Hi Tony:
I am a Classic builder about to complete this part of the building.
What I found most helpful:
KEEP IT as SIMPLE and effective as possible, especially if you have a
Classic.
Invest into the best tools and components, use them right and you get
excellent results:
- Lightweight epoxy filler is readily available (SuperFill or Aeropoxy
Light)
- Put it on once and sufficiently thick and then block it down to the
proper profile the first time. Very little needs to be re-filled the
second time because it is in this multiple later fillings where you are
going to spend a lot of your time. This stuff is very easy to work with
and I find both products easy to sand back with excellent
predictability.
-Use the highest quality professional grade sanding paper (no-fill
grade). You get this only at auto body shop suppliers, NOT the local
home hardware store. Everything else scratches your hard won smoothness
at every step up.
-Use a large sandpaper sheet size block with the sheet attached with
carpet tape works well.
-Do not be tempted to use machine help until you really have experience
and know what you are doing. Character is built through hand work...
-The filling step can be one of the most expensive if you consider
giving your bird to a professional auto body shop to bring it up to
their professional pre-painting standards. I was quoted a full week of
work at $40/hour= $1,600 just for that step alone. You will not
believe how much of the actual fuselage will actually need filling to
come out looking good especially if you have an older non-clear coated
fuselage (mine). So, the 4-6 gallons of filler are well spent
investment.
-Consider doing the UV protection and priming yourself, with your own
hands and a roller in hand: UV Smooth Prime allows this without all the
bad toxicity so you can do it at home in your own garage. A gallon will
do most of the airplane. You need to sand it back to professional grade
but remember, they charge you $40/hr for this, so you can really save
money here. Around wind shields consider the pro job doing a final pass
with Epoxy primer. it sticks better to the acrylic.
-Finally save some of the saved money at the final step where it really
counts: painting is an acquired skill. Unless you feel confident doing
it yourself and dealing with the requirements of dealing with toxic
paints, let a professional painter do the final prep and final coat.
They use those toxic materials every day and will reward all your work
with a professional finish which would take you many airplanes to
achieve.
- Have a professional doing it all for you can cost you over $10,000.
Doing the important parts yourself will cut this in half, or less.
Christoph Both
#223
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
________________________________
From: owner-europa-list-server@matronics.com on behalf of Tony Wickens
Sent: Wed 9/17/2008 6:03 AM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: Filling Tips
<tonywickens@btconnect.com>
Hi All
I am filling at the moment, just to make all of you that have been
through
it envious! I have tried the fishing line method but found that second
and
third applications were necessary to deal with low areas. Of course, hot
wiring rules apply in terms of Burt Rutan's 'talking numbers'. That is
the
spline has to be non flexible and the angle has to be kept parallel to
the
line of the curvature.
Brian Davies came around and said that he used the lay it on thick and
sand
it back once method and I have found that this works better for me. The
only
issue with blocking back, apart from avoiding cutting into the fiber
glass
is not to put too much heat into the component.
Getting the mixture dry enough (using expancel) I have also found
difficult.
I will try the system described in Jim and Heather Butcher's recent
e-mail,
particularly working it on a board with a spreader and the smear of
resin
should help the interface adhesion. It is worth a try
The trouble is that by the time you are getting proficient the job is
finished. My respect grows for all you Classic builders and I am careful
not
to winge on about filling and rubbing down in their company
Thanks for all the useful and interesting inputs
Tony Wickens
XS Kit 353
Martin Tuck wrote>
> The method is to use a pair of fishing lines (I think I used 100 lb
> breaking strain but it was about 0.020" dia.). Use weights at either
end
> to drap them over the surface and space them about 10 inches apart
like a
> couple of tram lines. Slap on the filler (and if it turns out shiny
you
> need more filler in the mix) between the tramlines and then using a
wide
> spackle knife or straight edge run it along the tram lines to spread
the
> filler. You should end up with a 0.020' thickness of filler. Lift up
one
> line and place it 10 inches from the other and continue the process
all
> the way down the surface being filled.
>
> Now when you lift up the lines you will be left with a line of no
filler
> when the fishing line was but a quick run over with the spackle knife
you
> can force just enough down to fill the gap.
>
> For sanding, I started with 60 grit and worked my way down to 100 then
> 160.
>
> Avoid adding more filler on top of previously cured filler as you will
> make it difficult to get an even surface presumably because of
variations
> in hardness of the filler mix.
>
> Brings back happy memories! :-)
>
> Martin Tuck
> Europa N152MT
> Wichita, Kansas
>
>
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