Cleaning old solartex

[J D 8]

Have got myself a winter project, the restoration of an old [30 years plus] seventy six inch span Bleriot monoplane.The wings are very dirty with much ingrained oil ect,soapy water does nothing.Is there anything that can be used without harming the solartex or is it a recover job. Not looking for like new some staining is ok.

[Fred Flyer]

Lighter Fluid cleans most things without damaging paintwork etc. Good luck.

[stu knowles]

Solartex is proof against anything. I have even used paint stripper on it and still been able to reuse the original tex. I find cellulose thinners good for general cleaning but it will lift any paint

[cymaz]

Club member used Nitromores, if you can get it anymore. Do a small test piece though.

[J D 8]

Thanks stu and cymaz have some thinners and nitromores somewhere will give them a test.cheers John.

[Dave Hopkin]

Would Soft Soap shift it, it cuts through grease like a knife through butter, no idea what it might do to the tex and wood though......

[Colin Bernard]

Try isopropyl alcohol - I have just used it for cleaning muck and PolyC off some Solartex and it seems to have worked well.

You can get it from your local Maplins.

[J D 8]

Posted by Fred Flyer on 19/09/2014 18:05:09:
Lighter Fluid cleans most things without damaging paintwork etc. Good luck.

No paint to damage its just plain solartex which is probably why it is so grubby. Can report nitromores lifted the crusted on castor with ease and tex seems unharmed.Will try thinners on the more lightly soiled areas.

[Ronaldo]

I've had success with white spirits for cleaning light to moderate dirty oil soiled areas of solartex.

Ronaldo

[J D 8]

pics of wing tip repair and two badly encrusted bays cleaned with nitromors

[J D 8]

Something I have not seen before,wing tip formed from an aluminum tube. Covering was steamed open and tube reshaped and wrapped with masking tape.

[Engine Doctor]

Hi Last year I bought an old twice size lady bird at a club swapmeet that had been in loft for some years. Originally I intended to recover but thought I would first try cleaning it up.It wascovered in solartex. I first removed all the loose dirt with soapy water then used a piece of rag and some cellulose thinners. When it was all cleaned I went all over it with a hot air gun to re_shrink the covering ,making sure not to introduce any warps . It came up amazing. Club mates thought it had been recovered .only on very close inspection could you tell it was the old covering.Give it a go .Please take care when using cellulose and work in a well ventilated area.

Edited By Engine Doctor on 10/10/2014 21:23:30

[J D 8]

Thanks for the info Engine Doctor.At first I though covering was unpainted,however although that is the case with the first two rib bays the rest of the wing has some sort of "antique "colour. Will get some cellulose thinners and have a go.Would like not to recover as I hope to keep it as original as possible.cheers.