ChiefPilot
Well Known Member
I think I'm about ready to give up on West systems for use with plexi, at least for the top windscreen fairing (the strip which covers the interface between the sliding portion of the canopy and the windscreen). I've made several test coupons and none have been satisfactory:
Coupon #1: Prepped with 60 grit paper, cleaned with soapy water + lint-free cloth, laid up 9oz cloth using West 105 resin + 205 hardener followed by a layer of peel ply.
Coupon #2: Same as #1, but used West 206 hardener.
Coupon #3: Same as #2, but used 1oz cloth.
All three produced a very nice finish, however, I could peel the glass off the plexi without much trouble. The slow hardener felt like it took a bit more effort, but I didn't measure it so that is a subjective observation.
While I think West will be just fine for the windscreen-to-fuselage fairing, I'm concerned about the strip across the top since that could potentially have some peel-type loads applied accidentally. There are no screws, blind rivets, etc. to use here as the whole thing is Sika'd on. I'd like to avoid sinking screws here, so any suggestions about other adhesives (or different prep instructions) would be most appreciated!
Thanks!
Coupon #1: Prepped with 60 grit paper, cleaned with soapy water + lint-free cloth, laid up 9oz cloth using West 105 resin + 205 hardener followed by a layer of peel ply.
Coupon #2: Same as #1, but used West 206 hardener.
Coupon #3: Same as #2, but used 1oz cloth.
All three produced a very nice finish, however, I could peel the glass off the plexi without much trouble. The slow hardener felt like it took a bit more effort, but I didn't measure it so that is a subjective observation.
While I think West will be just fine for the windscreen-to-fuselage fairing, I'm concerned about the strip across the top since that could potentially have some peel-type loads applied accidentally. There are no screws, blind rivets, etc. to use here as the whole thing is Sika'd on. I'd like to avoid sinking screws here, so any suggestions about other adhesives (or different prep instructions) would be most appreciated!
Thanks!