Removing Zolatone from interior back end cap

[Airwave503]

I have the interior skins out of my '61 Safari. The front end cap is fiberglass. The Zolatone on it washed up nice and looks decent. The back end cap is aluminum panels and the Zolatone on it was far more corrupted. When I power washed it, much of it blasted off exposing the clean shiny aluminum underneath. I plan to have our "Master" bedroom in the back and would like to get the whole end cap to a mirror shine. (yeah baby, mirrors on the ceiling! )

Can anyone point me to a how-to for getting all the Zolatone paint off? I'm assuming I want to do it before I reinstall the skins.

Thanks!
-503

[Harperbear]

I used paint stripped that comes in a gold can from Home Depot. I forget the name but it starts with a J. Nasty stuff but it gets it off. The real question is how to seal the polished look so it doesn't corrode when it is touched or just over time. Let me know if anyone has an answer.

[bwchant]

Jasco Epoxy and Paint remover. Wear a respirator and chemical gloves. Stuff burns on contact with skin, but washes off with water.
I've heard Rustoleum clear coat works well in areas where the sun won't eat it up.

[esmaytum]

I used the paint stripper in the gold can from home depot and airplane stripper both work but are extreme. They will eat the gloves off you hands and since you will be applying it above your head look out for drips to your face. After being burned alive on the front cone switched to Citrustrip. It does take longer to lift but it will work. I painted it on thick waited 3 hours then scrapped off the other 5 layers of latex with a Bondo knife then put it on again and washed it off with water and 0000 steel wool. Then polished it with Nuvite. I have a 56 Flying Cloud so both cones are aluminum 13 panel.lots of rivets to clean but worth the time. Now I'm sure there will be 50 conterdicion to my way but it's just that "my way"

[Airwave503]

Thanks, the end cap is out so I can do it on the ground. I will try the nasty stuff first.

[Airwave503]

OK, I am into this now with the Jasco and it's proving to be much slower and more difficult than I was hoping...(wait, that pretty much describes this whole project! )

Please share any tips you have or point out things I might be missing.

The directions to paint in on, I find I need to slather/glob it on to get any results and I have to apply it where gravity will let it pool, vs. run and dry.

I wait ~15 minutes, some spots will be "lifted" and some seem barely affected. Did you guys find it was better to let it sit for more or less time?

I shook it up pretty good but it's still fairly jelly-like with some lumps that don't break down. Is this normal? I am almost through a quart and I think I'll need a gallon to finish the one end cap...sound right?

Even in the best cases a gluey residue is left behind. I tested using some scotch-brite with mineral spirits and it cleaned it pretty good but clouded up the finish...I think and hope it will polish back to a shine but I don't want to cloud up the whole thing or I will be polishing forever.

Again, this is Zolatone..the ballistic oatmeal colored paint they used in the early 60's before they went to vinyl.

Estmayum, I assumed you used a plastic bondo knife for scraping, but did the steel wool not thrash your finish? How hard was it to polish back to mirror?

[bwchant]

I found the Jasco worked best when warmed up with the skin warm as well. One day it was only about 50 degrees in the trailer and the stuff didn't do anything. I placed a heater in front of the un opened can to warm the contents and waited until the can "poofed". I spread it on heavily and waited about 20 min then repeated with another layer waiting another 15min. Used plastic scraper. I read somewhere else not to use steel wool as scratches are hard to remove. I stripped my entire insides using 4 gallons of product.

[reinergirl]

I used Citrastrip and plastic razor blades. My experiences are on post 66 here

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f109...ml#post1173110

[Airwave503]

Loving this forum!

bwchant - Yes! The temperature crossed my mind...I forget what it says on the can for the ideal temperature range but I remember thinking it's colder than the range here right now. I will figure out a way to heat things up!

Shelly - Great tip on the plastic razor blades! I think you have also convinced my to take apart my end cap. This way I can lay the pieces flat to work on them and I won't have to clean the rivets (which dulls up the blades). I'll replace them with nice shiny new ones.

Alright, I gotta plan!

[toastie]

Like this........toastie

[Airwave503]

Stylin Toastie! (I wish my front end cap wasn't fiberglass )

[esmaytum]

I use the metal bond blade with the handle on top. It bends with the curves and kinda of slices the zolatone like cheese . I didn't have any problems and the 0000 steel wool scratches less that the green scrub pads (I think)

[reinergirl]

Originally Posted by Airwave503

Stylin Toastie! (I wish my front end cap wasn't fiberglass )

Colin Hyde sells kits to do your own aluminum endcaps. I believe precut and packaged at $440, which I think is rather reasonable.

https://sites.google.com/a/colinhyde...ions.com/home/

He's also Colin H here on the forums.

