Interior Replacement Project - Day 30

For those who have not been following this DIY project, I am writing the
details of what it takes to replace the seat covers, wall panels, and
carpeting in a Cherokee 140 using Airtex "Premium" materials. This
project is also "scope creeping" to include the interior plastic and
other items that will look odd once the interior is refreshed.

Day 30 (Plastic)

Removed all of the window surround plastic several days ago. Had a small
surprise. I discovered that the good folks who replaced the windshields
several years ago were VERY generous with the adhesive. So much so that
they managed to glue several pieces of plastic permanently to the
windshield. Needless to say, removal required the destruction of the two
top pieces. I ordered replacements to the tune of $44 each. I also
finally received the correct center piece that goes between them
(another $25). When I see how much trimming is going to be required for
only 3 pieces, I am glad I am not replacing the entire interior plastic
set!

Inspecting the old plastic revealed huge (dis)coloration variations and
some scratches put there by myself and previous owners as they removed
the 20 or so ridiculous velcro dots used to secure a previous owner’s
sun shields. Some had been glued on with a glue that turned very rigid
and dark yellow. I wondered why these people did not just buy a COVER!!.
I purchased new screw cover “buttons” for the plastic panels because the
old ones kept falling out and were discolored. They are about $1.25 each
and you only need 6 or so.

I read quite a few posts on the Internet where folks raved about SEM
paint. They also commented on its rather high price ($12/can). I also
noticed that SEM states that their preparation primer is required. This
would add additional work and expense. From my previous experience as a
painter (autos, trucks, murals, etc.), I remembered that all the paint I
used that was specially formulated for plastic stuck like iron if
properly prepared. So, I looked around locally to see if I could find
some spray can plastic paint that I would have confidence in. At the
local Home Depot, there is a Rustoleum paint formulated for plastic that
required no primer or special preparation. It cost about $4 a can. I
emptied one full can for the Cherokee and used about 1/5 of the second one.

Removing the panels was pretty straightforward, although the use of
oversized screws here and there by previous owners will have to be
addressed when I put in the new side panels. Removing the window
surround on the door required the removal of the Piper top lock. No, you
don’t remove the 3 big machine screws from the bottom of the latch as it
appears. You instead take the 1 screw out of the top latch and the whole
unit drops down. Once the lock is removed, the plastic panel can be
removed. The aluminum lock panel will also have to be painted sometime
later but it will require clear weather for me to leave the plane on the
ramp with no top lock.

To begin paint preparation, I sanded out the scratched areas. I figured
that the smooth area left by sanding would not be very noticeable next
to the textured areas because the texture was so fine. I was right. The
final product looks very good unless you look carefully at about 4
inches. I also used a special super glue for plastic to weld any cracks
back together. I prepared the plastic by first wiping off all dirt with
a damp towel. Next I used adhesive remover, although I would normally
use Prep-Sol (the adhesive remover stinks pretty bad). I then used a
medium Scotch-Brite pad over the surfaces I wanted the paint to stick
to. Finally, I wiped off all the sanding residue with a tack cloth. I
laid all the parts out on a plastic tarp on the driveway to spray them.

4 coats later and all the discolored and yellowed plastic was brilliant
white. 1 more coat on selected pieces finished off the job. I waited
about 4-6 minutes between the first coats and less for the final coats.
It is important to spray the first coat somewhat lightly and wait a good
while for it to set. This avoids runs and “fish-eye” that can occur if
you missed cleaning off any oil or grease (I did get some fish-eye in
the first piece I tested – turns out there was a spot of oil on the
Scotch-Brite pad!!). All pieces dried uniformly between gloss and
semi-gloss. I did also paint the new parts to achieve uniform color. The
plastic manufacturer recommended painting to achieve longer life. After
drying overnight, most of the solvent smell was gone and the uniform
finish emerged. Several days later, there is no solvent smell and the
paint appears to be well adhered. Time will be the ultimate test.

