonged exposure and inhalation of any will be les than healthy!

if applied using a hand operated spray bottle, cutting out all the solvents and propellants used to get oil based lubricants to spray.

I’m not sure I’d be recommending spraying the stuff without the proper safety gear.
I seem to recall even back in the 80’s when health and safety wasn’t nearly so prevalent we had to wear good masks when spaying the stuff on Tornado wings. If it gets in your lungs it’s not good news at all!.

MJR after reading a post you made on a Shack thread I tried (with some trepidation!) engine oil on a very tired Harrier nose, it was surprising how well it brought up the colours, gave it a shine, and provided a nice wet resistant finish. It goes a long way if you really rub it in well.
I would think that given the price of WD-40 these days that engine oil is the cheaper alternative.
Also I would think that as this is an ATC airframe that KN should be able to obtain PX-24, hopefully.