I have discovered the link below about launching and model set up, Joe Wurts and Darrel Perkins both contribute......quite interesting.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=652375
Friday 30 January 2009
PAINT!!!
Well....what can I say, I have trawled the Internet trying to find a definite solution to laying up on the cured paint, there seems to many solutions but also many failures. I took the decision to remove the paint from the moulds and start again with the new painting technique to be sure of a perfect finish, after all everything else has been done to exacting detail.
I thought I was going to get up to my elbows in thinners and sticky paint residue, but after picking at the tip I found that the paint was lifting out the mould so with a careful pull it came out the mould in one piece. Well...............that release agent works very well.
On the positive side it gave me the perfect opportunity to weigh exactly the amount of paint that goes on to the wing/tailplane............very interesting.
I have ordered an air fed paint mask which should be here next week, this 2 pack paint can kill you! When it arrives I will start again..............although one step back we have made ten steps forward.
I thought I was going to get up to my elbows in thinners and sticky paint residue, but after picking at the tip I found that the paint was lifting out the mould so with a careful pull it came out the mould in one piece. Well...............that release agent works very well.
On the positive side it gave me the perfect opportunity to weigh exactly the amount of paint that goes on to the wing/tailplane............very interesting.
I have ordered an air fed paint mask which should be here next week, this 2 pack paint can kill you! When it arrives I will start again..............although one step back we have made ten steps forward.
Tuesday 27 January 2009
More Weekend Progress
What a busy weekend I have worked it out to be Friday night 5 hours, Saturday 16 hours and Sunday 7 hours..........
It was great to have company and Andy and I really got stuck in for a marathon session, there was plenty of beer to drink and lots of hard work. Although we did not get the cloth in the moulds we are 90% there, we seriously forgot/underestimated the time it takes to spray the moulds. Never mind, we did not cut any corners and are confident this will be a great model.
The new release wax is a delight to work with and is super efficient, so much so that we had a little complication spraying the moulds, we encountered the dreaded 'fish eye', this was overcome by reducing the paint output and increasing the air but since Sunday I have been doing some digging around on the world wide web and found the following link which also advises to change the spray pattern from circular to fan at a reduced air pressure, allowing the thinners to evaporate before hitting the mould surface resulting in a thinner/dryer layer of paint and the chemical in the thinning agent not attacking the release wax.....
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=767075
I now aim to get the tailplane laid up by the weekend with the wings probably next week.
It was great to have company and Andy and I really got stuck in for a marathon session, there was plenty of beer to drink and lots of hard work. Although we did not get the cloth in the moulds we are 90% there, we seriously forgot/underestimated the time it takes to spray the moulds. Never mind, we did not cut any corners and are confident this will be a great model.
The new release wax is a delight to work with and is super efficient, so much so that we had a little complication spraying the moulds, we encountered the dreaded 'fish eye', this was overcome by reducing the paint output and increasing the air but since Sunday I have been doing some digging around on the world wide web and found the following link which also advises to change the spray pattern from circular to fan at a reduced air pressure, allowing the thinners to evaporate before hitting the mould surface resulting in a thinner/dryer layer of paint and the chemical in the thinning agent not attacking the release wax.....
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=767075
I now aim to get the tailplane laid up by the weekend with the wings probably next week.
Servo Horns
Inspired by project Spline Andy and I managed to make these to be moulded into the flaps and ailerons before joining together. Very cool.
There is enough for about 10 models here!
There is enough for about 10 models here!
Saturday 24 January 2009
Weekend Progress
Progress so far this weekend, we will be ready for an early start tomorrow morning to make the first one in wet lay up.
The wing moulds have taken a lot of work but well worth the effort!
The wing moulds have taken a lot of work but well worth the effort!
Thursday 15 January 2009
Almost :-(
Almost... but not quite there......
The results are very disappointing, I know there was plenty of pressure in the vac bags...there seems to be some sort of lacquer mark in the finish I think this may be down to the release wax. Previously we have not heated the moulds, this looks like it has made a big difference to it's properties, me thinks a new release wax is needed. Also I have a question mark over the paint? It seems to have stayed a little soft in places, this could be due to the release wax?
The positive side is it came out the mould with very little effort and the dowel pegs for the captive nuts released very easily, it is well over engineered, this tailplane is as Strong as most wings, I think Mikes suggestion of only one shear web in front of the hinge line would be better also to use only 0.5mm balsa and only one outside layer of 25g glass cloth. This beast weighs a massive 125g a little on the heavy side, but if you need a ramp for under car inspection look no further....
Back to the thinking stage!
The results are very disappointing, I know there was plenty of pressure in the vac bags...there seems to be some sort of lacquer mark in the finish I think this may be down to the release wax. Previously we have not heated the moulds, this looks like it has made a big difference to it's properties, me thinks a new release wax is needed. Also I have a question mark over the paint? It seems to have stayed a little soft in places, this could be due to the release wax?
The positive side is it came out the mould with very little effort and the dowel pegs for the captive nuts released very easily, it is well over engineered, this tailplane is as Strong as most wings, I think Mikes suggestion of only one shear web in front of the hinge line would be better also to use only 0.5mm balsa and only one outside layer of 25g glass cloth. This beast weighs a massive 125g a little on the heavy side, but if you need a ramp for under car inspection look no further....