Now that the panels are nice and bright white, the discolored and
yellowed window beading looks awful. I tried to find this stuff all over
the place with no luck. Back to the Internet for another fleecing (30
feet at $2/ft.). The replacement stuff is thinner and more workable than
the original Piper stuff. It is also as white as the painted plastic. I
received a small piece when I purchased the center plastic piece. It
should look very good with the new paint on the panels.

Before putting the plastic back in, I will tackle the headliner dye job
and report on the results in the next installment. Seat covers and wall
panels have not arrived yet. Interestingly, Airtex has not hit my credit
card yet, even though they sent the carpet set a month ago. On a call to
them they explained they don’t charge until the last piece ships. The
representative told me they have few problems with folks not paying.
Most other upholstery shops required something like ½ or 1/3 up front
when I talked to them.

Overall, I like the early results I am seeing even though this is taking
much longer than I was expecting. In reality, I have not done more than
about 3-4 hours of total work. Most of the time is spent waiting for
something to arrive, cure, or dry. The weather is not exactly
cooperating with 50-degree days and rain. But hey! If the weather was
great, I would want to go flying!


End of Day 30

Overall, I like the early results I am seeing even though this is taking
much longer than I was expecting. In reality, I have not done more than
about 3-4 hours of total work. Most of the time is spent waiting for
something to arrive, cure, or dry. The weather is not exactly cooperating
with 50-degree days and rain. But hey! If the weather was great, I would
want to go flying!

3-4 hours in 30 days?

Sounds like you're ready to open your own shop!

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Well, as long as he remembers the difference between work and billable
hours.

I did the same with a '78 Lance last spring while the plane was in for
annual. The culmination of a 2 1/2 year restoration after the new panel
& paint was a new interior. I bought the whole set from Airtex - even
flew to TTN to their installation shop to see how it's done. I gutted
the interior including plastic trim (dingy yellow) which had to be
glued to fix the cracks and painted to match the new interior color.
Carpets, side panels, seat covers were all redone. Only thing that
wasn't touched was the headliner as it was in great shape. I had a lot
of help from one of the shop guys, and it came out quite nice. A LOT of
work, and no I don't think I'd want to do it again.

Will

The thing about this project is that I don't FEEL rushed to do stuff. I
wait until I want to do some work and then do it. Since the weather is
lousy, I don't worry about taking my time to thoroughly research various
aspects of the job. During that 30 days, I probably spent 20 or so hours
lurking around upholstery shops, on the Net, and on the phone with
various folks.

I suspect once the panels and seat covers arrive I should be able to get
to a higher gear.

See Ya,
Mike

Jay Honeck wrote:
Overall, I like the early results I am seeing even though this is taking
much longer than I was expecting. In reality, I have not done more than
about 3-4 hours of total work. Most of the time is spent waiting for
something to arrive, cure, or dry. The weather is not exactly cooperating
with 50-degree days and rain. But hey! If the weather was great, I would
want to go flying!


3-4 hours in 30 days?

Sounds like you're ready to open your own shop!

;-)

revdmv wrote:

Well, as long as he remembers the difference between work and billable
hours.

There's a difference???? Hell, don't tell my clients!

Mike, I used the SEM paint without a primer when I did the interior of my
Seneca. I "cleaned" the surfaces with mineral spirits, and let them dry
overnight. Results were great. I bought the paint from an auto body
supplier, who recommended "Marhide" brand paint as well as SEM.

You mentioned Home Depot? When I had to repaint the metal frames of my
seats, I used spray paint by Krylon called"Colorworks", which I bought from
HD. This part was the most tedious of the whole interior project. Paint was
easy to apply, and took 3 coats to change color from "Avacodo" to Tan.

In doing the front seats, I requested replacement slings from Airtex. Don
Stretch, who was very helpful, suggested Dacron. He recommended using the
contact cement to install it. It held up well.
"Mike Spera" wrote in message
k.net...

