John Mccullagh Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 looking good now Peter melting the foam is the part i hate doing ,john. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted February 14, 2015 Share Posted February 14, 2015 Posted by Peter Garsden on 14/02/2015 22:30:29: The tape is there for several reasons:- Yes to stop the resin eating the foam, though I use epoxy not polyester which dries too quickly. I don't know if it would dissolve to be honest. To give a smooth inner surface for the fibreglass so as to make it easier to glue formers to it. To give the resin a solid smooth surface to purchase against. I think it would soak into foam, and be heavier when finished. To make it easier to pull out the last of the dissolved foam after you have poured acetone into the middle at the end. All make sense, thanks Peter. Look forward to the next episode! Which epoxy resin is it that you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 You can see the type of resin if you look at the photo above. One should use laminating resin really. I use Easy composites as a supplier though a lot of modellers use West resin. The more you buy the cheaper it is. To thin it and clean your hands use Meths but don't drink it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve McLaren Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Hi Peter, I'm watching carefully and learning. All very interesting, but I have a question! You mentioned waxing the parcel tape above - "The cloth stuck well to the waxed parcel tape" How do you apply the wax to it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 John, don't remind me about melting the foam. Last time I did it, I cut my fingers on the sharp fibreglass then the acetone ate into the cuts - and I couldn't stop because liquid blue goo was leaking out all over the place. Steve - I think I understand your question I ironed on the parcel tape with a solarfilm iron. I cut the pieces of glass fibre cloth for all 3 layers I then coated the parcel tape with wax. I sprayed each piece of cloth with 3M contact adhesive and applied it to the waxed parcel tape so it stuck. Otherwise the cloth would slide all over the place and drop off - I think. For the second layer, I have just wetted out the cloth with resin in the usual way. Hope this answers your question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve McLaren Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Hi Peter - Not quite! What I meant was - what sort of wax do you put on the parcel tape, and how do you put it on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 15, 2015 Author Share Posted February 15, 2015 Ahhh I see I use some special de-moulding wax from Easy Composites, which is meant to be for releasing fibreglass from moulds, but I didn't need to go to that expense because Floor wax is just as good apparently, and I wiped it on with a paper towel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve McLaren Posted February 15, 2015 Share Posted February 15, 2015 Thanks Peter. Another one of those things which seems obvious when you know, but not when you don't! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Not posted a lot this week because I have been building up fibrglass layers - 2 x 160gram cloth then a final of 80grams. I have a sharp edge near where F6 is so had to do it in two separate sides, sanded off in between. Final layer is quite smooth. Tomorrow (rain) will be a layer of resin and microballoons most of which will be sanded off to get a smooth finish. Have taken some photos of a perfect jet tail pipe I have found. It is the right size and tapers. It is a plastic container Ihave had some diet food delivered. I am on a great wheat free, dairy free, sugar free diet called the Hale Plan. It is delivered to your door each Sunday and Wednesday. It was the brain child of a mate of mine. Anyway, this afternoon for snack it was curried cashew nuts, and the container is perfect. I am going to saw off my fibreglass jets, and replace them with plastic because it will be much lighter. Also I have to gain access to the all moving tailplane pivot somehow, and there wont be enough access from the wing area. I was contemplating cutting a hatch underneath. If I saw off the fibreglasss jets, then glue in F8 after I have sorted the tailplance pivot then it should work out nicely. As the moment I only have one jet so need some more nuts next week. Here's hoping. I am sure I could get some from him if anyone wanted some. My plan does say plastic bottle. Don't know what Andy used originally - Andy? Here is a picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Some good progress there Pete, nice one - looks like you are not too far off removing the foam! Really looking forward to the comparison discussions we are going to have on the balsa/fibreglass/EPP variants currently being manufactured PS - hope your diet ends before April - Im not sure you'll see your curried nuts on the menu at the Travelodge?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Saw Peter on the Bosley Cloud yesterday. And discussing how to get Acetone on the lost Foam Process. Talk about a small world - seems most of the forum is based around Cheshire... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Sneaking out flying whilst he should be building eh?? Hope you lads had a good session up there - I've still not twiddled the sticks this year yet! Edited By Phil Cooke on 22/02/2015 08:04:44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marsh Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I had not flown slope for the last 20 years - last time when I was at College in the 90's. I sold all my gliders, but had bought a Bullit, (not Ripmax Bullet) epp type model and flew that for the first time, properly on the slope - even though I've had it over 10 year. Peter flew a PSS Hawk, but was slightly damaged on landing when the tail caught a rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Caught out not building! What Paul didn't generously tell you was that I had two landings on the path - never hit rocks before at Bosley - but I did. Minor damage only already repaired. You know the saying - "All building and no flying, makes Jack a forum addict" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Ahh yes the path at the Cloud is tricky and has a common tendency to attract models on finals... Pete you are right I'm fed up of building really I could do with some fresh air and some smooth slope lift! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 20mph South Westerlies forecast for next weekend in Llandudno gents... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 After finishing my repairs on the Hawk and Willow, I put my final layer on the fuselage - a mixture of resin and microballoons, and left it to dry. When dry, most of it will be sanded off to leave a smooth final layer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Great progress Pete. What sort of mix of epoxy and balloons do you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Good question. Don't honestly know. This one is a sloppy mix. I had to paint it on. If I am mixing for filller it is like a paste, but this I had to paint on so it is a bit thinner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Whilst the resin was drying, I started work on the wings. I had already done the tips, and set about cutting the lines for the balsa leading and trailing edges. Although I used a brand new blade, I was unable to make a clean cut for all the edges, and in parts the foam was scooped out leaving a few holes. I think that if I cut it again, I would use a balsa saw. To fill up the gaps in the foam I used Gorilla glue which has worked well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I love gorilla glue for these sort of joins, it's my new favourite. Servo bays, tips, LE and TE's - it's great, and sand-able too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 The resin and microballoons has now dried, and I have started to sand it down. I tried the Proxxon Shoe Sander but it was a bit mickey mouse, so I got out my Bosch sander which is much better. I was a bit worried that the surface was too uneven to finish properly, but it is coming up fine. Bit more to sand off, to leave a very thing layer just covering the weave in the fibreglass cloth. Just like my Alpha Jet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Houghton Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Amazing progress, Peter, and it's polishing up to a great looking finish. Like Phil, I shall be curious to see the final weight comparison against the equivalent balsa build. Gorilla glue noted for my Zlin build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Was up early and didn't want to wake er indoors so painted my little men. Just got the whites of their eyes to do. Found a picture of two Tornado pilots and copied them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Pilots complete with ejector seats! Very nice. I like the idea of the spit roast fuselage too & will be trying that on my cub build next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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