Restoration secrets and treatments

Don’t forget fishing, by trawling heavy nets over the sea floor, will smash up any wreaks which happen to get in the way.

Hi Tony,

The third link http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/346072/NMA_metals_s4_p04_stabilisation_aluminium_aircraft.pdf is of particular interest.
It is good that this information is now logged here for reference.

Knowing the type of alloy used as well as the depth and oxygen content are – as you suggest – key factors also.

Converting this information into a usable manual for the preservation of various components, would (I imagine) be a useful tool for many on these forums.

Thanks again.

It’s probably the depth and the oxygen content in the water and the various composition of the alloys

See

http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/743872.pdf

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.454.2867&rep=rep1&type=pdf

http://www.nma.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/346072/NMA_metals_s4_p04_stabilisation_aluminium_aircraft.pdf

Forgive me if this question is on the incorrect thread but I can’t find anything similar.

Can anyone tell me why aluminium deteriorates at differing rates underwater?
I can understand that fresh water aircraft discoveries will be in better condition than those in a saline environment. However, a plane in one part of the World might have deteriorated extensively such as the Stirling off Normandy, and yet the Wellington in the Aegean Sea looks to be in remarkable condition. Both are in saline water.

Can I assume that the rate of destruction is down to different saline strengths, aluminium grades used in construction, some part of the structure acting as a kind of sacrificial anode, all or some of these – or something else entirely?

Many parts appear on our shore these days, and I know that the Dornier is currently undergoing long term preservation treatment using lemon juice. Is this to assist in obtaining the correct PH?

I guess the point I am coming to is whether there is a simple process that we can all follow, that prevents anything recovered from beneath the surface from turning to dust after a period of time?

I would be most interested in your thoughts. Thank you.

Useful tip windhover.

I did something similar to re-fill the engraving on the fusebox on our Horsa electrical panel except I used slightly thinned white enamel Humbrol paint.

BTW – can you fix the lug on our pressure gauge for us? I’ve got a knackered fusebox you can use for filings. 🙂

Refilling engraved Legend plates.

Where there is sufficient depth of engraving; try this…
Remove paint with decorators’ fine wire wool… not Paint stripper as this can actually remain in the engraving.
Wash off residue with white spirit and allow to dry.
Mix a suitable amount of correction fluid… the opaque, white fluid applied to paper to mask errors in text… (Snopake, Tipp-ex, Liquid Paper, etc)… with white spirit to the required consistency … (runnier is better); and apply to the engraving with a fine artist’s brush.
Don’t worry too much about spread outside the engraving area.
When completely dry; simply wipe over with a soft tissue moistened with white spirit, and wrapped around something flat and firm… a pencil eraser is perfect. This will remove any overspread.
If any white lifts from the engraving; simply repeat the process.
Finally; apply a light coating of matte lacquer… Job done!… and you don’t get the faint white “Hazing” on the base coating, which is common with most other methods of filling.

The voltmeter was disassembled for clarity of pic. Actually, the 1636 type is not luminous… it relies on a lamp in the cockpit for illumination. However; I agree that luminous dials (identifiable by biscuit-coloured fill applied to certain graduations and numbers) is potentially harmful… mainly from inhalation of degraded radium paint dust. This is why you should never suck on the pressure tubes of altimeters and air speed indicators.

Another tip – if you have already painted bolts and nuts but you want to tighten them (or simply want to avoid the chance of chavelling up pristine paintwork with the edge of the spanner or socket) just place a piece of plasic bag between spanner/socket and the nut or bolt and tighten as normal.

Not to be a scaremonger but probably not the best to open up the radium dial gauges when you dont have to..

Excellent result, thanks for sharing.

Repair for Air Ministry Bakelite Instrument broken mounting lugs.

This also applies to damaged fuse boxes, connector blocks, etc.

I developed this procedure with successful results whilst with the now-disbanded Cotswold Aircraft Restoration Group…

Broken mounting lugs are the normal damage found on these components and can be rectified by the following repair procedure.

Plasticine is used to make a mould, using a good corner of the damaged component as the master pattern.

This good corner is pressed into the Plasticine block to leave a master impression for moulding the damaged area.

The component is then carefully removed and small angled holes are drilled laterally into the damaged lug area, into which, fine copper or steel rods are inserted to reinforce the area to be moulded from the master impression. Position these reinforcing rods so that the ends do not encroach any component mounting holes.
The drill size is usually 1.5 – 2 mm, depending on the thickness of the damaged lug.

The component is then carefully fitted into the plsticine mould with the broken section located into the master impression.

Slow-setting Araldite… (Araldite ARA400001 Precision grade is preferred)… is mixed with bakelite filings from a similarly coloured scrap piece of Bakelite, and introduced into the mould void, slightly overfilling to allow for final shaping and finishing.

The epoxy/Bakelite mix will flow more successfully if gentle heat is applied as the void is filled.

When set… allow at least 24 hours undisturbed; carefully peel the Plasticine mould away, and trim up and shape with scalpel and fine files.

Finish with a fine-grade wet and dry paper.

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HI

Thanks ZRX61, enjoyed the link.

On the Frost Automotive website, found “Ali clean ” which not only cleans and removes heavy oxidisation but also etch primes afterwards all in one treatment according to the write up.
One Ltr bottle is only £10.21 plus vat is very reasonable.

I posted this link before from the General Discussion forum:

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?99067-Do-we-have-any-collectors-of-old-tools&highlight=

It’s about collecting & restoring old tools, but the methods also apply to aircraft parts etc

I have in the past used cheap washing up liquid and washing powder mixed in together myself when the swarfega has run out.

I’ve been turning spanners for decades, but about 5 years ago a gal I know did something I’d never seen before. She grabbed a bar of soap before starting work & scratched the surface with her fingernails. The soap deposited under her nails stopped oil, dirt & grease getting in there… simple, but effective 🙂

Carb as removed:

After plastic bead blasting:

& then soda blasted:

Using this $10 soda set up:

Before (middle) & after (left) of steel part left in molasses for somewhere between 7 & 10 days (I forget)

After fibreglassing wash your hands in cold water, hot water opens the pores up allowing the fibreglass fibres in causing the itching, cold water prevents that.

I have in the past used cheap washing up liquid and washing powder mixed in together myself when the swarfega has run out.

However this subject is not just about cleaning of parts etc, how about some then and now photo’s of original items that have been restored and how you achieved the end result.

Regards

Jason

Oh and for cleaning your hands after just put a sprinkle of caster sugar into you hands with normal washing up liquid. Better than swarfega.

Automotive Alloy wheel cleaner is very similar to Deoxidine.

A lot of people use the Eagle One brand for that.

http://eagleone.com/mag-wheel-cleaner