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rvator9a

Well Known Member
I'm ready to attach the windshield on a slider and I'm wondering if I need to paint the inside of the windshield to hide the fiberglass layup, and if I do need to do what can I use for paint? I have some tint for the epoxy, but I wanted to know what others have done to make the inside look finished.
 
Talk to Classic Aero

The same folks that make the nice seats have a material that looks like leather but is a synthetic that won't shrink or curl. I think they call it Columbia or something like that. A little spray adhessive and it covers the aluminum under the windscreen and looks really nice. Also have a pinch molding that finishes it off.
 
I masked off a nice strip, roughed it up with sandpaper, then painted it with Rustoleum flat black latex. It took several coats, but looks really sharp.
 
(Not near that point but I have an opinion.) I think to have white fiberglass showing through the bottom of the windshield might be distracting or ugly. Obviously, masking and painting now would be the easiest way. Mark the windscreen where the layups will end and paint to that level prior to installation. Conversely, you could put down the first layer as graphite which would look nice at the bottom of the windscreen with the other layups being whatever fiberglass you were planning.

I hope this gives you some ideas to work with.
 
black fiberglass

I used black fiberglass pigment from a boat store to color my fiberglass black so that is what I see when I look through the windshield from the inside
 
rvator9a said:
I'm ready to attach the windshield on a slider and I'm wondering if I need to paint the inside of the windshield to hide the fiberglass layup, and if I do need to do what can I use for paint? I have some tint for the epoxy, but I wanted to know what others have done to make the inside look finished.
Click to expand...

Bob, I just removed my windscreen on Black Magic. I used black cement tint, much like talcum powder, to tint my epoxy resin black so I would not see the lightly colored epoxy. Some people posted, at the time, wondering if the tint would affect the adhesion of the epoxy........it didn't. It did make for a very finished look.
 
windscreen

Bob,
I used 3" fiberglass tape to attach my windscreen with half the tape on the plexiglass. I covered the glare shield with carpet material used to make auto dash covers and you can hardly notice the joint from the inside. Being a fiberglass airplane builder I can say the glass/epoxy is near transparent and will take on the same color you paint the plane. I did not paint the plexiglass.
Charlie, RV-7, Tucson AZ
 
So if I do paint the inside of the windshield, what is safe for a paint to use on plexiglass? Thanks to all for the suggestions as I do think I will tint the epoxy.
 
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