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  #11  
Old 04-30-2014, 05:18 PM
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cdeerinck cdeerinck is offline
 
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Location: San Marcos, CA
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Default The effects of Vinyl long term

Just a heads up.

I can't say this will always happen, but it happened to me. I have an aluminum Cobra glider trailer. When it was about 2 years old, I decided to put some vinyl graphics on the site. They were multi-colored, and had clear areas as well. I also put some on my DG-800S 18m glider. They looked awesome.

Fast forward 10 years. The glider is only out of the trailer when flying, or setup and take apart. So it was in the sun about 800 hours in the air, and maybe 500 on the ground. The graphics are on the vertical stabilizer, and look almost new. The trailer was in the weather and sun full time, and something very strange happened. The colors all faded, almost to nothing. The vinyl deteriorated into about .5 to 1" chips. The paint under the clear areas was destroyed by the vinyl adhesive, and is now almost bare aluminum. It needs to be completely sanded down to bare metal and repainted.

I'm just glad it is the trailer and not my glider that was destroyed by the vinyl.
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  #12  
Old 04-30-2014, 07:07 PM
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Rhino889 Rhino889 is offline
 
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Location: Jupiter FL.
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by RV Wannabe View Post
Ya, but their life expectancy is how many races??? I assume he hopes his will last longer!

Mark
Our vinyls are rated 7-10 years outside 365 days a year. For everyday in a hangar... Add those days back onto that timeframe.

There are 100s of different levels/prices of vinyl. "Intermediate" or "economy" vinyls increase the shops profit margin while sacrificing the clients useful life regarding the vinyl.

AircraftWraps only uses the "premium" or "supreme" vinyl products our manufactures produce.

Regards,

Scott
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  #13  
Old 04-30-2014, 07:40 PM
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BruceEicher BruceEicher is offline
 
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Default 3M?

Hi Scott,
You use 1080 3M? I did, then Avery for the chrome.

I applied over bare aluminum, (some primer over some of the fiberglass). So I'm not too worried about the glider trailer scenario.

I replaced an inspection plate yesterday morning before work, two colors applied, "dried" and plate installed in a few minutes. Kinda nice for changes...

See you some time soon!
Cheers!
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  #14  
Old 05-01-2014, 08:08 AM
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Rhino889 Rhino889 is offline
 
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Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by BruceEicher View Post
Hi Scott,
You use 1080 3M? I did, then Avery for the chrome.

I applied over bare aluminum, (some primer over some of the fiberglass). So I'm not too worried about the glider trailer scenario.

I replaced an inspection plate yesterday morning before work, two colors applied, "dried" and plate installed in a few minutes. Kinda nice for changes...

See you some time soon!
Cheers!
Great looking Plane! Thanks for being a great example of the vinyl benefits. Excellent job on handling the tips. Have you had any lifting at your seam? AircraftWraps does a seamless install in that area. Our installers have the ability to conform to even that extreme curve.


We have and do use 3M 1080 during some projects. The driving forces is sometimes color dependent.

Recently there has been a great competition amongst the different Vinyl manufactures. Their products had a huge improved just a few years ago and now customers are seeing the true examples of "paint replacement" or complete "restyling" of their vehicles.

It's my belief that the manufactures recognize a growing market and have poured large amounts into new vinyl technologies. The vinyl coming to market now and in the near future exceed the amazing quality of present.
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www.Aircraftwraps.com
Replace paint with performance.

This is my personal account and does not reflect the official communications of Aircraftwraps.com. We have retained a username for such correspondence. I post about formation, eating, aerobatics and pilot stuff .
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  #15  
Old 05-01-2014, 10:46 AM
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BruceEicher BruceEicher is offline
 
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Default

Thanks Scott,
Seam placement on the tips has not been an issue. Right or wrong, I chose to place the seam there, but the HS bottom is fully wrapped in one piece including the bottom of the tips.
I had some lifting on the more complex curved wheel pants. Seam sealer has stopped the lifting. One day I may peel it off and redo them, changing the color line placement away from the leading edge. And that is the beauty of the process, and get back in the air same day.
Cheers!
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  #16  
Old 05-02-2014, 07:39 AM
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Closterman Closterman is offline
 
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Default Chrome vinyl

I saw that you use some Chrome vinyl on the canopy and Wheel pants. Did you plan someday to usi it on the fuselage or wing instead of polish the aluminium ? I want to make a very similar job than yours, (http://www.mykitlog.com/users/displa...g=181007&row=1 ) and my idea was to use chrome vinyl on the bottom of wing and fuselage where it's difficult to polish... Did you think it's possible to that and have a great looking job ?
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  #17  
Old 05-02-2014, 11:28 AM
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BruceEicher BruceEicher is offline
 
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Default Yes...

