hi all,
can anyone throw out a ballpark number for square yds. of cloth needed to do the canopy layup?
thanks in advance
hi all,
can anyone throw out a ballpark number for square yds. of cloth needed to do the canopy layup?
thanks in advance
Don,
Do you know what brand of dye you used that worked great?
Bill,
What kind did you use that came out gray?
Thanks,
thanks for all the tips. got to work a couple days and i have enough epoxy / flox to do the foam blocks. then i expect my cloth will be here by the timew i am ready for it.and i will use the black dye. AND WHITE ELECTRICAL TAPE!
Hey Bob and Ric,
I was (still am) as Fiberglass (ahem "Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic") newbie.
Here's what I learned with my -12 Canopy to Cowl transition...
1 - Do not fear, it's not that hard. Actually kind of fun one you get the hang of it and see it start to take shape.
2-There are very few mistakes that cannot be fixed with sanding and some "do over".
3- Pay close attention to the "right/leftness" of the paper patterns.
4- Get some large blank paper and make a paper or cardboard copy of each successive pattern piece before or at the same time you cut each piece of fabric. Why? So you can cut out another piece after a helpful family member moves your stuff and the carefully cut pieces get stretched out of shape.
5- Follow Van' instructions
6- There are some good EAA videos also. I used one of their techniques where you put the cut piece on a sheet of plastic film, wet it with mixed resin, lay another sheet of film on top, and then squeezee out the excess. Trim the excess film and resin away from your work, then carefully lift the top film sheet while separating your piece with a slightly wet brush, then lay your work in place on the canopy/cowl and lift the other layer of film off the top of it. Makes a nice clean layup without excess resin to form runs. (think I've described this correctly, watch the video or maybe someone else can explain better).
7- West Systems worked well for me. No weighing, perfect mixing. Not cheap but not that pricey either considering the convenience and speed and the overall value of your project.
8- I found a fiber tube that drawings came in is about the right diameter to use for sanding the concave curves.
9- Use good quality and thick duct tape that will stay pliable and release from the fuse skin. Cheap stuff is thin, dries out, cracks, and leaves residue on the fuse.
10- Apply strips of the duct tape well out beyond the edges of your work to avoid accidental sanding of the fuse skin (sad lesson for me).
All I can think of. Other?s will chime in I hope with more ideas and lessons learned.
Good Luck and have fun!
I "finished" the plane in July 2013 (started flying at least) and recently repaired some fiberglass separation on the canopy. Picture the edge where the plex ends and the fiberglass begins on the curve from the front to the sides. Okay
Both sides, in essentially the same area, about six inches long, the fiberglass pulled away from the Plexiglas surface. I cleaned it up, brushed two applications of epoxy into the existing separation which was about 1/16th gap. Let this set, sanded, and used a light filler to finish.
I have been watching since the repair to see if the stress in this area is re leaved and the repair will hold. On the right side there is a little more separation showing as the fiberglass terminates at the cowl metal skirt. I am still watching this area before I fill it or use epoxy because it is so small at this point.
My point.....where the fiberglass bonds to the plexiglass take time to prepare well as this area has some stress especially in the open position and the inherent flexing. Good luck, research like you are doing, and take your time.
This is interesting. West Systems Tech (and per research by my builder friend) said that 105 does not stick to plexiglass very well. They recommend a procedure using G-Flex. My friend tested the techniques and indeed the g-flex, with flame polishing, gave a very strong bond. I just ordered some for my 7 and plan (with his expert help) to use it as an adhesion layer then use 105 for the full layup.
Although the weak bond strength is a fact, with thousands of RV's flying and having read VAF for years, it is interesting that it is not a widespread issue or possibly any issue at all.
Thanks for the heads up about de-bonding, I'll watch for it.
One more "lesson learned" I forgot to mention earlier: #14(?) When you're done layering for the day, put some "Peel Ply" aka Dacron cloth over your work, "rub it in" gently so as not to shift any layers. Actually just gently stroke the surface until the Dacron looks wet. Then GO AWAY. Do not be tempted to peek. Next morning rip it off slowly and VIOLA, you've got a smooth but textured surface ready to resume layering.