Well Man - shield it, space it, and don't paint before it's ready
Well Man - shield it, space it, and don't paint before it's ready. There are probably builders out there that pussy foot around with their power settings and they are happy as a kitten lapping cream but why would you let that be a reason for you to paint you bird before you make sure this known vulnerable situation is not a problem on your airplane? Mine burned BADDLY, I don't mean some little toasty shading, darn thing burned black through the inner layer and the honeycomb core and browned the outer layer. I fixed it with a lot of work and a year later I had it painted and no more problems have occurred with the paint or the cowl. It is silly to risk all of your work in your unique configuration (your clearance, your exhaust, your engine, your temperature) where there are known vulnerabilities when experience shows it is not necessary. Not elegant but I'm trying to be honest with you.
Bob Axsom