Bass1

Hi, I have an opportunity to purchase a 50cc ARF for a good price however there is a hairline crack on the top of the cowl that bugs the heck out me. I thought of putting a decal or graphic over it but it's so far forward it might look worse. Also I'm afraid the crack will spread/creep until you have to "look away because it's hideous"! Any ideas??

colmo-RCU

I would boil it on a spoon, then inject it in a vein!!!!!!

colmo-RCU

LOL!!

No, seriously, If the cowl is made o fiberglass i´d join the crack and let a drop of thin ca run though it on the inside. Then sand the inside with coarse sandpaper and clean it thoroughly with soap and water and then alcohol (rubbing, not scotch) when it is dry. Then just some 2 oz fiberglass with epoxy should join it for ever

Bass1

Unfortunately I haven't been able to examine the cowl first hand and the guy who wants to sell it is out of town. I'm pretty sure it has to be cracked all the way through as I don't think the crack is just in the gell coat. I'm mainly concerned with the cosmetically unappealing crack in the gell coat[:'(]

DRC1

My Feedback: (10)

Is the fiberglass cracked or just the paint?

LLD

Bass1

I'm really not sure. It could be just the gel coat/paint is cracked. I won't know for sure until he gets back from out of town. At any rate I'm trying to figure out a way the easiest and best way to hide/mask the ugly visible crack. Darn crack will kill ya'![sm=lol.gif]

Ed Smith

Let us assume the worst and the crack goes right through. That is about a one hour fix job to get it ready to repaint. Sand away the paint pretty much to the line you have drawn around the crack. If it is just a paint crack then use an epoxy based filler to blend the sanded area to the existing paint. Sand all of the red, not the other colours. Mask off the other colours. Prime, repaint red.

If the cowl is cracked then clean up and patch the inside as descibed in a previous post then finish the outside as described above. I am suggesting repainting all of the red to prevent a colour mismatch with the patch.

If the airplane is an attractive price, that crack would not stop me from buying it.

See the before and after pictures for one of my repair jobs. I do have a 12 picture sequence of the whole process.

Ed S

TeamSeacats

Ed,

That crack is a little bigger.

Jake

Ed Smith

Hi Jake,

I gradually made it smaller.

Ed S

Bass1

Ed, Assuming it is just a paint crack, Where would I find an epoxy based filler that sands relatively easy? I believe the covering is Ultracote and they don't make the matching paint in "Rattle cans" anymore and I don't have any spray equipment. Any suggestions in a rattle can paint that might work?

Ed Smith

I suggested an epoxy filler rather than a polyester filler in case the cowl was epoxy glass. polyester might not cure over an epoxy base. Any good quality filler would be suitable.

I have not used them myself but many people seem to have success with Tremclad or Rustoleum spary cans. Automotive lacquers would have a greater range of colours.

Ed s