Need advice on finishing an abandoned project....

I just bought a wood and fiberglass project plane (about 80% done). It is in good shape, but has been sitting in a workshop/hanger for 30 years. Some of the steel fittings and hardware have some surface rust. I was gonna remove all the metal brackets and clean them up and paint them, but what about the lightly rusted nuts and bolts?? Should I replace them? And what about the turnbuckles and rod ends? Replace those too? This stuff was all bought brand new (has all the receipts) but has been sitting around for 30 years. Thanks for any advice.

Wood that is "sitting around" changes its moisture content seasonally, but it hovers around 15%. So all steel in contact with wood will develop corrosion over time. Even wood aircraft that fly regularly will need the hardware replaced if that hardware is not painted or coated using some process. As an example, I pulled and replaced the bolts through my Pitts wing spars that hold on the I-struts.

Today, vs 30 years ago, you can coat the inside of bolt holes in wood with epoxy. The wood absorbs the epoxy and this blocks the wood's internal moisture from contacting the bolt that is installed through the hole.

So the bolts should most likely be thrown away and replaced. You can epoxy the bolt holes to extend the life of the new bolts you install. The fittings can be cleaned using an abrasive blast process and painted.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS

Thanks Wes, good info. Now what about the rod ends, pulleys, and their bearings? Are they ok to reuse or do I need to pretty much replace all the ones I have access to?

Are those parts corroded? Are they sealed bearings? If the bearings are sealed, the age of the lubricant in them is suspect. If they are clean and can be lubed then I would just use them.

Aircraft control system pulleys are essentially the same today as they were 30 years ago. Clean out old lube and you are likely good to go.

Rod ends and bearings - in the intervening years there have been product improvements that you might want. Better materials, better lube, more range of travel. I would look up the part and see if I get a better part today. If not, clean and lubricate.

Best of luck,

Wes
N78PS