Elevator Tip Finishing

A forum in which to discuss topics specific to the assembly of the RV 8/8A
mustang
Class E
Posts: 188
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:14 pm
Location: Kamloops, B.C. Canada

Post by mustang »

Bill, and Guest,

Sorry guys, I was away skiing for the weekend and just now got back home.

Bill, I recommend installing the lead weights and glassing the fiberglass end caps over the lead after roughing it up. I also poured some thick epoxy into the space between the counterweight cover and the lead weights to make this permanent. You want this weight to be VERY secure! If there is any flutter, the epoxy could assist in keeping the counterweight arm in one piece. I would not worry about using foam first etc. This just makes everything more complex and drags out the job.

Guest. The inside of my counterweight arms will remain open to the breeze. I do not want to encapsulate any part of the metal structure. That is asking for trouble down the road. It also makes it impossible to inspect your metal structure from BOTH SIDES. I will also vent the end caps with holes drilled at the trailing edges to drain any water which gets inside the capped end.

I will final balance the counterweight weight by drilling it out if required after painting. Presently, I am filling the rivet divots on the upper surface after using an etch primer over the whole surface. After fairing the filler, I will then touch up the primer and paint color next week. My trim tab is already filled, primed and painted.

Cheers, Pete
Peter Marshall
Newbie RV-8 builder.

You wanna draw, ....against the fastest rivet gun in the West??? LOL

Guest

Post by Guest »

Thanks for the advice Pete. Just one last question. What is it you use to fill in the rivet divots over the primer?
Lyle
-8
wings

mustang
Class E
Posts: 188
Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2004 9:14 pm
Location: Kamloops, B.C. Canada

Post by mustang »

Lyle,
I have been experimenting with this. So far, I have tried a polyester featherfill, like BONDO as used in auto repairs, and then I mixed up some thick epoxy and daubed that into the shallow depressions to see how it would work. The automotive filler sanded the easiest and stayed level with some slight shrinkage. The epoxy sort of acted like paint and flowed into the rivet depression like a coat rather than staying level. Perhaps the epoxy could have been thickened with some microspheres to assist in troweling on and staying level. Both fillers seem labour intensive and will certainly slow down the painting process. I just wanted to try it out and see if I was willing to do all the upper surfaces. I don't think I will. Life is just too short. Nobody will notice from twenty feet away in any case.

Cheers, Pete
Peter Marshall
Newbie RV-8 builder.

You wanna draw, ....against the fastest rivet gun in the West??? LOL

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