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doctornigel

Active Member
Two questions, Van's says to remove the blue protective coating when you get the parts if it will be awhile before using. Are you all removing the coating when you get the kit or when you have to? How long have you left it on?

Any other way to remove the blue for dimpling besides a hot soldering iron, mine seems to leave a scratch on the alclad even after I polished the tip.

Thanks!
 
Perhaps you are putting too much pressure on the soldering iron?

I have found you can leave the plastic on for quite some time (Years) as long as it is in good contact with the surface. If you have areas where it has bubbled up, moisture can get trapped under it and start to cause corrosion over time if left in a damp area.
 
I leave mine on until I'm ready to use that particular part. Some folks have left their's on for considerable time but Van's warning is true in that it does becomes harder to remove over time. I think another consideration when leaving it on is how the parts are stored as some have reported discovering corrosion after removal of the plastic due to moisture that found it's way between the metal and plastic.

With the soldering iron make sure that the tip is well rounded and just don't bear down as hard. Don't be in a rush either so the heat will do it's job. On the external skin surface, I've removed the plastic just along the rivet lines with the iron and I've also removed the plastic in its entirety. Removing just the rivet lines does keep the finished component looking a lot nicer, but if you are going to paint it, this is really a non-valued added step IMO. I don't think it makes one bit of difference in the build and is simply a personal preference on technique. Personally, I've stopped removing the strips altogether.
 
Where do you live?

I pondered this same question for a while and my decision to leave the blue on indefinately was based on the fact that I live in an area where there is virtually no humidty,if I lived near the ocean I would probably remove it within a few months.Not being sure how our plane will be painted, (if at all),makes me want to preserve the alclad as long as possible.I too had the same problem with the soldering iron until I ground down an extra tip to slightly round and now I have no more scratches(if your soldering iron has removable tip-RADIOSHACK).Dont forget to use a straight-edge when removing the strips.
 
Years...

My blue had been on for 3+ years in NE Wisconsin - not too far from the Great Lakes. It's been here in SE FLA for 4 months now and no issues at all.

Jeff
 
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