Replacement for Astro Shield -- non-clearcoat paint systems

[MyDogsPA]

Guys,

 

Ever since I had my airplane painted 19 1/2 years ago I've polished it annually with Astro Shield. The paint is a non-clearcoat polyurethane, specifically DuPont Imron. As a friend told me once, and my experience seems to back it up, polishing with a product that has dimethylsiloxane as an ingredient just seems to look better and better the more often it's used.

 

But I need the polish to do something more than just make the paint look good: the paint must survive being outdoors in direct sunlight for year after year and not degrade in Los Angeles smog and dust. Degraded paint on an airplane causes it to get rough and just slows it down as well as negate protection against corrosion (and that can kill an airframe)

 

So my routine over the years has evolved to polishing the plane once a year with two coats of AstroShield. The first pass removes the smog grime buildup, the second shines it up nicely and deludes me to think it will last longer than if I only did one coat (that may or may not be true, but at least it looks good) I know, I should polish twice a year, but getting access to 120VAC for the polisher it problematic out on the tarmac. Plus it's 173 sq ft just for the wing alone, so it takes a while.

 

​Astro Shield lists dimethylsiloxane as a prime ingredient. Unfortunately Nord Viscount, the makers of Astro Shield, went out of business, so I'm down to my last 3 cans from the case I bought years ago. Eventually I'll have to find something to replace it.

 

I learned about Optimum from my shopping at Autogeek when I buy my pads for my Cyclo polisher, and I was curious about Optimum Poli Seal as well as the 3M 39030. The latter lists Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane and Dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane as primary ingredients in their MSDS ( up to 13% and ​10%, respectively) so that seemed like a possible alternative. Reviews of the 3M 39030 indicate it may be difficult to remove, possibly if it's dried.

 

Reviews of the Optimum Poli Seal seem to be glowing (easy to apply and remove), but I have no clue what's in it or if it is even compatible with all the AstroShield I've been putting on over the years.

 

Again, I need the polish to maintain the paint so it remains smooth and protects the aluminum structure. (repainting a plane costs anywhere from $15k to $20k nowadays, so obviously I want to keep it lasting as long as I can)

 

Is Poli Seal similar? Can it keep the paint in good shape with annual applications?

 

 

 

As an aside I also have a 1992 F-150 that also has no clearcoat (it was one of the last years where black was offered without clearcoat). I'd let the paint fade as the truck sat out in my driveway for years and years, and last year the roof was starting to rust after the color coat and primer eroded away. At first I thought I'd have to paint the whole truck, but I got out the AstorShield and the polisher and gave it two coats. Except for the roof, the truck looked brand new. Yes, there was a lot of black on the pads, but I wound up only having to paint the roof itself and not the whole truck. Now, a year later with nary even a wash, the paint still looks great.

 

What does Optimum have that works as well?

 

Thanks.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I googled that product and found a quote about Astro Shield by Mike Phillips on another forum: "It's a cleaner/wax, nothing special but a cool name and a pretty cool looking can."

 

I'm not sure how much it would cost or how long it would take to coat an airplane with Gloss Coat (not to mention having to apply it in direct sunlight out on the ramp and the likelihood you're going to polish it off in a year), but I agree with Chris that you'll get better results using a dedicated polish and then following with a separate protectant step. In that case you're still doing two steps as you are now.

 

There are some synthetic paste waxes that you can apply with your Cyclo.

 

The other route is to use an AIO (All-In-One), like you've been using, you mentioned Poli-Seal, and there is also Optimum GPS, which is kind of a spray version of Poli-Seal. The Optimum spray products are very nice to use.

 

Sorry I'm kind of rambling here, but do you feel the Astro Shield actually gave you a year of protection?

[MyDogsPA]

OK, at $60 for 10 ml of Glass coat, let's find something easier to put on and cheaper, shall we? The Glass coat requires stripping of the old silicones (read: dimethylsiloxanes), and in reading the instructions it looks like I may have problems getting it to spread evenly. It looks a bit intimidating as I'm no paint expert.

 

The reason I used Astro Shield was that it was recommended by an aviation consumer magazine, and Chris, you're right, it did not protect for the full year, however, what I noticed after using it for several years was that the gloss and shine came right back upon the first application and seemed to get deeper after the second polish and looks even better than when it was first painted. The paint is nearly 20 years old on the plane (24 on the truck) and I want to keep it that way.

 

The Astro Shield can calls itself a glaze and polish, so my preference is find some equivalent Optimum products that are compatible with the silicones that are already on the paint that are relatively easy to apply with the Cyclo that I can do, say, every 6 months. I've got some Poli Shield and GPS on order, so we can start with those, but as you say the AIO may be a tad lacking in durability. The trouble is that when I look at all the different products I have no idea what all the differences are between them, and there are so many.

 

Help.

 

Thanks.