Back to the thinking stage!
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Joined Together
What a difference a couple of hours make, the moulds are now joined, they seem to go together no problem, good job I know what I'm doing!
In the oven at 30 degrees for 24 hours then I will post cure them at 50 degrees for 10 hours so according to my watch they will be ready for de-moulding on Thursday night........not a bad turn around hey - less than a week to make a tailplane a week if you finish it with all the trimmings.
In the oven at 30 degrees for 24 hours then I will post cure them at 50 degrees for 10 hours so according to my watch they will be ready for de-moulding on Thursday night........not a bad turn around hey - less than a week to make a tailplane a week if you finish it with all the trimmings.
Monday 12 January 2009
New Tailplane....
Just a couple of photos of the new tailplane, it's now all ready with flashing trimmed, pins and captive nuts installed, straws cut to size and socks ready. This should go together tomorrow night and de-moulded on Thursday.......watch this space.
Fault?
Hey Mike, I am starting to get all the bits together to be ready for laying up the wings, I noticed that there seems to be a machining fault with one of the end blocks. Please see photo below.
I don't know if it's best that we leave it, as it will be a protrusion on the wing that can be sanded down or I can fill with epoxy & flocks and shape to profile.....what do you think??
I don't know if it's best that we leave it, as it will be a protrusion on the wing that can be sanded down or I can fill with epoxy & flocks and shape to profile.....what do you think??
Paint!
Here's a little something I noticed earlier, when I purchased the paint it was obvious that one was heavier than the other, given the same volume.
Below shows that the white paint is nearly 400g heavier!
Below shows that the white paint is nearly 400g heavier!
Monday Evening
Hey guys, the latest from here.....I have taken the moulds out the oven and prepared them for joining tomorrow night, they look great so far for this stage so this looks like a keeper, call it a spare for stock?
I took a few pictures but there are errors when I try to upload them so I will try again later.
I took a few pictures but there are errors when I try to upload them so I will try again later.
Sunday 11 January 2009
Here we ago again!
Hey guys hope all is well.
In the oven is the new tailplane, so in 24 hours it will be ready to join together, the bags sealed perfectly this time, so lots of confidence this one will be the perfect test before the big one.
I weighed the top and bottom skins of the last tailplane and it weighed in at 80g, I know there is the weight of the resin, micro balloons and cotton flock to add but I have managed to reduce the weight of the current tailplane in the oven as the number of carbon tows in the spar has been reduced as the previous example was far too strong.
Andy is due to come visit for the weekend 24/25th Jan so two pairs of hands will see the first complete Zenith in the moulds! At last we are there......2009 watch out there is something in the air...is it a bird...is it a plane, hell no it's a god dam super plane!!
Peace out homies!
PS.. The home brew beer is now ready and tastes great, the last hydrometer reading measures it at 6.1%, the perfect accompaniment if not the main ingredient to a successful workshop session.
In the oven is the new tailplane, so in 24 hours it will be ready to join together, the bags sealed perfectly this time, so lots of confidence this one will be the perfect test before the big one.
I weighed the top and bottom skins of the last tailplane and it weighed in at 80g, I know there is the weight of the resin, micro balloons and cotton flock to add but I have managed to reduce the weight of the current tailplane in the oven as the number of carbon tows in the spar has been reduced as the previous example was far too strong.
Andy is due to come visit for the weekend 24/25th Jan so two pairs of hands will see the first complete Zenith in the moulds! At last we are there......2009 watch out there is something in the air...is it a bird...is it a plane, hell no it's a god dam super plane!!
Peace out homies!
PS.. The home brew beer is now ready and tastes great, the last hydrometer reading measures it at 6.1%, the perfect accompaniment if not the main ingredient to a successful workshop session.
Friday 9 January 2009
And then there was more
some photos of my oven showing heating element, fan, insulation blanket and digital temp controls. Oven is good for 200 degrees c, and is big enough for all the moulds. Also photos of Joiner, joiner boxes and ballast tube which were all made last weekend.
Keep up the good work Harry. You don't have to sleep ing the workshop but it helps :o).
Bladder moulding
Had a few questions about badder moulding so heres a couple of photos showing the bladder and the finish I get. I am using pre preg material and ther is no gel coat or paint used to get this finish. The pre preg is cured in a oven at 120 degrees C for one hour, the bladders are pumped up to 100 PSI.
Thursday 8 January 2009
Tailplanes
Due to a loss of pressure and the tailplanes being in the oven for about 4 hours at 30 degrees I suspected that there would be some problems.However where it has worked the results are very encouraging, and the surface finish is pleasing.
Another will be in the mould Saturday
morning.
Tuesday 6 January 2009
Tuesday Night
The oven has now been turned up to 50 degrees on the timer for 10 hours to post cure the resin, so should click off at 4.00am tomorrow morning. All being well I should laminate the balsa shear webs tomorrow ready for joining the moulds together on Thursday.
Almost there, lots of important lessons learnt and variations on techniques, almost ready for the big one!
Until soon, C YA!
Almost there, lots of important lessons learnt and variations on techniques, almost ready for the big one!
Until soon, C YA!
Monday 5 January 2009
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