build status

dons · Post by **dons** » Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:54 pm

You are a lucky man indeed, and I bet your son got a real boost in pride knowing he could help his airplane building Dad. I remember how much it meant to me when my Dad let me help with woodworking, plumbing, electrical, etc. As a result, by the time I was just a couple years older than your son I was building stuff using the table saw all by myself, something that would never had happened if I wasn't allowed to 'help' when I was very young. The cause of that grin he had runs deep.

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:58 pm

thanks for the kind words guys.

on the lighter side i upgraded my dynons (d100 and ems d120...let me say the instructions were right on and it went flawlessly..

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:17 pm

installing the last skin....i think

man that semi rigid nyla flow is a biatch,,,,especially when there is two of them

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 4:54 pm

That's alotta stuff!! Looks great man!

What happened to the fu manchu??? Didn't you have one?

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:07 pm

cjensen wrote:That's alotta stuff!! Looks great man!

What happened to the fu manchu??? Didn't you have one?

no fu manchu, but im overdue for a haircut. dont worry i wont let it get nearly as out of hand as brantel

as if i could

as far as a lot of stuff, its like watching a dog grow. you just dont notice the change untill you look back at older pics.

got half way through the fwd skin...now i need a helper....i might be able to figure something out.....we'll see tommorrow. if i would have left the naca vents out untill after i think i could have swung the whole thing solo. (the front skin that is)

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:11 am

No hearing protection?

Willie...

Shame on you!

Say, whose wing spar in the background?

You got another project on tap?

CJ

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:02 am

captain_john wrote:No hearing protection?

Willie... Shame on you!

Say, whose wing spar in the background?

You got another project on tap?

CJ

ooooooohhhh that explains alot.

yeah i know but im afraid its a bit too late. i do wear them if im inside the plane though..

as far as the spar. thats belongs to ABF. it is the right wing for my project.....not damaged beyond use but i didnt buy banged up parts.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:24 am

Bill H. doesn't wear hearing protection either. He is a tin knocker by trade and will be deaf as a haddock in time. He can hear most stuff, but sometimes I need to repeat myself.

That spar could be used to make a pair of canards for your plane!!!

CJ

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:42 pm

well, the front top skin is on. thanks to my neighbor

should have enlisted his help a long time ago. would have been done by now

....
geez man i am so stubborn, its so easy with good help.

oh yeah, the panel diving is no fun with the stick in the way.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 5:41 am

I have been holding off installing the sticks for that very reason.

Willie, you should be flying this summer... huh?

CJ

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:27 am

captain_john wrote:I have been holding off installing the sticks for that very reason.

Willie, you should be flying this summer... huh?

CJ

man i hope so...but now im facing paint or fly...im thinking fly due to gas prices. i really would like to fly it before gas gets out of control. Id like to paint it myself, while taken apart. once i put it together i wont take it back apart by choice.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 7:34 am

Me? I would finish the build and paint now for a couple of reasons.

I hear about so may people that don't want to take the plane out of service for a paint job once it is flying.

Also, in the grand scheme of things... what will the fuel delta be over the course of the summer? Maybe a buck a gallon?

So, if you plan 10 gph for 40 hours of break in that will come to another $400 in fuel costs.

Not a huge delta for working on your schedule. Besides, the aluminum prep process will be appreciably easier.

That is what I plan to do.

CJ

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 8:57 am

I plan to paint/polish before I fly as well. I feel pretty confident that the others are right when they say they won't/can't take it out of service to paint it...it's just too much fun!

Post by **Spike** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:36 am

My close friend pulled it apart after it was flying to paint it. It was down for 6 months or so. Now, the paint job is top notch, but still, he couldn't fly it for many months.

Spike

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 9:54 am

Thanks for the analysis guys.

I will post whatever I do.....shortly
one thing that really bugs me is if I alodine the whole plane getting it out of the faying surfaces. I donâ€™t really trust anyone to do that as well as I want it done. Randy lervold didnâ€™t do alodine and achieved what I consider be good results. But I am a little wary of etching primers.....just have to do some more research...I am leaning towards painting though..The gas thing just keeps itchin at me.

i also have to build a booth...isnt that just like a builder..i have to build a booth to paint the plane i built.....frikin martha stewart over here.

next thing you know some purist will tell me i need to make my own paint from berries and cow dung

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 4:58 pm

I wouldn't alodine the exterior.

You are right about removing the product from the faying surfaces. Could be problematic at best.

The quality of our coatings are so good today, I consider alodine to be unnecessary.

CJ

weezbad · Post by **weezbad** » Thu May 15, 2008 2:52 pm

well it looks like i'll be painting myself.

got two quotes back at 8000.00 and 6000,00 and i just wont pay that....i would go 5 but thats my high limit. the painters charge almost that much to strip and paint much larger planes......aint happnin. anywho, im going with the randy lervold method.. http://www.romeolima.com/RV8/Paint.htm
dx 1791 and concept(ppg) or variprime and imron. (dupont) as soon as im done with the tips its on

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri May 16, 2008 8:40 am

weezbad wrote:well it looks like i'll be painting myself. got two quotes back at 8000.00 and 6000,00 and i just wont pay that

I'm right there with ya Weez! I got quotes of $8,000, $8,800, and $10,200!!! Freakin' unreal!! A friend of mine is having his Zenith 640 painted at a well respected collision repair center here in town, and it looks really good so far. He doesn't know the cost yet, but I'm looking to find out when it's done! Otherwise, I may paint mine at home too...

Brantel · Post by **Brantel** » Fri May 16, 2008 9:27 am

No way am I paying those prices... I may end up with a little dirt in the paint but mine is getting done at home! I had autobody class for four years in high school. Hopefully some of that training is still in my head somewhere.

tmbg · Post by **tmbg** » Fri May 16, 2008 10:08 am

I'm definitely painting mine myself....

I've painted bits of the cherokee, and I've painted motorcycles. I can paint the RV!

That site weez linked to above mentioned it took about 3 gallons of paint to paint his 8... I think concept is $300/gallon or so.

I've shot with concept, but I tend to buy Martin Senour automotive urethane from NAPA paints, it's about $120/gal and it works pretty well. I dunno how it'll compare as far as longevity to the concept.

For the RV, I may just man up and buy the concept... $900 vs $400 for paint is significant, but might be worthwhile for peace of mind.