Layup Void Repair Help required!  
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Layup Void Repair Help required! - 11/4/2003 7:42:27 AM   
tyrolean_marcus



Posts: 73
Joined: 3/10/2002
From: Richmond, BC, CANADA
Status: offline 		Good Day All,

I have a very nice hollow molded slope sailplane from Valenta models. Unfortunately there seems to be an area in the upper wing surface that has a resin void. The result is that the area of the void has collapsed and has produced a depression on the wing surface.

How can I repair this defect?

I've attached a picture to clarify my description.

Cheers,

Marcus.

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       Post #: 1

RE: Layup Void Repair Help required! - 11/4/2003 11:55:10 AM   
Ed Smith


 

Posts: 2875
Joined: 12/29/2001
From: Brantford, ON, CANADA
Status: offline 		I am guessing there is dry cloth under the gelcoat or the cavity is just on the skin surface. Either way, carefully grind away the gelcoat until you are down to the cloth, try not to break through. Paint some resin in the cavity, mix up some resin and microballoons and fill the cavity. Sand smooth when cured. To disguise it paint a stripe over it or stick a decal on it.

Ed S

(in reply to tyrolean_marcus)
       Post #: 2

RE: Layup Void Repair Help required! - 11/4/2003 5:10:54 PM   
davidfee



Posts: 691
Joined: 6/21/2003
From: San Diego, CA, USA
Status: offline 		Marcus,
That's not a resin void. It's hangar rash. It's analogous to a ding on a surfboard. These hollow molded wings use a very light glass outer surface and then balsa (or foam) sheet, followed by more light glass (a sandwich panel). Basically, the wing skin core material has been compressed by something pressing upon the outer glass skin. Welcome to the world of hollow molded wings... you may wish to invest in wing bags.

To repair it you can very gently heat the area with a heatgun (like for shrinking iron-on film covering. This will soften the epoxy in the skin surface and help it spring back to shape a little. Be careful, since excessive heat will likely cause the paint to get small blisters in it. You can inject epoxy between the outer layer of glass and the balsa (or foam) skin using a syringe with a needle. Or you can rough up the outer surface and fill the dent with microbaloons/epoxy. Or you can just fly it as-is.

good luck,
David

(in reply to Ed Smith)
       Post #: 3

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