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06-25-2018, 10:26 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Delaware, OH (KDLZ)
Posts: 4,196
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Wing Walk Failure / Repair Options
This past winter, the wing walk material failed. It basically unlaminated from the adhesive, leaving the adhesive on the wing. It's happened a couple times, so I'm replacing in with another brand of material.
The issue I'm facing is that when I pulled the piece of wing walk material off the wing that was remaining, I've got about 6" x 3" area in which the paint failed and came off stuck to the wing walk material.
I'm now researching options.
1. How to I seal the edges of the paint left to ensure that it doesn't continue to separate? I don't want the mechanical paint bond to continue to fail past the wing walk material area. Especially if I have a remove the wing walk material again in the future.
2. The more I think about this, I'm wondering if I need to fill the void where that paint is? Since the wing walk material is fairly supple, especially when it's in the hot sun, I'm wondering if I will take the shape of the outline and slight depression of where the missing paint is? Granted the thickness of the paint isn't much, but as a perfectionist, I don't want it looking like **** either.
I've got a call into the person that painted my RV, but our schedules are making it difficult to talk together without playing voice mail tag.
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06-25-2018, 10:41 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 5,297
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Sealing the edges of the existing paint won't help the mechanical adhesion of the existing paint. It will however, prevent corrossion from developing and spreading to the metal under that paint, releasing the bond. Don't know about your shop, but lot's of amatuers don't scuff the aluminum agressive enough and this compromises the mechanical bond of the primer. They also tend to not respect the need to put the primer on within a couple of hours of scuffing, allowing surface corrossion to reappear and compromise adhesion.
I would tape off the peeled spot, leaving a 1/16" overlap onto the existing paint. Then spray that with a an epoxy primer (clean and scuff first). You will need 3-5 coats, maybe more, depending upon how thick your existing paint is. Then block sand the edges of the new paint until it breaks through on the 1/16" overlap. I would start the block sanding with 220 and finish with 400. The block floats over the new paint and you want most of your pressure on the edge of the block that is working the edge of the new paint spot, so that you don't wear down the new paint too much. No need to clean up further, as area will be covered. You want to use an epoxy primer, as something like a self-etch is likely to develop a very strong bond (it's porous) to the new adhesive and will definately pull up when removed (epoxy primer has a much stronger bond to base metal) It can be used safely though, as the adhesive on top of it will seal out moisture. A benefit to this is that it will sand much easier than the epoxy primer. Forgot to mention, don't let the epoxy primer setup too long or it will get progressively tougher to sand. Also, use a wet sanding method for this and let it set up for a week before putting the wing walk on it..
Be sure to mark the area where the wing walk material will end, so that you don't sand into that area and have to work through all the grits and buff.
In the future, you don't want to peel off stuff from the paint surface that has a very strong bond, like the wing walk material. You want to soak it with appropriate chemical to break down the adhesive and then scrape it off. This is especially true if you don't believe the base paint has a strong adhesion with the base material.
Larry
__________________
N64LR - RV-6A / IO-320, Flying as of 8/2015
N11LR - RV-10, Flying as of 12/2019
Last edited by lr172 : 06-25-2018 at 11:00 AM.
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06-25-2018, 10:43 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Dogwood Airpark (VA42)
Posts: 2,596
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Never had this problem so I?m shooting from the hip.
I don?t see a path forward outer that careful 400 to 800 grit wet sand of the area, prime and top coat, then buffing to blend into the rest of the paint (just like you would do on a car). For a small area like this I?d guess your paint guy can knock it out in a hour or two.
I would guess the root issue is the paint was not all that well bonded to begin with.
Let the paint harden for a few weeks before putting on more wing walk.
Carl
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06-25-2018, 01:18 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Ooltewah, TN.
Posts: 580
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I've pondered the effectiviness of using something like Line-X or some other truck bed coating in place of the wing walk material.
You'd have to mask everything off really well, but once that stuff is down, it ain't coming up, and will likely last a very very long time.
__________________
Lynn Dixon
RV-7 Slider -
Tail kit Completed - March 2017
Wing Kit Started - June 2017
My Build Log: http://www.theskunkwerx.com
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06-25-2018, 01:43 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: n. wi
Posts: 777
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i was just at a hamburger fly in a couple days ago and the crummy, falling apart wing walk on a 12 was what caught my eye. in the next 6 months i will have to put one on. the truck bed material interests me. can it be put on to bare metal with the intent of painting the wing in another year?
__________________
Bob Noffs
n. wi.
dakota hawk/jab 3300 built and flying. sold 6/18.getting serious about the 12. in the hangar now as of 10/15/19
RV-12 kit as of 9/13
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06-25-2018, 01:58 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: new iberia la
Posts: 768
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CubedRoot
I've pondered the effectiviness of using something like Line-X or some other truck bed coating in place of the wing walk material.
You'd have to mask everything off really well, but once that stuff is down, it ain't coming up, and will likely last a very very long time.
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Line-X would certainly work but might be on the thick and heavy side. I’ve sprayed on a number of these using a mixture of Randolph wing walk and Black Imron. You have to thin it quite a bit, but when done it’s very thin, extremely durable, won’t peel and has a nice semi gloss shine. It takes the larger bore tip in the spray gun. I will spray this mixture on my 9 wingwalks and steps when I get to that point.
Don Broussard
RV9 Rebuild in Progress
57 Pacer
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06-25-2018, 03:29 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Navarre, FL
Posts: 385
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I use Herculiner on my bush wheels to save the tread. It has proven itself so well, I'll be using it on the rv after I paint it. I plan on masking off the area and rolling it on. Plus it is xylene based and will not damage your aircraft paint.
__________________
Shane
RV-6 IO-360 Angle valve, G3X touch
Murphy Moose M14P flying
Aero Engineer, A&P
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04-02-2019, 12:16 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 823
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wing walks came off in flight
For the second time in two years, the wing walk I bot from Flyboy came off in flight. I followed the installation directions EXACTLY both times.
Have people been more successful with one vendor's material versus another?
The Flyboy folks are really nice and replaced it for free, but I'd just as soon not do this project a third time.
Comments and suggestions welcome.
__________________
Barry - Tucson
RV9A Superior O-360 (an amazing experience)
Dynon AP Garmin Sensenich F/P
2020 Dues paid. Thank u DR!
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04-02-2019, 12:19 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Schaumburg, IL
Posts: 5,297
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MrNomad
For the second time in two years, the wing walk I bot from Flyboy came off in flight. I followed the installation directions EXACTLY both times.
Have people been more successful with one vendor's material versus another?
The Flyboy folks are really nice and replaced it for free, but I'd just as soon not do this project a third time.
Comments and suggestions welcome.
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I bought my material from spruce in bulk and cut to size. 600 hours and no issues. Pretty sure it is 3M material, but not sure.
Larry
__________________
N64LR - RV-6A / IO-320, Flying as of 8/2015
N11LR - RV-10, Flying as of 12/2019
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04-02-2019, 07:07 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Largo, FL
Posts: 1,029
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I use the wing-walk paint
From ACS ----contains lots of grit, non-slip and works great and easy to touch up when it gets a little worn -- I use it on my steps, also.
Ron
__________________
RV-10 Co-built, maintained, flown (sold)
RV-8A Maintained and flown (Sold)
RV-6A Bought and Flying (N177RV), upgrades $$$
IO360, 180HP/CS, AFS 5600T, D10A, G650, G430, G327, ADS-B, VIZ385 AP
Very Happy Contributor
Comm, SMEL, CFII, A&P
Based at KCLW (Clearwater, FL)
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