FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Check to see if there is a local pottery supplier that is where I found mine. The store I went to was small and catered to hobbyists and artists. The black ribs are a little harder than the blue and the store carried both. I noticed in the instructions they used the black so I bought black. I haven't dcided on the tool for he ribbets or if I will even do them, but if I do i think a sharpened brass tube will work best.

Mike

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hello!
Thanks Mike we have a pottery store close by too. Maybe I'll stop by there this weekend. Today, I applied more flitemetal, using a technique that I saw on Youtube. Because these panel pieces that i'm installing are usually compound curved, or triple compounded, with the need for finished straight lines on all four sides, this works pretty good. I'll start with the panel lines penciled on the fuse.picture 1. Then i'll lay tape, masking for most lines, white vinyl for the tough curves, on the pencil lines. Picture 2. The next picture shows the piece installed, it's a full piece that goes over the top and is the same on the other side, In picture 4 i'm starting the cut in the foil, in 5, carefully peeling the tape that cuts the foil too, and picture 6 is the finished result. It works well, and only got away from me once, that was on the t.e of the wing fillet.(tough spot) The piece that i've shown here is the turtle deck piece, and I didn't want a seam on top. I laid the foil out on a center line, then removed the paper backing down the middle in a 1/2" strip, then applied the piece starting from the top, working the sides one at a time. Thanks Again for looking! Bob

Pork Chop

My Feedback: (5)

Nice job on the H-1 and great pics installing the flight metal I've always wanted to try it you make it look easy

TangoBravo

Bob,
FYI, after the Flitemetal is done you might want to take a look at this product > http://www.aawsales.com/WIZARDS-BEST...011_p_240.html

It is the best I've found since Extreme went out of business and Neverdul changed its ingredients. I use it on the aluminum alloy wheels of my hot rod and I've found it to be the most effective on aluminum, brass, copper and stainless steel. This is only a suggestion but one you might find valuable.

Tom

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

It sounds like Never-Dull, it uses a cotton batting as the medium to hold the polish. It works really fast on tarnished silver.

Bob how much are you overlapping on the panels?

Mike

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hey Guys!
Thanks P.C!, thanks for the lead, Tom. The compound that I've been using is ok, but it leaves a dark tint on the metal, then I clean it off with denatured alcohol... it just doesn't seem like the right procedure to finish with. I'll go to my local hardware store and see what they've got on their shelves for metal. Mike, I've been trying to overlap about 1/8", but it doesn't always work out. There are so many panel lines on this plane, due to the need of smaller panels for the curvature, that you don't notice that some are a little smaller, some a little bigger. I think when I do the rivets that'll pull it all together. Well today I decided to start covering the wing. I'm very pleased with the middle blue coverite! I think it's pretty close to Howard's original. The Coverite fabric has a very nice luster to it! That's all for today... Bob

TangoBravo

Yep, Never-Dull used to be a good product but they have changed the formula, maybe EPA rules, and now it doesn't work near as well as it used to. It smells like kerosene and doesn't polish as good.
There was a product called X-Treme Metal Polish and it was by far the best I'd ever used. Unfortunately they went out of business and that's when I discovered Wizard. It will remove tarnish and oxidation and works fast but the more you use it the more shiny the metal gets. It doesn't require cleaning after the polishing procedure but only buffing with a soft cloth.

Tom

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hey Everyone!
Well I went to the local hardware store today, and bought a can of the never-dull. I brought it home, tried it, and wasn't impressed. As I applied it, a black slurry formed and when I tried to buff it out, it didn't come off. I followed the directions on the can, and the same thing happened on the second attempt. I finally cleaned it off with alcohol, but then it was right back where I started. Oh well it was only 6 bucks, I guess i'll order some of the wizard's best that you recommended Tom. I covered the rest of the wing today and applied the graphics that were supplied by Denny of Cajun RC. The number that I used, R258Y, were the numbers that Hughes had on the long wing version of the H1. The NX258Y were for the short version wing. OK, so that's about all for today! Hope you all have a great weekend! Bob

TangoBravo

Bob, The wing looks awesome! Great work, sir.

I certainly hope the Wizard stuff works for you. I've retired from the show-car circuit and I don't work to keep my car looking show ready anymore but the Wizard polish worked well on all aluminum and stainless steel. It will also produce a black residue and the more oxidation the metal has, the more residue. However a soft cloth will remove the black stuff leaving a nice shine. The more you rub, the shinier the results. Too bad they changed Never-Dull. It was once a very effective product but, alas, no more. Let us know how the Wizard product works for you. Good luck.

Tom

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi All!
Thanks again Tom! Yes, I'll order some of that this week. Well today was such a nice day, here in Ct., that my son and I decided to stay outside and rip the sprocket gear out of our homemade go kart. We ordered a smaller one for a little more speed!. I did get some work in on the H1 this afternoon, continuing on the flitemetal application. I'm liking how the wing fillet area is coming out, I think that I'm starting to get the hang of this product. There is definitely a learning curve using it, and I'm glad that I started in a lesser seen area, the bottom of the stab. By the time I get to the front of the fuse it'll be looking real nice! I did run into a little problem on the turtle deck today, I started the large piece that was directly behind the cockpit headrest on the top, and was going to work both sides down independently, well I applied the first inch or two and ran into many wrinkles. I went to pull it back up, as I've done before, and smooth out the wrinkles, and ended up taking the epoxy and fiberglass with it! Like I said before, this stuff really sticks! You can see the new glass and epoxy in picture two. That's all for now! Take care everyone. Bob

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Has anyone her covered an airplane that required Flite Metal and Solartex/Ultracoat to overlap? I'm trying to determine the best transition. My Ryan SC has a aluminum from the leading edge to the main spare and then fabric over open bays with an aluminum/silver paint applied. I'll will be using Aero Foil with either Solartex or Ultracoat Aluminum to get the same look.

