What's best to use to clean mild surface corrosion on T6061-T6?

Do you have any pictures and are you going to paint or polish your aircraft?  How are you storing your completed Components?  Is the corrosion next to a steel part on your project or a dissimilar metal ?

HI TOBY ITS  HAPPENING TO MY 701 ASWELL I HAVE THE WHOLE PLANE UNDER A TRAILER BUT THE ROOF PANELS I USED HAD SOME SURFACE RUST AND SOME CORROSION WHEN IT RAINS  WATER SETTLES ON THE PLANE AND LEAVES CORROSION SCOTCH BRIGHT PAD HELPS BUT STILL LEaves some pits if you find A CLEANER LET ME KNOW ASWELL THANX   JOE

These parts are obviously not alclad. You should probably start prepping with alodine and priming these parts when they are finished.

As for cleaning you are on the right track with the scotchbright, you might also try a product called alumaprep, then alodine and prime immediately after alumaprep treatment. Be sure you thuroughly remove all of the alumaprep from your parts and don't let it get into any faying surfaces since it is a strong acid that can actually eat your parts if residue is left behind. All that being said it makes a great corrosion remover and really aids the alodine process.

Hi,

Bob is sure RIGHT, that stuff he named works and I have used it A LOT.

BUT one word of Caution ! These chemicals are highly dangerous acids and the vapor from them can kill you, so ONLY use in VERY well ventilated places! If You can smell it while you use it its allready potentially dangerous. Its great working stuff, but do use caution and wash it off the plane etc with LOTS and LOTS of warm water !!!

Do not try these in a basement or closed garage....

And the stuff has limited shelf-life, use it after you buy it and do not leave it sit for month and years, it looses its "bite" and all effectiveness.... I had to "do" all of my Do27, gezz it was nasty work....

AND make sure You NEVER ever use Steel brushes or steel wool on your sheetmetal....also there are steel brushes 4 sale that are brass-coated and look like good brass-brushes, do not fall for That trap, its way bad.

Regards,

Lars

http://www.eaa42.org/planesa.html#lars

also, but off topic here:

http://avgasforak.blogspot.com/2010/04/alaskan-aviation-industry-against-epa.html

http://alaskadispatch.com/blogs/bush-pilot/6028-an-alaska-pilot-speaks-out-against-the-epa-avgas-ban