[Airwave503]

OK, progress! Found some plastic razor blades and a good scraper at my local Autozone. Took the end cap apart and removed all the old rivets and smoothed out all the holes so there was less to dull up my plastic blades. Ran a space heater in my garage to warm up both the panels and the gallon can of Jasco. So happy when I started scraping at the Zolatone came up like cheese! I also seemed to notice that if I left the can of Jasco open, there we're less gelatinous clumps and it poured on more liquidy which made it easier to spread. Still a lot of residue underneath...going to try that 0000 Steel Wool and see if it doesn't scratch too bad.

[Airwave503]

OMG, tackled one of my ceiling panels today...hoping it would be easier since it was flat and not so corroded. First had to sand all the corruption of the back...On the front, the Zolatone didn't come up quite as easy but there wasn't nearly as much "white worm" corrosion to deal with under the Zolatone. Made 2 passes with the plastic razor blades, and as I did the second pass I scrubbed with 0000 wool and the Jasco residue.

I need a massage.

[REDSLED88]

Believe you me, I know. I tried everything you mentioned, including Kleen Strip Aircraft stripper with Methylene Chloride ( super bad stuff), and either required oxygen or a super windy day for you avoid breathing the fumes. I tried the later outside and it still smelled through the P100 mask. I gave up on that, as it was just too much, and it burns when it touches the skin.
Eventually I went with Citristrip, 2-3 applications, leaving on for 20-30 minutes, and then re-applying while it was still wet. After about an hour per panel, I would then try and strip with plastic bondo scrapers. To finish I used those plastic dish washing scrubbers dipped in Mineral Spirits, they didn't gum up as fast as scotch brite did, so you won't have to rinse them as much. That seem to do the trick.

I think that lower panel looks good, and should polish up just fine. The filliform corrosion (worm like marks) should polish out as well.
Start with a black or brown bar for the first cut of polishing/compounding. I went to Caswell and got a 12" polishing wheel, put it on a 7 1/2" grinder (check out perfect polish for the proper technique) and I think it will take it to the level you want. After that you can get crazy with a cyclo and some nuvite.

After All I've done, (still haven't re-installed) I think I am going to do a couple of things. First I think when I polish, I'm going to re-install, as it will be better so I don't have to clamp or hold the panel while polishing.
Also, I think I will either make wood endcaps for the interior, or a wood one and get ahold of Colin H for the rear, as I too will have just a bed in the back.

Thanks

TIMK

[Airwave503]

Thanks Redsled. I hadn't seen those 'black and brown bars' before is that compound material? How do you use it? Also, if you've stripped and polished your end caps why are you considering making wood ones or going to Colin?

I finished another 4X12 ceiling panel last night. I used about a 1/2 gallon of Jasco and it took me ~6 hours. Some things I picked up:

2 passes with the plastic blades, then a 3rd pass with 0000 steel wool and using the Jasco like a soap, then a final with steel wool and water.

Need to replace plastic blades often as they dull quickly
Heat really helps, now dropping can of Jasco into a bucket of hot tap water to warm it up and keep it warm. No more big gelatinous clumps.

[Melody Ranch]

Polished 5052, with a clear protective sheeting, 4 x 8. It is 35.00 a sheet. I lay the flat pieces on,copy them, and install. It is all done in less than a day and "cheaper" than stripper, tools, time.

[55AS]

I just finished stripping zolatone off all four walls of my bathroom and now thinking about doing the forward end cap. I used Citristip due to the enclosed space. First applied a thick layer and let it work for 15-20 minutes. Scraped that off with a rigid plastic scraper. Second layer sits for another 10-15 minuted followed by scraper/plastic razor blades (only for tight spaces, dull very fast). Third step was a wet scotch brite sponge which got off 95% of the goo if you rinse it often. Next step was damp green scotch brite pad which got off the rest (rinse or replace often). Wiping liquid off with a rag before it dried helped a lot. A damp rag removes any residue since Citristrip is water based.
Final step will be scotch brite pad mounted on random orbit sander to give a swirled/brushed finish (preferable to fun house mirror finish, at least in the bathroom).

[55AS]

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

Polished 5052, with a clear protective sheeting, 4 x 8. It is 35.00 a sheet. I lay the flat pieces on,copy them, and install. It is all done in less than a day and "cheaper" than stripper, tools, time.

How hard is it to remove and reinstall those type of rivets? I do not have the proper rivet gun...