Wheel Fairing Question: Waxing screws

Stockmanreef · #1 12-26-2018, 07:03 AM

I am at the point of putting on the wheel fairings where the plans tell you to used floxed epoxy around the areas where the fairings attach with screws. One is supposed to coat the screws with candle wax so they don't set up in the epoxy.

Question: Do I try to get as thin of a coat of wax on the screws as possible? Not sure what the best approach is. Or is there an alternative to wax?

Also the metal brackets are supposed to be covered with plastic tape. I assume that electrical tape is the best approach here.

Thanks
Ken

Bill Boyd · #2 12-26-2018, 07:25 AM

Used toilet wax bowl ring for the wax, same as I do for all screws going into nut plates to lessen friction and reduce destruction of the Phillips heads. (Another trick is to apply valve lapping compound to the screwdriver tip to reduce cam-out when tightening, but I digress...) I put plenty of wax on the threads. We're not trying to make a perfect cast of the screw in the flox, just prevent seizing. The important thing is for the flox to form around the edges of the mounting flanges so the the pant is kind of a snap-in-place fit on the flanges and the screws just pull the sides in snug but the flox bears most of the shear forces as the pant is bounced around in daily use.

To answer your second question, I'm sure electrical tape would work but packing tape should get the job done with fewer overlaps and less unwanted buildup of thickness. We want a snug mold, here, and the thinner the parting agent, the better the fit will be. Don't forget the modeling clay on the back side of the flanges so the flox doesn't engulf the back side and make the pant impossible to get off.

Stockmanreef · #3 12-26-2018, 07:45 AM

I appreciate the advice. I like when you say "don't forget the modeling clay". It would not be a "forgot", but an I did not know to do that. The plans don't call out to use modeling clay, but is sounds like a great idea. I was wondering how to prevent getting epoxy over the back edges.

thanks

ken

Nova RV · #4 12-26-2018, 08:06 AM

The best stuff to get is parting wax from a composite supply place. It's very thin and you can just dip each screw in it then install and nothing will stick to them. For the mounting plates, I used a layer of parting wax then wiped on PVA (parting film). This dries to a thin coating and the parts pull right apart after you embed them in the epoxy/flox per plans. The PVA cleans up with water.

Bill Boyd · #5 12-26-2018, 08:21 AM

The modeling clay is in the -10 instructions/plans. Would have thought the advice was migrated forward to the -14, but I guess not.

Stockmanreef · #6 12-26-2018, 10:57 AM

well, the use of clay is not called out in plans for 14. It just says don't use too much epoxy, so that you don't "capture the part. I will go with clay.

Can you coat the brackets with a thin coat of grease instead of tape or wax?

JonJay · #7 12-26-2018, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stockmanreef

well, the use of clay is not called out in plans for 14. It just says don't use too much epoxy, so that you don't "capture the part. I will go with clay.

Can you coat the brackets with a thin coat of grease instead of tape or wax?

You can us almost anything. I used mold release agent which comes in a spray bottle. Easy to use and is water soluble for clean up.

John Tierney · #8 12-26-2018, 12:32 PM

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catal...clickkey=11425

Taltruda · #9 12-26-2018, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Boyd

(Another trick is to apply valve lapping compound to the screwdriver tip to reduce cam-out when tightening, but I digress...)

A better tip is to get rid of all your Phillips screw drivers and buy JIS screw drivers. Look them up on YouTube and buy them on amazon. So much better grip on your Philips head screws and they don't slip!

BillL · #10 12-27-2018, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stockmanreef

well, the use of clay is not called out in plans for 14. It just says don't use too much epoxy, so that you don't "capture the part. I will go with clay.

Can you coat the brackets with a thin coat of grease instead of tape or wax?

Unless I need the stretch ability if vinyl, clear packing tape provides good release and it is pretty thin, but either works. Now, I have at least 6 different mold releases, but for this tape works fine. You can wrap on the edges as a little embedding is good for mechanical alignment for assembly and vibration.

Before I got smarter, I locked my front spinner disc inside the spinner where the flox flowed back over the lip. Scared the **** out of me. I learned.