How’d you hang your 14/10 wings for painting

[mc607]

So the build is pretty much done and it’s time for paint. I’m looking for ideas on how to hang the wings for painting. Especially the wing tip end. How’d you secure the cradle to the ribs/spar? Did you paint them hanging or on a rotisserie? Any pros or cons to a rotisserie? Pictures would be awesome. TIA,
Todd

 

[Larry KMYA]

I use wood blocks attached thru the lightening holes which connect to my rotisserie

 

[Kyle Boatright]

On the wingtip end I ran a large pvc pipe through the lightening hole just in front of the spar and 3 ribs deep. It protruded from the wing a couple of feet. That was the pivot. At the trailing edge, I ran a smaller piece of pvc 3 ribs deep as a mechanical stop. It also stuck out a couple of feet. On the inboard side I bolted on a wooden spar extension. For painting, each wing was suspended flat between two sawhorses.

 

[rockyfatcat]

I had a couple of these made to strip and paint my -7. PVC alone wasn’t good. We rip cut 2X4’s to fit inside the PVC

We had to make end plates to sandwich the last rib on each end. Wood screws clamp the inner and outer end plates pinching the last rib, and a wood screw ties the clamp into the PVC

 

[Carl Froehlich]

A couple of saw horses, two large 6’ PVC pipes with a 2x4 inside and screwed to the pipe to take the weight, and a 2” PVC pipe to hold the position.

Carl

 

[Ironflight]

OK, I’ll be snarky and point out that most paint shops just hang the wings on the fuselage when painting an airplane…..

 

[Carl Froehlich]

OK, I’ll be snarky and point out that most paint shops just hang the wings on the fuselage when painting an airplane…..

Sure, but most of us don’t have the room to make a paint booth big enough for the fusleage with wings attached.

Also, I found painting upside down to do the fuselage demonstrated the advantage of being able to rotate the wings and other parts.

Taking wings off, especially the RV-10, is easy.

Carl

 

[mc607]

Thanks all, for the suggestions and pictures.

 

[DanH]

 

[Moshonsk]

Couple of pipe stands holding up some 1 1/2" schedule 80 black pipe run through the holes in the ribs. Quick and simple.

 

[mulde35d]

If you take off the fuel tanks you can just set them on a table.

 

[georgemohr]

We hung them on the airplane and flew it to the paint shop HAHAH (sorry! )

 

[DanH]

We hung them on the airplane and flew it to the paint shop HAHAH (sorry! )

And flew back with a lot less money (sorry )

 

[georgemohr]

And flew back with a lot less money (sorry )

Truer words have never been spoken AHAHAH

 

[[email protected]]

And flew back with a lot less money (sorry )

Let’s see that will need a weight and balance recorrection right?
I’m painting my own also so my luck varies FIXIT

 

[georgemohr]

Let’s see that will need a weight and balance recorrection right?
I’m painting my own also so my luck varies FIXIT

Yeah you must redo the W/B after paint. And if doing this yourself, you must also be careful about control surface balance after paint as well.

 

[eavila1]

OK, I’ll be snarky and point out that most paint shops just hang the wings on the fuselage when painting an airplane…..

Paul brings up a good point that I'm contemplating. Thinking I will just final mount the wings and tail, lifting the tail on a sawhorse and paint. But that entails spraying from underneath. Anybody just do this or am I in lala land thinking vertical upward spray is the way to go? Maybe that's not as conducive to cut and buff afterwards and my 52 yrs is going to feel it

 

[KMMUflyer]

I'm picturing using a rotisserie to paint the fuselage.
I'm picturing putting the wings on as Paul suggests and then painting.
But painting the underside of the wings would be inconvenient.
Combining the ideas, using a rotisserie with the wings on, would need a pit as deep as the wing length.
An auto mechanic's pit isn't deep enough.


Hmm...
Yup, this should do it.
Just a matter of scheduling.