| Howdy Ya'll! |
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Do what yer' Momma said...
Go Play!
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Great website for working with Evercoat Rage Gold - View Thread
Brian Meyette's website has good detail for working with fiberglass and Rage Gold at http://brian76.mystarband.net/CanopyMar05.htm
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Latest and greatest pinhole method? - View Thread
OK, it's time once again to dive into the pinhole issue. Not because the old methods don't work, but rather because maybe there's a method using newer product or technologies that work better or easier. I've been all over the net and the list archives looking for some easy way to fill the pinholes. I've seen thinned out spackling compound, epoxy slurries, glazing putty, filler primers, and a few others. My concern is of course doing the work well, with materials that co-exist over the long term with the epoxy/fiberglass substrate. Some products just don't play well with the epoxy. I tried the thinned epoxy painted on as the instructions suggest. It's real hard to sand. If you sand too much, you open up more pinholes. The red Bondo glazing putty goes one well, but sets up too soon to suit me. After surface cleansing, one proffessional guy sprays on filler primer, and works it into the pinholes with gloved fingertips. I imagine the fingers break the surface tension, pushing primer into the holes, and quite quickly. Yeah you're gonna get some tracks of course, but I understand K-36 sands off easily. This means the next day you're ready for a second primer coat, and paint right after that. That's the best idea I've heard of so far. What about you guys? Got something better?
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Latest and greatest pinhole method? - RE: - View Thread
Coming from the composite camp over to the metal camp (due to allergies) I can chime in here with some expertise. Pinholes should be filled in two steps.
Step one: Using Poly-Fibers 'AlphaPoxy' and microballoons, mix up until very thick and dry. Then thin to a milkshake consistancy with Denatured Alcohol. Do not use Acetone or MEK as they will break down the resins. Apply to the surface with a squeegee (body shop type, not window washing type) and allow to harden for at least 24 hours. Then sand down until the glass is starting to show with 80grit then a light finish sand with 120.
Step two: Using Poly-Fiber's Smooth Prime, cover the entire piece with a foam roller. Allow to harden. Do a light sanding with 120 grit and give it a second coat. But this time, add a couple of drops of food coloring to the tray of Smooth Prime. This way you can see coverage and also see how much you will sand off later. I found that 3 coats is usually enough Smooth prime. Use a different color of food coloring on the third coat. Do not add the food coloring to your can of S/P. Just what you mix up. After the last coat has hardened, sand down using 120 then 220 then 320. You will end up with as surface smooth as glass. And pinhole free.
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Latest and greatest pinhole method? - RE: - View Thread
I had really good luck using superfill mixed with acetone to make a milkshake like consistency then spread on with a squeegee. The consistency goes into the holes quickly with the squeegee and then the acetone evaporates and leaves the epoxy behind to harden. You have to move quickly because the acetone evaporates fast making the solution thick and difficult to get down in the holes. You want fast evaporation so the acetone is gone by the time the epoxy hardens. If the holes are too large or deep it will take more than one round of filling and sanding due to the space lost from the acetone evaporating. My local composites expert said that method was fine provided it hardened but I could have saved some cash by just using west systems epoxy and mixing my own micro balloons in because in fact that is all superfill is. I ended up having to buy West Systems epoxy anyway for bonding the intersection fairings so that's one lesson learned. He also mentioned that MEK would evaporate about twice as fast as acetone. I stuck with acetone because I have not had kids yet and still plan on it... If you try to do it without the micro balloons, like vans recommends for filling the cowl you end up with a surface that is harder to sand but still the same result. The micro balloons really make the sanding go fast.
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Priming Fiberglass - View Thread
Anyone in the process of finishing their fiberglass? I have found that the product called "UV Smooth Prime" works extremely well at filling in those pesky pinholes. I have rolled it on and also sprayed it on. Spraying works much better as the surface is much smoother requiring less effort to sand. Both methods work well for filling in the pinholes. This stuff is water based,crosslinked, and is nice to use. Water cleanup.
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| The "cover your butt" section |
This website was built to document my work on my RV-9A in
compliance with the FAA requirements needed to certify my aircraft. My experiences and comments are by
no means to be considered as instructions on how to build an RV-9A or any other aircraft.
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