Hi Martin,
Very nice looking scheme and project. You must be getting excited!

I have thought about more film. I don't love polishing. And the chrome film, (Avery Conform) is brighter no matter how much I polish the aluminum. But The chrome is the most difficult to work around compound curves. Though I did do all my transition fairings with it, and 90% happy with my results there. Outside curves are easier than inside curves. I am no pro at this, someone else might be better, have more patience than I.
The P-51 scheme I somewhat copied has full blue wings on top, and I might continue the wrap there instead of polishing. The shiny wing tops give us the feeling of a tanning bed in the canopy. My -8 is filmed about 90% on the bottom. I knew I did not want to polish there. Two small sections on the fuselage are polished, but more often hazed over with exhaust smoke...

Logistics might never get us together, but if anyone wants some hands on help or demo, am very close to the Mother Ship... Trips this year will only take me through CA, NV, WA, ID, MT and OR of course.
Cheers!
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Last edited by BruceEicher : 05-02-2014 at 11:32 AM.
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  #18  
Old 11-15-2017, 09:48 PM
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BruceEicher BruceEicher is offline
 
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Default Q&A

I receive a question or two that might be worth sharing...so here’s a snippet of two PMs.

BTW, as of this post 4.5 years and 400 hours on the vinyl, still looking good.

Quote:

Q: As I finalize the design of my wrap project I found this older thread and I have a few questions if you have time.

http://www.vansairforce.com/communit...ad.php?t=98932

Q: It looks like you started to just add a curved strip on the horizontal and elevators. Did you not like the striping or was there any other issues?

A: Not sure what you are seeing but...Stripes are easy with the knife-less tape application each side then overlay an oversized piece of film. The tape makes a fairly clean cut and is easy to reposition as needed for a good line. Buy plenty.

Q: The elevators, flaps and ailerons appear to be completely wrapped. Did you remove them for the wrapping process or was it easy to cover the leading edge?

A: My scheme was polished a lot on top. But I did not remove control surfaces. Just pushed them up or down to reach leading edges.

Q: If you had to do it again, is there a lesson learned on the application process?

A: Plan seams carefully. Use (waste) larger pieces to eliminate seams if possible.
No seams on leading edges. Do bottom of wings, etc first with knife-less edge cut a couple inches below leading edge. Then do top wrapped down to overlap bottom about 3/8”.
Don’t expect compound curves to be seamlessly.
Buy extra film, then buy some more.

Q: Did you wrap your cowling?
I have an unpainted, shiny -8 , but I painted my fiberglass in a gloss grey that has turned out "too grey", instead of blending in with the aluminum as intended.
A friend at my airport has reported that the vinyl on his cowling bubbles from the engine heat, and has concluded that wrapping the cowling is a mistake.
Your thoughts/experience?
PS Would like to know your source for aluminum wrap I saw on your pants, please.
Thanks,

A: No, some how I knew better than to try and wrap the cowling or spinner. Friends at an auto shop filled and match painted for me.
I too don’t care for trying to match paint to polished aluminum.
Here’s the chrome vinyl and source. But chrome is the least flexible on compound curves compared to other colors. Buy extra and expect a few tear offs and redos. I used 3m 1080 on other colors, but 3m chrome is not as good as Avery.
https://www.metrorestyling.com/Avery...f100-843-s.htm


Cheers!
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Last edited by BruceEicher : 11-16-2017 at 08:59 AM. Reason: Added vinyl total time on airframe
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  #19  
Old 11-16-2017, 10:10 AM
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Mark Dickens Mark Dickens is offline
 
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Default

Thanks for reviving this thread! How easy was it to wrap the wheel pants? It looks like they'd be almost as difficult as the spinner. Will the vinyl shrink to fit something like the wheel pant?

Thanks!
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  #20  
Old 11-16-2017, 04:00 PM
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BruceEicher BruceEicher is offline
 
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Default Like monokote, not.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Dickens View Post
Thanks for reviving this thread! How easy was it to wrap the wheel pants? It looks like they'd be almost as difficult as the spinner. Will the vinyl shrink to fit something like the wheel pant?

Thanks!
The wheel pants where somewhat challenging for my novice skills. But outside curves are easier. Empennage and gear fairings with concave curves were the most difficult.
This film stretches with heat, RC model film like MonoKote shrinks with heat. Having done both, there are times I wish I could shrink the vinyl film. It would be interesting to do a wheel pant with MonoKote
Modeling RC can help with color schemes, but even more fun is practicing aerobatics while your feet are safe on the ground.
Now that my -8 is flying this little 'Girl is hanging in the hangar.
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