For those who have not been following this DIY project, I am writing the
details of what it takes to replace the seat covers, wall panels, and
carpeting in a Cherokee 140 using Airtex "Premium" materials. This
project is also "scope creeping" to include the interior plastic and
other items that will look odd once the interior is refreshed.

Day 30 (Plastic)

Removed all of the window surround plastic several days ago. Had a small
surprise. I discovered that the good folks who replaced the windshields
several years ago were VERY generous with the adhesive. So much so that
they managed to glue several pieces of plastic permanently to the
windshield. Needless to say, removal required the destruction of the two
top pieces. I ordered replacements to the tune of $44 each. I also
finally received the correct center piece that goes between them
(another $25). When I see how much trimming is going to be required for
only 3 pieces, I am glad I am not replacing the entire interior plastic
set!

Inspecting the old plastic revealed huge (dis)coloration variations and
some scratches put there by myself and previous owners as they removed
the 20 or so ridiculous velcro dots used to secure a previous owner’s
sun shields. Some had been glued on with a glue that turned very rigid
and dark yellow. I wondered why these people did not just buy a COVER!!.
I purchased new screw cover “buttons” for the plastic panels because the
old ones kept falling out and were discolored. They are about $1.25 each
and you only need 6 or so.

I read quite a few posts on the Internet where folks raved about SEM
paint. They also commented on its rather high price ($12/can). I also
noticed that SEM states that their preparation primer is required. This
would add additional work and expense. From my previous experience as a
painter (autos, trucks, murals, etc.), I remembered that all the paint I
used that was specially formulated for plastic stuck like iron if
properly prepared. So, I looked around locally to see if I could find
some spray can plastic paint that I would have confidence in. At the
local Home Depot, there is a Rustoleum paint formulated for plastic that
required no primer or special preparation. It cost about $4 a can. I
emptied one full can for the Cherokee and used about 1/5 of the second
one.

Removing the panels was pretty straightforward, although the use of
oversized screws here and there by previous owners will have to be
addressed when I put in the new side panels. Removing the window
surround on the door required the removal of the Piper top lock. No, you
don’t remove the 3 big machine screws from the bottom of the latch as it
appears. You instead take the 1 screw out of the top latch and the whole
unit drops down. Once the lock is removed, the plastic panel can be
removed. The aluminum lock panel will also have to be painted sometime
later but it will require clear weather for me to leave the plane on the
ramp with no top lock.

To begin paint preparation, I sanded out the scratched areas. I figured
that the smooth area left by sanding would not be very noticeable next
to the textured areas because the texture was so fine. I was right. The
final product looks very good unless you look carefully at about 4
inches. I also used a special super glue for plastic to weld any cracks
back together. I prepared the plastic by first wiping off all dirt with
a damp towel. Next I used adhesive remover, although I would normally
use Prep-Sol (the adhesive remover stinks pretty bad). I then used a
medium Scotch-Brite pad over the surfaces I wanted the paint to stick
to. Finally, I wiped off all the sanding residue with a tack cloth. I
laid all the parts out on a plastic tarp on the driveway to spray them.

4 coats later and all the discolored and yellowed plastic was brilliant
white. 1 more coat on selected pieces finished off the job. I waited
about 4-6 minutes between the first coats and less for the final coats.
It is important to spray the first coat somewhat lightly and wait a good
while for it to set. This avoids runs and “fish-eye” that can occur if
you missed cleaning off any oil or grease (I did get some fish-eye in
the first piece I tested – turns out there was a spot of oil on the
Scotch-Brite pad!!). All pieces dried uniformly between gloss and
semi-gloss. I did also paint the new parts to achieve uniform color. The
plastic manufacturer recommended painting to achieve longer life. After
drying overnight, most of the solvent smell was gone and the uniform
finish emerged. Several days later, there is no solvent smell and the
paint appears to be well adhered. Time will be the ultimate test.