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi All!
Hey Mike, Although this is my first time using the flitemetal and I am NO expert at its application, what I did was to start at the back and work my way forward. This way the overlap can't ever catch the wind travelling over the surface. Like a roof shingle, you'd start at the bottom. Maybe consider applying the ultracote first, making sure the leading edge of it is really secure, then the aerofoil from the wing LE to about a 1/4" over the ultracote? You'd actually have to finish cut the aerofoil for the overlap, start it at the overlap then work it towards the LE.... Well like I said, i'm no expert with the stuff but that's probably how I''d go about it...... I did get that darned turtle deck piece installed today after two more attempts, and my wife telling me to go do something else for a while, to cool off, I ended up doing it in two pieces. Also found a pretty good method to finish it, I buff it with some 0000 steel wool, then apply the never dull, buff, buff, and buff some more, and what a shine! No pictures tonight... Hope everyone is good... Bob

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

For sure put the Solartex/ultracote on first and lap the flite metal/whatever back over it. It feels funny to use Solartex and Ultracote in the same sentence. lol Two different worlds each the best of their world. the best fabric and the best film, uh my 2 cents
Doc

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

My VK Models Fokker DR-1 will be my first Solartex covering job but I like to try new things and apply what I learn on one project to future projects. My TF 182 will be my first fiberglass paint finish so you can see I like to experiment. I have used Ultracote and Monokote a lot in the past and prefer the temperature range Ultracote has but I will still use Monokote from time to time. I like that Ultracote can be tacked without shrinking at one temperature and then in a separate step tighten the whole ball of wax at once, I haven't been able to do that with Monokote.

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

I think you're going to be impressed with Solartex, it's awesome fabric covering. Use the temps recommended, shrink with an iron set at the shrink temp avoid a heat gun if you can. If you over heat it with the gun you can get sagging problems down stream in out door temperature swings.
Doc

mgnostic

In support of what Doc says, most of the synthetic fabrics have have a critical temp beyond which they wont shrink anymore. Once you are there, you're done shrinking. I have seen this discussed with full scale builders as well. I would bet that it has to do with the difference in the way a thread shrinks versus a monolithic sheet of plastic.

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi All,
I've always been a monokote fan since I started modeling, but like Matt said, there is a point that It's not going to shrink any more. The coverite fabric that I've been using for the scale projects lately has a bit more give but I always have a few small wrinkles on the wing tips. The metal application is a whole different ball game!
Have a good night, Bob

pimmnz

For the guy trying to get metal over 'tex on his wing. I isn't done that way. Pretend the metal leading edge is wood, the original would have the fabric sewn into a bag and slipped over the whole wing, stitched and taped as usual to the ribs, with tape around all the edges.Doped with aluminium dope when all done.
Evan.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I don't know why I didn't think about earlier up but here is what I'm going to try and replicate. The vertical fin is also a combination with a some kind of rubber covering the seam, I thought Fourmost U-channel would work for that.

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

Pretty airplane, Ryan what? Man I hate building severely tapered wings. sure want to watch the loading on that wing, wicked stall characteristics they have.
Doc

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

1938 Ryan SC-W, the picture on the left is the prototype with a 145 Scarab Warner radial sitting in the EAA Museum at Oshkosh, they fire her up every couple of years I think she can still fly. The color pictures are of NC18914 serial # 208 (No.8 of 14 built) upgraded to the 165 HP Warner Super Scarab radial. The owner has a vintage aircraft website: http://www.russellw.com/

My wing is started! Here is the dry fit and R1 next to R19 to give you an idea of the taper. There is 13" difference in length on these two ribs.

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

I have a Mohawk pinto at 1/4 scale with a big taper to it. But we're clogging up Bobs thread
Doc

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Yes we are clogging the build but I don't think Bob minds too much. He appreciates Golden Era aircraft too! The Pinto does have a tapered wing doesn't? What is the variance between the first and last rib of each panel?

geezeraviation

My Feedback: (3)

I'll have to check, wing's in the trailer.

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Everyone!
No, no I don't mind at all!, Anyway the building is at a slow stage right now, so I do appreciate the extra info and talk! That's a gorgeous plane, Mike and wow! what a taper in that wing! I'm going to check out that owner's website tonight. How far are you on the build?
So I did manage to complete the fuse metal today, and now onto covering the rudder and elevators to ready them for install. I hate to say it again, but the metal install on that fuse was labor intensive! but it was a labor of love. I'm ok with how it looks and came out, but I wish I could say that it looked incredible..Maybe I'm being too critical... my first boss told me, as I was learning to be a carpenter, that " Bob you build something all day long and you're standing right next to it, sometimes even closer, you need to take a few steps back and look at it from a different perspective." Well I guess that building something like the H1, under bright florescent lights, inches away from it, so close that I need number 2 reading glasses, I need to finish it, put it all together, take that step back, then judge it. Ok, well enough of that kinda talk! I took a couple of pictures.... Hope everyone is Good! Bob