The rudder pedals are the first one to get painted. It is chrome moly steel tube and it is positioned about 1meter in front of the pilot, so it is ok if it hasn’t perfect finnish. I don’t have the equipment to spray the paint, and I don’t like doing it either, because of my astma. So I use a foam roller. I have been trying out the foam roller and I am getting there. The paint is aircraft polyurethane primer used on Gripen. So it is a strong one. I have been doing a lot of research on aluminium painting. It is a hell. The best thing to do seem to be the alodine stuff. On old aluminium, you need to etch or rub whit scotchbrite first, and then apply chrome conversion fluid, alodine before you prime it. It is also ok according to axo nobel to use wash primer and then polyurethane primer on top. And finely, I found a text from the paint manufacture axo nobel, describing how to use only scotchbrite to accomplish the same effect as the etch/wash-primer. It just takes more muscles. And I am going for it!
The rudder pedals made of steel needed some sand blasting before painting. I am also going to fit a rubber tube on the foot pedals.

Jag är ett sätt att tänka.

• AKKA/Tierra