Now that the panels are nice and bright white, the discolored and
yellowed window beading looks awful. I tried to find this stuff all over
the place with no luck. Back to the Internet for another fleecing (30
feet at $2/ft.). The replacement stuff is thinner and more workable than
the original Piper stuff. It is also as white as the painted plastic. I
received a small piece when I purchased the center plastic piece. It
should look very good with the new paint on the panels.

Before putting the plastic back in, I will tackle the headliner dye job
and report on the results in the next installment. Seat covers and wall
panels have not arrived yet. Interestingly, Airtex has not hit my credit
card yet, even though they sent the carpet set a month ago. On a call to
them they explained they don’t charge until the last piece ships. The
representative told me they have few problems with folks not paying.
Most other upholstery shops required something like ½ or 1/3 up front
when I talked to them.

Overall, I like the early results I am seeing even though this is taking
much longer than I was expecting. In reality, I have not done more than
about 3-4 hours of total work. Most of the time is spent waiting for
something to arrive, cure, or dry. The weather is not exactly
cooperating with 50-degree days and rain. But hey! If the weather was
great, I would want to go flying!


End of Day 30

I ordered the seat foundation fabric directly from Airtex as well as new
seat foam. I did not feel like chasing around for this kind of stuff.
They are using a generic brand of "Sunbrella". They too walked me
through the process of installing it.

Mike
..

In doing the front seats, I requested replacement slings from Airtex. Don
Stretch, who was very helpful, suggested Dacron. He recommended using the
contact cement to install it. It held up well.
"Mike Spera" wrote in message
k.net...

Mike: You know, of course, that when you get done with the project, you'll
be careful about letting anyone in your plane who might spill something, or
smear something. You wouldn't want an A&P decorating your new seat covers
with Aeroshell No. 7 now!
"Mike Spera" wrote in message
k.net...
I ordered the seat foundation fabric directly from Airtex as well as new
seat foam. I did not feel like chasing around for this kind of stuff.
They are using a generic brand of "Sunbrella". They too walked me
through the process of installing it.

Mike
.

In doing the front seats, I requested replacement slings from Airtex.
Don
Stretch, who was very helpful, suggested Dacron. He recommended using
the
contact cement to install it. It held up well.
"Mike Spera" wrote in message
k.net...

On 27-Apr-2005, Mike Spera wrote:

I read quite a few posts on the Internet where folks raved about SEM
paint. They also commented on its rather high price ($12/can). I also
noticed that SEM states that their preparation primer is required. This
would add additional work and expense. From my previous experience as a
painter (autos, trucks, murals, etc.), I remembered that all the paint I
used that was specially formulated for plastic stuck like iron if
properly prepared. So, I looked around locally to see if I could find
some spray can plastic paint that I would have confidence in. At the
local Home Depot, there is a Rustoleum paint formulated for plastic that
required no primer or special preparation. It cost about $4 a can. I
emptied one full can for the Cherokee and used about 1/5 of the second
one.


We recently needed to paint new and existing plastic parts in our Arrow. I
looked at the Rustoleum paint you mention, but it is only available in a
handful of colors, none of which were anywhere close to being workable for
our interior color scheme. The SEM paint, by contrast, is available in
about 30 colors, including the two we needed.

We applied the SEM spray without using any primer, but we did use their
recommended spray-on cleaner as a prep for both new and old parts. The
paint went on and bonded beautifully, with absolutely no drips or other
flaws. We applied 3 light coats, with about 10 minutes between coats.
Parts were totally dry in less than an hour. Part of our good results may
be due to our working in an enclosed hangar, in totally still air. Spraying
outdoors might introduce some challenges.

We paid a total of about $40 for two cans of SEM paint and the prep cleaner,
including sales tax. Negligible considering the cost of the new parts we
were installing.

--
-Elliott Drucker