Originally Posted by Sutton Bank

Looking fab Mike.

Yep, lots of sanding ahead. A couple of questions...

What kind of dust mask do you use?

Do you ever wait for sunrise/sunset light because of the way it reveals surface irregularities better?

I'm just wiring a mass of fluorescent strip lights into my workshop today but I find it's actually no good for jobs where you need to spot bumps and hollows cos it bounces cold white light around the room and you get no decent shadows. On the other hand the Mark 1 Sun, especially when low, throws great shadows. Of course the disadvantage is that you can only sand for the 11 sunny days in a typical UK year.

Rog

Hi Rog,
As you know by now I move at a pace The photo's are slowly catching up, but I managed to shoot the first coats of 2k primer yesterday afternoon, man it looked great.
First thing this morning I put it on a table so it can really dry out today. The "Sun" was just starting to cast its first rays , the plug was facing the rising sun...flippin hell it looks like mountain ranges all over the surface.
How apt that you should mention the sun, experienced that this morn, but expecting many sanding cycles ahead, also it will be final painted black as white also hides stuff.

I generally dont use a dust mask, I only sand outside,unless I am sanding parts with carbon in, wet sanding is even better, no dust.

regards
Mike

Originally Posted by Sutton Bank

Do you ever wait for sunrise/sunset light because of the way it reveals surface irregularities better?

I'm just wiring a mass of fluorescent strip lights into my workshop today but I find it's actually no good for jobs where you need to spot bumps and hollows cos it bounces cold white light around the room and you get no decent shadows. On the other hand the Mark 1 Sun, especially when low, throws great shadows.

Try a vertically mounted tube at some distance beyond the bench. The vertical bar of light gets reflected in the wet surface and 'hey presto' all waves, ripples etc are revealed.

Thanks for that tip Shedders - I may well try it. Anything that avoids reliance on sunlight has to be a smart move when heading into a Northern UK Winter.

Mike - I sincerely hope you have ferocious nostril hair! Composite dust is lethal stuff and you really don't want it in your lungs - more to the point, WE really don't want it in your lungs... you need to live a long and healthy life so we can learn from your techniques.

I don't want to lecture you... but I'm going to...there are some really effective, comfortable and relatively cheap reusable masks available. I use this 4000 Series half mask by 3M.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/3m-mainten...spirator/13038

It is just so comfortable and the seal is so good that you can't even smell vapours through it. It's also available in SA.

OK, lecture over.

Rog
Who has also nurtured ferocious nostril hair. You can't be too careful.

Hi Guys,
Your input is valued thanks for the tips.
Shed your idea with the reflection really works, I have a long neon light in my garage and at night I can check the surface reflections with it, any ripple shows up as a line change.

Rog you are absolutely right , I am going to pay more attention when sanding and use a dust mask, I have a box of them so why not.

On the safety aspect of composites I always wear gloves, when working with epoxy and work in a well ventilated area.

cheers
Mike

Pleased to hear about the gloves Mike. And whilst we're being all Health and Safety conscious, gloves really need to be Vinyl... normal latex just lets the evils straight through to your skin.

Plug looking smoother every post. It makes you realise how much work must go into the full size plugs.

Rog

Good Day,
That sounds a bit Australian so for South Africans I will go with the local
Howzit (short for how are things going with you and yours)

Anyway Rog's (Sutton Banks) Sunrise Surprise shows some serious hollows
these are now being addressed , will do a take 3 ,at dawn tomorrow.

Now 6 rounds of primer and sanding , completed so now there is a strong chance colour could be next. Then its polishing and polishing, I am currently experimenting on an old wing with red PVA as a release , I have not used in the past , but really need a good result with this plug. Any PVA addicts are welcome to chime in, my understanding is several rounds of release wax , buffing in between, and then a thin wipe over with PVA, sound right. ???


some Pics
cheers
Mike

Howzit,
A picture of a JS 1 C with its 21 mtr wings at the world champs.
this is the one I am modelling in the C version .
cheers

Personally, I wouldn't touch PVA.... I prefer to use a propper sealer and release agent system such as those from Chemlease. S'what we use at work and whilst not cheap, works well and reliably so.

Other people may use PVA and have good results so this is just my perspective.

Hi Shed,
My choices, are release wax, release wax and PVA or Frecote
The frecote has a limited shelf life once open and the five litres in the 3 part
Kit cleaner, sealer and release will last a life time and cost more than all the epoxy, foam, carbon tow ,ply and glass cloth that I have for about 4 gliders.

Who makes the stuff you use and I will see if its available here,
cheers
Mike

Not sure if there are any issues w/ international shipping but here's where I get mine:

http://www.acpsales.com/product.php?...97&cat=&page=1

Chemtrend (http://www.chemtrend.com/application...elease_systems) make the Chemlease stuff we use. I'll have to have a look on the tins for product codes but you're right; it's far from cheap. However, it's also very good.

Sorry once again to be asking for your advice on my ASG29 project out of sequence Mike but I'm refurbishing the fuselage and have got to the stage where I need to decide the wing joiner. I hope for it to be aerobatic and have decided on an HQ2.0/12 section 205mm chord 4.4m span.

Any guidance on diameter of joiner, length and material?

Originally Posted by swarrans

Sorry once again to be asking for your advice on my ASG29 project out of sequence Mike but I'm refurbishing the fuselage and have got to the stage where I need to decide the wing joiner. I hope for it to be aerobatic and have decided on an HQ2.0/12 section 205mm chord 4.4m span.

Any guidance on diameter of joiner, length and material?

I have pretty much standardised on aluminium tubes, an outer which goes into the wing and across the fuselage, and then a thinner tube that fits inside those as the joiner, it had carbon tows wet out and pulled through it for strength.
on sailplanes about 4 mtrs , but I have gone up to 6mtrs wingspan normal thermalling type flight etc
I use a 16mm aluminium tube OD with about a 14mm ID on a bigger ship or stronger joiner required I would use a tube with a 16mm inside Diameter and a 18mm outside with a bigger tube as the wing tube etc, I like this as it is easy accurate and we have anodised tube available as Curtain rails in most of our hardware shops. In heavy wind conditions I also have a stainless tube with Carbon in it as a bit of ballast and also stronger.
Hope that helps.
cheers
Mike
ps I will try find some photo's

As usual, fantastic workmanship and attention to detail Mike.

Cheers
T

Originally Posted by mikegbogh

I have pretty much standardised on aluminium tubes, an outer which goes into the wing and across the fuselage, and then a thinner tube that fits inside those as the joiner, it had carbon tows wet out and pulled through it for strength.
on sailplanes about 4 mtrs , but I have gone up to 6mtrs wingspan normal thermalling type flight etc
I use a 16mm aluminium tube OD with about a 14mm ID on a bigger ship or stronger joiner required I would use a tube with a 16mm inside Diameter and a 18mm outside with a bigger tube as the wing tube etc, I like this as it is easy accurate and we have anodised tube available as Curtain rails in most of our hardware shops. In heavy wind conditions I also have a stainless tube with Carbon in it as a bit of ballast and also stronger.
Hope that helps.
cheers
Mike
ps I will try find some photo's

Thanks Mike - I'll go for 18/16mm then I think. How much tube in each wing would you recommend?

Simon