Status of Brantel #72823

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 8:59 am

Main ribs riveted to the right wing spars, right wing in the jig....

I love this AFS primer sealer! Much tougher than the Marhyde!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:16 am

Sweet! Way to go B! Those are lookin' great, and it's a great feeling of accomplishment to get to that point.

Womack2005 · Post by **Womack2005** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 1:31 pm

Keep on keepin on

svanarts · Post by **svanarts** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:08 pm

How is your primer applied? Does it come in rattle cans or are you shooting it?

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:54 pm

I use a cheap Harbor Freight "suedo" HVLP gravity fed gun to spray it. It works very well! Little to no harmful fumes, low overspray, water cleanup and when this stuff dries, it is almost as tough as the 2 stage epoxy primers. I dump any unused back into the gallon jug. It takes about 30 minutes till you can handle the parts. Maximum toughness comes after about 24 hrs of drying time.

I also scrub with maroon scothbrite and the AFS etch mixed 1:1 with water before spraying. Works great.

If you build at home with kids around, this stuff rocks. The Marhyde I was using stunk up the entire house! Not good for the kids....

JohnR · Post by **JohnR** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:17 pm

Brantel, that all looks very nice and very familiar. Good job.

I used the AFS primer/sealer at first but had trouble shooting it. I'm sure it was me but once I change to the SW epoxy primer/sealer I had no more problems. I did like the clean up and low odor of the AFS.

RV7Factory · Post by **RV7Factory** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:52 pm

JohnR wrote:I used the AFS primer/sealer at first but had trouble shooting it. I'm sure it was me but once I change to the SW epoxy primer/sealer I had no more problems. I did like the clean up and low odor of the AFS.

Ditto here... I ended up switching to PPG Epoxy. I really wish I could have gotten the AFS stuff to work. A few of the locals think I may have gotten a bad batch, but who knows.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:15 pm

Brian,

When did you buy your tail kit? I'm just curious because your builder # is 428 kits later than mine, and I wondered how long it took Van's to sell to you after I bought...

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:48 pm

cjensen wrote:Brian,

When did you buy your tail kit? I'm just curious because your builder # is 428 kits later than mine, and I wondered how long it took Van's to sell to you after I bought...

Chad,

My original number was #25926. I originally started the tail kit in mid 2000. After I started, they came out with the 7 and provided "upgrade" kits for the 6 builders who wanted to migrate to the 7. I purchased that upgrade kit and finished my 6 emp as a 7. This was pre new 7 rudder as well.

When I ordered the wing, they sent me the new rudder and changed my builder numer to #72823.

I built everything for the emp except the left elevator in 2000. I then stopped, had two children and put myself thru night school to earn the 2nd half of my BS degree while working a full time job.

While waiting for my wing kit, I finished the left elevator.

Now I hope to be back on track!

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Nov 20, 2006 10:52 pm

RV7Factory wrote:
JohnR wrote:I used the AFS primer/sealer at first but had trouble shooting it. I'm sure it was me but once I change to the SW epoxy primer/sealer I had no more problems. I did like the clean up and low odor of the AFS.
Ditto here... I ended up switching to PPG Epoxy. I really wish I could have gotten the AFS stuff to work. A few of the locals think I may have gotten a bad batch, but who knows.

Seems strange because for me the AFS is super easy to spray. I have been spraying even in the cold (50 to 60 deg) garage and it works fine. This stuff does have a shelf life so maybe you did get a bad batch. So far this has been very easy to apply. I start with a very light mist coat and go back with two medium coats waiting about 3 minutes each coat.

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:31 am

Right wing in the jig, wing walk doubler cut and drilled. The top inboard skin and the wing walk doubler cleco'd on.

Don't worry the stuff holding the middle of the skeleton up is temporary until I can get to the airplane building department at HD today.

Womack2005 · Post by **Womack2005** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:57 am

Looking good. This is the stage (once you have a skin on) where I secured the aft spars to the 4x4s and hung the plum bobs.

Last night I got an assembled outboard leading edge on the right wing. It was so cool to actually have an assemble airfoil to look at!

I'm getting very close to starting the tanks

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 8:51 am

Right wing top and bottom skins as well as leading edge drilled to skeleton. Ready to start tank

Had an accident over the holiday weekend which slowed me down a bit. Put it this way, I had a fight with a fire and it won!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:43 pm

A fire??? Hope you're ok! What happened?

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:59 pm

cjensen wrote:A fire??? Hope you're ok! What happened?

Lets just say that I caught a bad case of the dumb _ _ _!

Never throw an open, empty plastic jug into a burning pile of leaves!

The thing flashed from whatever was in the jug and sprayed burning mist on my face

2nd and some small 3rd degree burns on my forhead, cheeks, nose and chin. The nose got the worst of it.

After a few hours of wanting to die from all the pain, I am OK but it will take a few weeks for this to heal.

I belong on one of them "caught on tape" shows where the guy says "Hey guys, watch this!"

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 2:42 pm

Oh man!!

Dude, I'll keep you in my prayers for healing! Glad it wasn't any worse...

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 3:43 pm

Was it the empty jug of gasoline that you used to start the fire with!?!

Me? I have NEVER done that!

Put lots of neosporin on! Don't want to scar.

Be careful when you burn! Used motor oil doesn't flash back, not that I would know!

CJ

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:24 pm

captain_john wrote:Was it the empty jug of gasoline that you used to start the fire with!?!
CJ

Nope.... It was some 15 year old methanol.

The jug was empty but their was enough fumes and droplets to make an effective 15 foot blow torch. The jug never moved, it did not even melt.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:38 pm

Mmmmmm, yah... I knew it contained the accelerant!

Methanol? You mean moonshine!?!

CJ

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Fri Dec 01, 2006 8:52 am

Right tank cleco'd together. Tank mounts mounted and drilled ala Dan C. method and plate nuts installed. Ready to drill the rear baffle to the mounts. I have almost 400 3/32 clecos and even with building 1 wing at a time, I do not have enough!

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