[Setec Astronomy]

Do you wash your aircraft? If yes, I would wager you still might be able to polish only once a year with say, the GPS, and perhaps every three months or so a wash and an application of Opti-Seal or Optimum Car Wax. You can't get easier than Opti-Seal, it's wipe on, walk away (WOWA).

 

If that works out for you, you might want to use the Hyper Polish and follow it up with Opti-Seal or OCW.

[The Guz]

I agree with Setec. Those two products work well and are so easy to use.

 

If you wish to step up to Gloss Coat, it is user friendly as well. It will take more work to prep the surface. I will post this video for reference.

 

[Ron@Optimum]

Mydogspa, if you would call Dann Williams at 619.952.4814, he would love to walk you through Optimum products/processes. He is in your area (San Diego), and is not only a pro installer, he's the Optimum Regional Manager for the West Coast.

[MyDogsPA]

Before I bother Dann, let me ask this: it looks like I can use the Poli-Seal and GPS that I've already ordered as a polish and then finish it with the Opti-Seal. So can the Opti-Seal (and Poli-Seal or GPS, for that matter) be applied in direct sunlight when I don't have access to a hangar?

 

Also, it looks like the Opti-Seal needs clean applicators. What do you recommend to clean them after applying the Opti-Seal? An 1/2 Oz/gal ONR solution?

 

Thanks.

[Setec Astronomy]

I'm sure Dann would be happy to speak to you (based on listening to his podcasts...plus it's his job), so I wouldn't hesitate to call him.

 

I just usually re-use my Opti-Seal applicator...if it gets too dirty or gunky you can just rinse it out under warm running water...I guess ONR would work, too.

 

As far as needing a "clean" applicator...if you start with a new one, then it should stay pretty clean, if the vehicle was cleaned before-hand. As I noted, generally speaking the applicator doesn't get "dirty". If there is some reference to a clean applicator in the Opti-Seal instructions, I think they're just trying to make sure it doesn't have dirt or polish or wax or something in it, because that would impair the "wipe-on, walk-away" quality of the sealant by leaving streaks behind.

[Ron@Optimum]

Poli-Seal/GPS/Opti-Seal can be applied in direct sunlight. You can rinse the applicator in ONR or dish detergent if it gets dirty.

[The Guz]

I clean my pad with APC and rinse it out after I am done using it.

[MyDogsPA]

Gaah. Yesterday I ordered a gallon of ONR, 3 bottles of opti-seal, 3 dual pro applicators, and a half gallon of GPS through Amazon (not sold by Amazon, but Palm Beach Motororing Accessories so I could get free shipping as they all were supposed to ship from the one warehouse.)

 

Sigh, the order was cancelled this morning because now it's "not in stock."

 

Their subsidiary, Autogeek, doesn't carry the half gallon of GPS. (They do carry the larger bottles of Poli-Seal, however, in doing some research there was a fellow who had issues with long-term storage of the Poli Seal as it separated in the 32 oz can and he wasn't able to re-mix it after it separated. Hence I'd thought I'd try the GPS)

 

But I do have a can of Poli-seal and GPS coming in from Autogeek this afternoon, so I can try those at least while I look for other places to get the opti-seal and GPS.

 

Grrgh.

 

Thanks for all your help, guys.

[Setec Astronomy]

You can order directly from Optimum with free shipping over $75: http://opti-coat.net/opts/

 

I haven't gotten to use my GPS yet, but if you're going to top with Opti-Seal under all circumstances, I would just use Hyper Polish as previously suggested.

[Setec Astronomy]

Ran past the edit window on my previous post--

 

EDIT: Oops, looks like the free-shipping-over-75 is at this site: http://optimumcarcare.com/. The Opti-Coat site has $7 flat rate shipping. They are both owned by OPT, the optimumcarcare site is the older one, it doesn't seem to have been updated with all the newer products, not sure why they have different shipping poiicies.

 

Ron mentioned recently that you can still order from both sites, and it seems like everything you were trying to order is on the older site with the free shipping over $75.

[MyDogsPA]

Setec,

 

Thanks, I thought of the Hyper Polish but it dawned on me that if I do the two-step 'uber' job once a year with the Hyper Polish and opti-seal, then by definition if I wanted to to an 'intermediate' job every 3 to 4 months with the Hyper Polish I'd have to use the opti-seal without hesitation. With the GPS I have the option of skipping the opti-seal if I don't have time to do the complete two-step.

 

It probably doesn't make any sense, but remember there's a lot of surface area on an airplane and it's a PITA to do it twice.

[Setec Astronomy]

Makes perfect sense. Look into ordering from one of the Optimum sites, although Autogeek has a free shipping offer going on today also (which precludes the use of other discount codes).

 

Just FYI, I think those rancidity issues were from a long time ago, but I'm not sure I'd store that stuff out at the field for long periods, at least not in the summer.