Piper Cherokee Six - Page 129

PIPER
CHEROKEE
SIX
SERVICE
MANUAL
871
Figure
4-4.
Surface
Scratches,
Abrasions
or
Ground-in-Dirt
4-19a.
GENERAL
THERMOPLASTIC
REPAIRS.
The
following
procedure
will
assist
in
making
field
repairs
to
items
made
of
thermoplastic
which
are
used
throughout
the
airplane
except
for
wheel
and
strut
fairing.
A
list
of
material
needed
to
perform
these
repairs
is
given
along
with
suggested
suppliers
of
the
material.
Common
safety
precautions
should
be
observed
when
handling
some
of
the
materials
and
tools
used
while
making
these
repairs.
a.
Surface
Preparation:
1.
Surface
dirt
and
paint
if
applied
must
be
removed
from
the
item
being
repaired.
Household
cleaners
have
proven
most
effective
in
removing
surface
dirt.
2.
Preliminary
cleaning
of
the
damaged
area
with
perchlorethylene
or
VM&P
Naphtha
will
generally
insure
a
good
bond
between
epoxy
compounds
and
thermoplastic.
b.
Surface
Scratches,
Abrasion
or
Ground-in-Dirt:
(Refer
to
Figure
4-4.)
1.
Shallow
scratches
and
abraded
surfaces
are
usually
repaired
by
following
directions
on
containers
of
conventional
automotive
buffing
and
rubbing
compounds.
2.
If
large
dirt
particles
are
embedded
in
thermoplastic
parts,
they
can
be
removed
with
a
hot
air
gun
capable
of
supplying
heat
in
the
temperature
range
of
300
°
to
400
°
F.
Use
care
not
to
overheat
the
material.
Hold
the
nozzle
of
the
gun
about
1/4
of
an
inch
away
from
the
surface
and
apply
heat
with
a
circular
motion
until
the
area
is
sufficiently
soft
to
remove
the
dirt
particles.
3.
The
thermoplastic
will
return
to
its
original
shape
upon
cooling.
c.
Deep
Scratches,
Shallow
Nicks
and
Small
Holes:
(Less
than
I inch
in
diameter.)
(Refer
to
Figure
4-4a.)
1.
Solvent
cements
will
fit
virtually
any
of
these
applications.
If the
area
to
be
repaired
is
very
small,
it
may
be
quicker
to
make
a
satisfactory
cement
by
dissolving
thermoplastic
material
of
the
same
type
being
repaired
in
solvent
until
the
desired
paste-like
consistency
is
achieved.
STRUCTURE
Added:
12/4/79
1F9