Christoph,
Thanks for your input, I am taking your thoughts to heart.
Ralph
RKHallett III
XS MG
Christoph Both wrote:
> 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
> To: europa-list@matronics.com
> Subject: Re: Europa-List: Filling Tips
>
>
> 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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