XOverZero
Well Known Member
Soliciting suggestions from more experienced builders. The very first statement in Section 5 of Van?s build manual says unclad aluminum must be protected from corrosion. No problem in most cases, but for the inside surfaces of tubing and the threaded bore of the tail tiedown AEX I?ve chosen Alodine rather than primer since it?s easy to apply, covers completely and doesn?t clog the threads.
Now I?ve come to the tiedowns for the wings. Those extrusions come anodized and already riveted to the main spars, and the only thing I?ve thought of for protecting their bores is to mask off that entire part of the spar, stand the spar up edge-wise, plug the lower end of the tiedown bore and fill it with solution. That seems beyond awkward even for Alodine, what with the acid etch, water rinse, and chromate steps involved.
I?m thinking there?s got to be a more elegant process, and I?d love to hear ideas from builders who know what they?re doing.
Now I?ve come to the tiedowns for the wings. Those extrusions come anodized and already riveted to the main spars, and the only thing I?ve thought of for protecting their bores is to mask off that entire part of the spar, stand the spar up edge-wise, plug the lower end of the tiedown bore and fill it with solution. That seems beyond awkward even for Alodine, what with the acid etch, water rinse, and chromate steps involved.
I?m thinking there?s got to be a more elegant process, and I?d love to hear ideas from builders who know what they?re doing.