Basic, basic construction question.

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CaptainWacoal
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Basic, basic construction question.

Post by CaptainWacoal »

This is probably one of the most basic questions that anyone has ever asked the forum, but I see in a lot of construction photos that guys have taken of their projects in various stages of construction and I often see the blue vinyl protective covering left on the aluminum sheet to protect the project against bumps and scratches during construction, except for where the numerous rows of rivets are fastened. Here's the question: How do builders remove the blue vinyl in 1" rows without causing any damage, not with a razor blade? Wouldn't that score/scratch the aluminum? This cannot be how it is done. It would cause too much damage. So, how do you guys remove only 1" strips of the blue plastic without causing any damage? I am about ready to start my RV-12 empennage kit, and I would like to only remove enough blue vinyl as necessary to rivet the sheets, till I need to remove it all. Any suggestions???
-JK-
-Retired FAA/A.T.C.: SFO Tower & Bay Approach (renamed NORCAL Approach in 2002)
-Owner of a C-150/150 Texas Taildragger/Aerobat
-RV-12 kit: Empennage, Both Wings, Flight Controls, & Fuselage complete. Working on "Finish Kit"

prestwich
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Post by prestwich »

Soldering iron.

CaptainWacoal
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Post by CaptainWacoal »

SOLDERING IRON!!! Wow, I would have never guessed... Thanks a lot!
-JK-
-Retired FAA/A.T.C.: SFO Tower & Bay Approach (renamed NORCAL Approach in 2002)
-Owner of a C-150/150 Texas Taildragger/Aerobat
-RV-12 kit: Empennage, Both Wings, Flight Controls, & Fuselage complete. Working on "Finish Kit"

prestwich
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Post by prestwich »

Yeah, me neither, which is why I asked the same question 10 years ago.

http://www.rivetbangers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=856

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

My suggestion is to peel it all off now. Don't worry about any scratches that might appear. Just be as careful as you can while handling the parts.

:) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

CaptainWacoal
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Post by CaptainWacoal »

CJ,
Just out of curiosity, why do you suggests that I peel it all off now, does it get harder to peel off as it ages? Even if I use my wife's hair dryer to soften it later when I want to remove it???
-JK-
-Retired FAA/A.T.C.: SFO Tower & Bay Approach (renamed NORCAL Approach in 2002)
-Owner of a C-150/150 Texas Taildragger/Aerobat
-RV-12 kit: Empennage, Both Wings, Flight Controls, & Fuselage complete. Working on "Finish Kit"

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captain_john
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Post by captain_john »

I suggest peeling it all off instead of doing the soldering iron thing because it ll has to come off eventually anyways. Besides, it is a waste of good building time and has no real benefit. Just build!

:) My two...

;) CJ
RV-7
Garmin G3X with VP-X & a TMX-IO-360 with G3i
It's all over but the flying! 800+ hours in only 3 years!

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bullojm1
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Post by bullojm1 »

I used the soldering iron trick and it worked quite well. I started with an electric iron (35w+), and it worked very well. I upgraded to a butane soldering iron:

Image

This variety of soldering iron worked much better than the electrical one. It is much lighter, completely portable, and much hotter, which means you can get the vinyl off much quicker.

Also, to get straight lines, use a cheap wood yardstick. The metal ones conduct too much heat and make the soldering iron much less effective.

I left the vinyl on until the very last minute in order to protect the skins. I would do it again this way if I did another build.
Mike Bullock
http://www.rvplane.com
RV-7 | Superior IO-360 | Whirlwind 200RV
Garmin GTN650 | GRT Dual Sport SX EFIS
Status: FLYING!

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